Jewish Museum Berlin, Studio Daniel Libeskind

“Each place tells you some story. It's either a very short story or a story you can pursue into other parts of your own life. It's those great spaces that we all love that are a story that continues.” - Daniel Libeskind
Spirit of Space filmed the story of the Jewish Museum Berlin 13 years after opening to experience firsthand the emotional impact of each space as intended by Libeskind. This building is radical because it uses architecture as a means of narrative. The design puts experience and emotion first.
The design is full of meaning. In order to enter the museum you must go through the original 1933 Baroque museum and go down into a corridor where you find three routes - 1) The Garden of Exile with an angled floor gives visitors a feeling of unsteadiness, recalling the instability felt by the Jews forced out of Germany. 2) The Holocaust Tower is a concrete dark void where the only light is a slit at the top, evoking feelings of anxiety. 3) The Stairs of Continuity, leading visitors up into the new building, emphasize the continuum of history. One of the most memorable spaces is the Memory Void where the Shalekhet installation by Israli artist Menashe Kadishman is found. We can actually feel the crushing impact of footsteps screaming into the void. The building speaks for itself through the sounds of the site.
Film (c) Spirit of Space