2/19/13

Peter Eisenman-- Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe


Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe- Peter Eisenman

The first thing I noticed about the memorial located in Berlin was the ratio solid to voids.  The memorial appears very sterile and clean, while representing such an important topic in the history of Europe.  The sterility of the memorial left me with a frightened and somber feeling.  The intensity of the large concrete blocks successfully conveys the severity of the crime against the Jewish population. 

I also appreciated the design which incorporates a variety of heights in addition to a sloping plane.  The variety in elevation creates even more interest and, in my opinion, better represents the individuals that were killed as opposed to a mass. 

Many have been opposed to the design of the memorial in addition to the focus on only Jewish people. While I would not want to "hang out" in the memorial every day, it respects the people and creates the perfect atmosphere to seriously consider the crimes of the past. 

My cuttings below focused on the strong grid of the design.  the 1:1 ratio is very apparent in the memorial.  I studied the void in comparison to the raised concrete structures resulting in the forms below. 

plan view of grid system in memorial

comparison between block structures and the voids that they create

intense linear alignment of memorial

slight topographic change on site

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