The Holocaust Memorial in Berlin is a memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe. It is effectively a building plot overlaid with an orthogonal grid of extruded gray 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 center 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, gray 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.
View Larger Map