Daniel Libeskind

DANIEL LIBESKIND
Born May 12,
1946 (age 69)
Łódź, Poland
Nationality American-
Polish

• Daniel Libeskind (born May 12, 1946) is a Polish-
American architect, artist, professor and set designer of Polish Jewish descent.
Libeskind founded Studio Daniel Libeskind in 1989 with his wife, Nina, and is its
principal design architect..
• Libeskind's work has been exhibited in major museums and galleries around the
world, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Bauhaus Archives, the Art Institute
of Chicago, and the Centre Pompidou.
• On February 27, 2003, Libeskind won the competition to be the master plan
architect for the reconstruction of the World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan.
• Libeskind began his career as an architectural theorist and professor, holding
positions at various institutions around the world.
• His practical architectural career began in Milan in the late 1980s, where he
submitted to architectural competitions and also founded and directed Architecture
Intermundium, Institute for Architecture & Urbanism.
• Libeskind completed his first building at the age of 52, with the opening of the Felix
Nussbaum Haus in 1998.
• In addition to his architectural projects, Libeskind has worked with a number of
international design firms to develop objects, furniture, and industrial fixtures for
interiors of buildings. He recently established a design company in Milan, Libeskind
Design.
INTRODUCTION :

CHARACTERISTICS FEATURES :
• His designs combine today's modern architecture with his Polish background.
• Libeskind always considers how he can add his own twist into a typical structure to
make it unique.
• His architecture is the perfect combination between organic and sophisticated.
• Daniel Libeskind is renowned for his ability to evoke cultural memory in buildings.
• Drastic angles, strong geometries and seamless transitions between spaces are
observed in his buildings.

ARCHITECTURAL WORKS :
1.JEWISH MUSEUM /HOLOCAUST MUSEUM:
Jewish Museum
Architect: Daniel Libeskind
Year(s) of
constructio
n:
1989-1999
Built-up
Area:
15,500 sq.m.
(=166,840 sq.ft.)
Location: Berlin, Germany

Introduction
• The Jewish Museum Berlin (Jüdisches Museum Berlin) is one of the largest
Jewish Museums in Europe.
• In three buildings, two of which are new additions specifically built for the
museum by architect Daniel Libeskind, two millennia of German-Jewish history
are on display in the permanent exhibition as well as in various changing
exhibitions.
• German-Jewish history is documented in the collections, the library and the
archive, in the computer terminals at the museum's Rafael Roth Learning
Center, and is reflected in the museum's program of events.
• The museum was opened in 2001 and is one of Berlin’s most frequented
museums (almost 720,000 visitors in 2012).
• Opposite the building ensemble, the Academy of the Jewish Museum Berlin
was built – also after a design by Libeskind – in 2011/2012 in the former flower
market hall.
• The archives, library, museum education department, and a lecture hall can all
be found in the academy.

• In 1989, Polish/American architect Daniel Libeskind won the design
competition for the extension to the Berlin Museum in Germany.
• Later, the whole museum was given over to Jewish history and
culture. Libeskind's building both expresses and contains a memorial
to the victims of the Holocaust.
• It was his first major work, and after its inauguration in 2001 it
became one of the most oustanding buildings in Europe's cultural
landscape.
• The permanent collection, exhibitions, educational programmes and
activities make the museum a vital center for Jewish culture.
• Its aim is to provide a forum for research, debate and the exchange
of ideas, as well as being a place for young and old, Jews and non-
Jews, and people from all nations.
• Libeskind's dramatic construction has become a symbolic
monument for Berlin and a mecca for lovers of architecture

Concept
• Daniel Libeskind’s design, which was created a year before
the Berlin Wall came down, was based on three insights
i. it is impossible to understand the history of Berlin without
understanding the enormous contributions made by its
Jewish citizens
ii. the meaning of the Holocaust must be integrated into the
consciousness and memory of the city of Berlin
iii. for its future, the City of Berlin and the country of
Germany must acknowledge the erasure of Jewish life in
its history.

