Avisittothevoids:aninterviewandtourwithDanielLibeskind
Aspiring architect Ben Goodman tours the Jewish Museum in Berlin with legendary Jewish architect, Daniel Libeskind
Ianxiouslyawaitmyguest’sarrival Jetlagged,steppingoffmy8-hrflightfromNewYork,Iwasthrilledtowalk throughtherecentlyconstructedterminalattheBerlinBrandenburgAirport.ThenewBerlinhubismerelythehors d’oeuvrestomytrip’sarchitecturalentrée Pen,paper,andportfolioinhand,itdawnsonmethatMr Libeskindis
The Jewish Lives’ firstarchitect Thepressureis on AsIstandattheentranceoftheJudischesMuseumBerlin,a livingtestamenttotheHolocaustandLibeskind’sgeniusasmemorialistcumdesigner,Iwonder:didanyoneever interviewPicassowhilestaringatGuernica?
Myguestarrives Mr Libeskindgreetsme,extendingahandshake “Mr Goodman,ImustadmitthatIexpected someonealittleolder”BeforeIjustifymycredentials,hereassuresme “Iamevenmorethrilledtotalkwith someonesoyoung.Afterall,Idesignedthismuseumfortheyouthofthefuture.”Despiteourgenerationalgap,I identifysomenoteworthybiographicalparallels.WewerebothraisedintheBronx.Iplaytheclarinetandama voicemajorattheSpecialMusicSchool;inhisyouth,Mr Libeskindwasavirtuosoontheaccordion Wejokeabout thesimilaritiesbetweenmusicanddesign “Buildingshavetosingtoo,”Mr Libeskindinsists
Aperfectcue.Whatmysticchordwasstruckwhenhefirstsubmittedhisdesignforthemuseum?In1989,whenMr. Libeskindwonthecompetition,theBerlinWallcamedown TheyearwasaspivotaltoGermany’shistoryasitwas toMr Libeskind’scareer–themuseumwasthefirstofhisdesignstobebuilt “MostpeopleassumeIwasselected becauseI’maJewisharchitect.Actually,applicantssubmittedtheirdesignsanonymously.”But,ofcourse,being Jewishmakesallthedifference,Iprobe.Thechildofsurvivors,bornonlyafewhours’drivefromthe German-Polishborder,theHolocaustisnotaforeignsubjecttoMr Libeskind Heemphasizestomethathedidn’t needtovisitanylibrariesorarchivestoconductresearch “I’mpartofthishistory”Heinvokeshisheritageasa EuropeanJewandlikeagreatartist,infuseshisworkwithhislife.
Asweenterthemuseum,passingthroughtheportalofthe18thcenturyKollegienhaus,Iquestionhimfurtheron whatdistinguishedhisdesign “Mysubmissionalonedidnotvisualizeaphysicalbridgebetweenthebaroque buildingandthenewJewishMuseum Instead,Iusedbareconcrete“voids”topunctuatethespaceinbetweenthe zigzagsofthemuseum’stitanium-zincfacade.Thevoidsareoneoftheorganizingfeaturesofthebuilding,”he explainstomeaswewalkbrisklytocompensateforthepurposefulabsenceofcentralheating “Thevoidismeantto evokeasenseoferasureandalienation Iwanteachvisitortofeelabitlost,abitdisconnectedandalienatedfrom historyandthenaturalsequenceofevents.”Steepedinsuchsymbolism,howcanthearchitecture-thematerialityshinethrough?Mr Libeskindshakeshishead “Themuseumisnotreallyaboutsymbols;itisaboutspacesand communicationstothevisitor Inevitably,abuildinghastohaveanideabehindit Otherwise,it’sjustapileof concreteandglass.”Ismileandtellhimhowunusualitistohearanarchitectspeakratherdisparaginglyabout architecture’smaincomponents
Wereachthe“VoidedVoid,”orHolocaustTower,anisolatedbuildingwhosesingleconnectiontothemuseumis underground Sunshinepenetratesthetowerthroughanarrowslitinthecoldconcretesilo Outsidenoisesarebarely audible.Ifeelasenseofdreadandanxietywashoverme.Thenarrowlineatthetop?“Ibasedthatelementoffone survivor’sstory Aboardatransporttrainenroutetoacamp,shelookedthroughacrackandsawthiswhitelineof light Sheclaimedthatshesurvivedthewarbecausesheheldontothatwhitelineandthehopeitrepresented As visitorsleavethisspace,Iwantthemtofeelthatit’snotcompleteandutterdarkness.”Butatthesametime,Ipoint out,it’sonlyareflectedlight,becauseyoucannotseethesourceofthelight Theslitistooacute “Precisely It’s importanttotempereventheminimaloptimismoneispermittedtofeelatamuseumthatchroniclesthe exterminationofEuropeanJewry.”
Asweexitthemuseum,weentertheGardenofExile Forty-nineconcretecolumns,sproutingtopsofvegetation,sit atopaslantingground Evenoutdoors,onefeelsdizzyanddisoriented Recoveringmybearings,Ireturnto“The JewishLives”Series,theoccasionforourrendez-vous.Otherthanyourself,isthereabiographymissingfromthe collection?“IwouldliketoseeWalterBenjaminsitalongsidemeonashelf HisguidebooktoBerlin,‘The One-WayStreet,’notonlyinspiredmyvisionforthismuseumbutalsogenerationsofintellectuals,writersand artists.”Whatsubtitlewouldgraceyourcoverandspine?Ioffer“DanielLibeskind:TheHolocaust’sMemorialist.” Buthedemurs.“Iappreciatethesentiment.It’struethattheHolocaustfeaturesprominentlyinmylife’swork.Take theDanishJewishMuseum,whichIalsodesigned ButIwouldliketoberememberedformyotherarchitectural contributions,suchastheImperialWarMuseumNorthinManchesterandthe9/11MemorialinNewYork”Iraise theante:“DanielLibeskind:ArchitectofMemory.”
ItakeleaveofMr Libeskind,thankinghimforhisgeneroustime“Sosoon?Youonlyjustfinishedthesubtitle!”I explainthateleventhgradecallsandbidmynewfriendadieu,withapartinggiftofmyowndraftsofhisMuseum andGardenofExile,whichIrenderedonRhinosoftware.“Youreallyare ofadifferentgeneration,Benjamin.I wouldhavesketchedthemonanapkin!”
