Imperial War Museum North (1997-2001)
Libeskind's aluminum-clad war museum in Manchester, England is composed of three distinct yet interlocking sections, or shards, symbolizing the three theaters of war in the 20th century: on the earth, in the air, and underwater. The earth shard, represented by the long, down-turned horizontal section, houses the museum's gallery space. The air shard, which projects forcibly into the sky, serves as the building's entrance and contains an observatory and educational space. The third and final shard, a horizontal section that crests like a wave, covers a restaurant, a café, performance space, and a platform for viewing the adjacent canal. These three shards create an impression of colliding tectonic plates and give form to Libeskind's concept of war as conflict and collision.

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