The Jewish Museum Berlin (1989-1999)
Libeskind's first and most well-known commissioned building was built to house exhibits of 2,000 years of German-Jewish history; yet was so powerful, a de facto Holocaust memorial, that it opened two years early to allow visitors a chance to experience the building's empty spaces before exhibits were installed. During that time, it received more than 350,000 visitors. The museum's exterior is clad in zinc, a material native to Germany and one that will oxidize and change color over time, and its floor plan is laid out in the shape of a deconstructed Star of David. Throughout, Libeskind uses highly symbolic architecture to create a sensory experience of German-Jewish history for visitors. He will employ this approach later in his master plan for Ground Zero.

© Bitter & Bredt. Reproduced with the permission of Studio Daniel Libeskind