Design
• The Jewish Museum Berlin is located in what was West Berlin before the fall of the Wall.
• Essentially, it consists of two buildings – a baroque old building, the “Kollegienhaus”
(that formerly housed the Berlin Museum) and a new, deconstructivist-style building by
Libeskind.
• The two buildings have no visible connection above ground.
• The Libeskind building, consisting of about 161,000 square feet (15,000 square meters),
is a twisted zig-zag and is accessible only via an underground passage from the old
building.
• A line of "Voids," empty spaces about 66 feet (20 m) tall, slices linearly through the
entire building. Such voids represent "That which can never be exhibited when it
comes to Jewish Berlin history: Humanity reduced to ashes.”
• In the basement, visitors first encounter three intersecting, slanting corridors named the
“Axes.”
• Here a similarity to Libeskind's first building – the Felix Nussbaum Haus – is apparent,
which is also divided into three areas with different meanings. In Berlin, the three axes
symbolize three paths of Jewish life in Germany – continuity in German history,
emigration from Germany, and the Holocaust.

• The first axis(Axis of Continuity) ends at a long staircase that leads to the permanent
exhibition.
• The second axis(Axis of Emigiration) connects the Museum proper to the E.T.A.
Hoffmann Garden, or The Garden of Exile, whose foundation is tilted.
• The Garden's oleaster grows out of reach, atop 49 tall pillars. The Garden of Exile is
reached after leaving the axes. The whole garden is on a 12° gradient and disorients
visitors, giving them a sense of the total instability and lack of orientation experienced
by those driven out of Germany.
• The third axis(Axis of Holocaust) leads from the Museum to the Holocaust Tower, a 79
foot (24 m) tall empty silo.
• The bare concrete Tower is neither heated nor cooled, and its only light comes from a
small slit in its roof.
• The Jewish Museum Berlin was Libeskind's first major international success.
• In recent years, Libeskind has designed two structural extensions: a covering made of
glass and steel for the “Kollegienhaus” courtyard (2007), and the Academy of the
Jewish Museum in the former flower market hall on the opposite side of the street
(2012).
• 10 000 faces punched out of steel are distributed on the ground of the Memory Void,
the only "voided" space of the Libeskind Building that can be entered.
• Israeli artist Menashe Kadishman dedicated his artwork not only to Jews killed during
the Shoah, but to all victims of violence and war.
• Visitors are invited to walk on the faces and listen to the sounds created by the metal
sheets, as they clang and rattle against one another.

• Zig-zag best describes the form of the Jewish Museum's New Building.
• The architect Daniel Libeskind's design is based on two linear structures which,
combined, form the body of the building.
• The first line is a winding one with several kinks while the second line cuts through the
whole building.
• At the intersections of these lines are empty spaces – "Voids" – which rise vertically
from the ground floor of the building up to the roof. Libeskind imagines the
continuation of both lines throughout the city of Berlin and beyond.
• The façade of the Libeskind Building barely enables conclusions to be drawn as to the
building's interior, the division of neither levels nor rooms being apparent to the
observer.
• Nevertheless, the positioning of the windows – primarily narrow slits – follows a
precise matrix.
• During the design process, the architect Daniel Libeskind plotted the addresses of
prominent Jewish and German citizens on a map of pre-war Berlin and joined the
points to form an "irrational and invisible matrix" on which he based the language of
form, the geometry and shape of the building.
• The positioning of windows in the New Building was also based on this network of
connections.
• The whole of the New Building is coated in zinc, a material that has a long tradition in
Berlin's architectural history. Over the years, the untreated alloy of titanium and zinc
will oxidize and change color through exposure to light and weather.

