Holocaust Memorial Berlin, Germany – Public Realm

The Holocaust Memorial in Berlin is a memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe. Designed by architect Peter Eisenman, it is effectively a building plot overlaid with an orthogonal grid of extruded grey concrete rectangles. To me, the plan form and dimensions of these rectangles are reminiscent of a grave and the memorial itself a grave yard. At the edges of the memorial plot the rectangle extrusions are small at its centre the extrusions are greater.

Holocaust Memorial Berlin, Germany – View Across the Top of the Memorial

Holocaust Memorial Berlin, Germany – Shadow on Memorial

The ground plane within the memorial is undulating and generally falls away. The paving is square in form, grey and orthogonal to the extruded blocks.

Holocaust Memorial Berlin, Germany – Walkway Within Memorial

Holocaust Memorial Berlin, Germany – Walkway Within Memorial with High Blocks

Holocaust Memorial Berlin, Germany – Drain Cover

At the memorial’s perimeter, where the extrusions are low, a number of blocks have been replaced with trees. Also in this location the block provide a form of informal seating.

Holocaust Memorial Berlin, Germany – Memorial at its Edge

Holocaust Memorial Berlin, Germany – Memorial Edge Treatment

Holocaust Memorial Berlin, Germany – Memorial Bleeding into Footway

Holocaust Memorial Berlin, Germany – Tree Growing Out of Blocks

Holocaust Memorial Berlin, Germany – Tree Replacing a Block

Holocaust Memorial Berlin, Germany – Tree Within Blocks

What I particularly like about this memorial is that is functions on two levels. To adults it is a somber reminder of the destructive and violent capabilities of humankind. To the child it can be a fantastic maze in which to hide and play.