• The Voids represent the central structural element of the New Building and the
connection to the Old Building.
• From the Old Building, a staircase leads down to the basement through a Void of
bare concrete which joins the two buildings.
• Five cavernous Voids run vertically through the New Building.
• They have walls of bare concrete, are not heated or air-conditioned and are
largely without artificial light, quite separate from the rest of the building.
• On the upper levels of the exhibition, the Voids are clearly visible with black
exterior walls.
• The Israeli artist Menashe Kadishman's steel sculpture "Shalechet" (Fallen
Leaves) covers the entire floor of one of the five Voids.
MATERIALS
• The facades are made of concrete with an outer sheet metal.
• This layer is made of zinc and titanium panels placed diagonally

PHOTO GALLERY
ZINC FACADE
INTERIOR

CORRIDOR PILLARS IN GARDEN OF
EXILE
GARDEN OF EXILE

SECTION OF VOIDHOLOCAUST TOWER

STAIRCASE LEADING TO A
BLANK WALL
“FALLEN LEAVES” IN THE VOID

2. IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM:
Architect
:
Daniel
Libeskind
Year(s) of
construct
ion: 1997-2001
Floor
Area: 9,000 m2
Location: Manchester,
England

Introduction
• Polish architect - American Daniel Libeskind resulted in a single building, the horror of war
and peace cause.
• Almost a piece of sculpture, the Imperial War Museum in Manchester is in line with recent
museums in the world where the image is more important than building the exhibits.
• This building is the worldview of Libeskind, who is known for the elaborate symbolism of his
works. Both in their field in their interiors, the whole place a disturbing picture of rupture.
• For his expressiveness and his formal introduction to the context, the Museum is a strong
symbol for the city of Manchester City.
• It was recognised with awards or prize nominations for its architecture.
• The museum features a permanent exhibition of chronological and thematic displays,
supported by hourly audiovisual presentations which are projected throughout the gallery
space.
• The museum also hosts a programme of temporary exhibitions in a separate gallery

Concept
• The Imperial War Museum North (IWMN) in Manchester, England, tells the story of
how war has affected the lives of British and the Commonwealth citizens since 1914.
• The design concept is a globe shattered into fragments and then reassembled.
• The interlocking of three of these fragments—representing earth, air, and water
—comprise the building’s form.
• The Earth Shard forms the museum space, signifying the open, earthly realm of
conflict and war; the Air Shard serves as a dramatic entry into the museum, with
its projected images, observatories and education spaces; and the Water Shard
forms the platform for viewing the canal, complete with a restaurant, cafe, deck
and performance space.
• Remedy the war, each branch is a volume that reproduces the curvature of the
earth and creates the disturbing impression that a piece of the world and
ended up broke embedded in the port of Manchester.
• Flags representing earth, water and air behave as three interconnected rooms
that house all the functions: exhibition halls, restaurants and entertainment
spaces.
• Aluminum cover with a steel structure and free-form geometry asymmetric
rolling.

Spaces
• In the distance, the first thing seen of the building is its tower curve.
• This is the main entrance of the museum.
• Visitors entering for this cover that represents the air, 55 meters tall.
• Its construction has some intersecting steel beams that are home to nearly
vertical lift, which gives access to a platform located 29 meters tall and offers a
spectacular view of the Canal and the City of Manchester.
• A large curved roof that houses the main public areas of the museum, the main
exhibition gallery and special exhibition, symbolizing the Earth.
• The floor has a curved surface corresponding to the curvature of the planet. The
cavernous interior spaces and stay flexible to the samples, with a light that
mimics the darkness of the caves.
• Finally, the area that represents the water, are available at the opposite end of
the plant cover in the air. It consists of a platform that overlooks the canal
houses of Manchester and a restaurant, cafeteria and entertainment space.
• As in the Museum of the Holocaust in Berlin, Libeskind sought to create
disturbing experiences in the visitor.
• The main exhibition hall is a dark room equipped with dozens of projectors and
speakers who harass people with images and sounds of war.
• Artifacts of war are on display in glass cases but are scattered throughout the
place.

Structure
• The building has a steel structure covered with metal panels.
• It was built fast enough, with low maintenance costs and with much attention
to environmental problems.

3. REFLECTIONS AT KEPPEL BAY:
Architect: Daniel Libeskind
Structural
Engineer:
T.Y. LIN
International
Year(s) of
design:
2006
Year(s) of
constructio
n:
2011
Location: Singapore
Floor count 41, 24, 11
stories
Floor area 84,000 sq m

Introduction
• "Reflections at Keppel Bay" is the first residential project of Daniel
Libeskind in Asia.
• This is a promotion of the property group Keppel Group, consisting of a set
of buildings on the waterfront of the Asian city-state.
• The project was completed in December 2011 and is the winner of
BCAGreen Mark Gold Award building in Singapore.
• It is a 99 year leasehold luxury waterfront residential complex on approx
84,000 m² of land with 750m of shoreline and was completed by 2011. The
complex has 1129 units.
• The complex is situated in a prominent spot on the coast of access to the
historic port of Keppel in Singapore .
• The plot develops along 750 feet of shoreline overlooking the bay, golf
course, lush parks and even to Mount Faber.

Concept
• The project name gives a clear clue of what the concept of the whole.
• "Reflections at Keppel Bay" tries to create the illusion that the towers themselves
are a reflection in water of the bay, and thus acquire the undulating forms that
perceive the reflection of straight volumes of water.
• The resulting composition is the creative interaction of changing planes and
reflections.
• The inclination of the towers creates a dynamic tension between them will
undoubtedly contribute immensely to the skyline of Singapore conviértanla, if it is
not already an iconic world class.
• But true to as ephemeral as a reflection concept is not the only reason that
accompanies these elegant curved shapes of varying heights, and thanks to a
detailed study of all relationships, angles and viewpoints elegant spaces are
created and the different structures allow all have stunning views towards the
horizon, whether urban or natural.

Spaces
• Libeskind tackles the challenge architects working in contexts such as
Singapore faced: the construction of high density due to the exorbitant cost of
land.
• To solve this problem, instead of distributing building similar density buildings,
Libeskind proposes two different types of housing, low blocks along the coast
and high towers located just behind.
• Reflections at Keppel Bay is a residential development of two hundred
thousand square meters consists of 6 towers of 24 and 41 stories high, plus
another 11 blocks lower apartments of between 6 and 8 floors, giving a total
of 1,129 residential units.
• Artistic composition of ever changing orientation of the building, along with
the different types of buildings creates a spacious and bright set of low and
high structures.
• These ever-changing shapes create an experience where each level feels
unique as it is not in alignment with the ground either above or below.
• No two residences within the set, each piece is unique resulting in a
fundamental change in life in a skyscraper where individuality and difference
are not sacrificed.
• The six towers are topped with lush gardens and sloping roofs linked by sky
bridges, providing open space and unobstructed 360 degree views, forming a
kind of open green space that is rarely found in high rise buildings.

Materials
• The double curvatures of high-rise towers are unique in the world,
because they are coated with a fully unified and insulated curtain
wall.
• The low-rise buildings along the coast are coated anodized aluminum
that creates a luminous surface and provides additional insulation.
• Aesthetically the project undoubtedly bears the signature
of Libeskind , using materials such as steel, titanium and a generous
use of glass.

4. EXTENSION OF DENVER ART MUSEUM:
Architect: Daniel
Libeskind
Year(s) of
constructi
on:
2003-2006
Cost:$62,000,000
Location: West 14th
Avenue
Parkway,
Denver,
United
States

INTRODUCTION
• Extension of the Denver Art Museum was given by Daniel Libeskind.
• It is the first architect's design to be built in the United States.
• Collaborated in building the firm Davis Partnership Architects and construction MA
Mortenson Company that has been in charge of projects such as the Pepsi Center and
the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.
• Extension's role is to expand the existing museum.
• Seven levels of the building, designed by Italian architect Gio Ponti, the work was
performed biggest expansion in its last thirty years.
• The history of the museum dates back to 1893, when a group of artists founded the
Denver club whose purpose was to sponsor lectures and exhibitions.
• 23 years after the Artist's Club was renamed as the Denver Art Association, later to
become the Denver Art Museum.
• In 1932 the city of Denver gave some galleries in the museum just finished the City and
County Building. In 1948 the museum acquired a land to build a new headquarters, but
had great difficulty in finding funds, and the building was not completed until 1954.
• Once again, during the 60s, the seat was small and in 1971 opened a new wing,
designed by Italian architect Gio Ponti and local architect James Sudler.

• The influx of many works and the presence of an ever-required in the
twenty-first century to build a new wing, designed in this case by Daniel
Libeskind.
• Work began on April 9, 2003 with the celebration of the laying of the first
stone, and were completed in 2006 with a total cost of more than 62 million
dollars.
• With an area of 13,564 m2, the new building Frederic C. Hamilton almost
double the space from the host to several special collections never before
been displayed on a permanent basis to provide the opportunity to make
other national and international events and programs.
• The new spaces are designed to showcase collections of design, architecture
and art of Oceania.
• Opposite the entrance to the new building was placed a giant bronze spider
by sculptor Louise Bourgeois.
• The new building is located directly south of the twin towers of the original
building, and adjacent to the Denver Public Library, designed by Michael
Graves.
• The entrance is opposite the new plaza that links the Civic Center in Golden
Triangle, a neighborhood of villas, before scorned, which is currently being
converted into a fashionable neighborhood.
• From the inside, visitors can see the mountains and the city of Denver.

CONCEPT
• The museum consists of a series of interlocking rectangles.
• This is an aggressive form of geometric design, pure and irregular, glass and
titanium, reflecting the peaks and rock crystal from the nearby mountains.
• A volume overhang crosses the street to link the structure of the Gio Ponti
building by a bridge of steel and glass.
• The aim of the designers has been to prevent the rebuilding of ideas already on
the existing structure, pointing to a building that also communicate outside the
particularity of its content, in which art and architecture are the real protagonists.
• The project is designed as a single building, but as part of a composition of public
spaces, monuments and gateways in the development of this part of the city,
which contributes to the relationship with neighboring buildings.
• Museums, shops and a loft-type apartment complex, also designed by Libeskind
encourage the public square.
• The most striking feature of the museum is the triangular shape of a corner that is
fired out of the street toward the old Gio Ponti building.

• Other forms are deployed out into the square, partially covering the
entrance.
• But the generality of the exterior lies in how it changes its appearance
when looking in different directions.
• Fragments of a peak can guess outstanding between the towers of the
city.
• From another angle, the structure seems static and has the appearance
of búnquer. At night, the building tends to give a visually achatarse
strange sense of stillness.
• At the base of the building, is an approach that does not differentiate
inside and outside, but a union and creates a synergy between the
container and its contents.
• It also has great attention to all the functions necessary to ensure
maximum comfort to the visitors, also given the special characteristics of
the city of Denver, subject to continuous changes in climate, temperature
and lighting.

SPACES
• The new structure provides the main entrance to the complex and exhibition hall will
be marked by the access that leads to the other new areas, such as the cafeteria,
an auditorium for 280 people, bookstore and other shops.
• The project promotes the energy available directly upwards. The hall takes a height
of four levels. Highlights its sloping walls and a staircase esperial moving along the
walls, through which you access to the exhibition galleries.
• As it stands, the stairs are narrow and becomes more intimate.
• Pieces of light entering through skylights where the walls are ready intersect.
• Above beams intersect in the area to prevent the walls of a tumble.
• The planes intercepted and produce complex geometries such spaces peculiar
characteristic of an attic.
• The main areas of this expansion are three: the Gallagher Family Gallery on the first
floor for temporary exhibitions, the second floor of the Anschutz Gallery for
contemporary art collections and Martin & McCormick Gallery, also on the second
level is where art Contemporary Native American.
• The exhibition also includes areas of green outdoor sculpture show.
• They are part of the expansion, a bridge 31 meters above the building to
communicate with Hamilton, a parking lot for 965 cars and an area of residential
and commercial uses surrounding the building of 25,000 square meters

MATERIALS
• The structure is steel and concrete.
• For the siding was chosen titanium and granite, thus looking for a dialectical
relationship with the other elements of the context: monuments, public spaces,
infrastructure.
• In 2740 the building was used tons of steel, 21,368 square feet of titanium and 5658
cubic meters of concrete.

Daniel Libeskind

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