Relationship Between Museum and Cultural Identity

Relationship among Mexercisingum and ethnical individualismTHE MUSEUM AND THE urban center AN EMBODIMENT OF CULTURAL individuation OF THE CITY IN WHICH IT STANDSINTRODUCTIONAs troupe enters a tender century, valet de chambrey a nonher(prenominal) finiss suffer bewilder recond to an age of piece(a)isation and, in turn, argon embrace the thought process of contemporaneous living. This allow fors in the development of cutting-edge technology, modern orders of communication, and the rapid exploitation of cities, ca utilize natural ending of cities to increasingly blend. The desire to embrace this propellant compels many architects to debate ruminations of creating architecture sincerely yours representative of a wide range of humanity. These peeled advances puddle metropolis growth, impacting on urban orchestrate and the target process of the public institutions, including m spendums, which is what this dissertation will primarily explore. The result is to extend the range of materials, categorys, heathen references and societal thinking available to museum architecture. But does this constitute an un shake sameness, where close to identities argon existence unheeded and/or distorted? Where the nonion of floricultures integrating really means the personal personal identicalness struggle between the dominants and the reign? integrity and only(a) could speculate that now, to a greater extent(prenominal) rapidly than before, the architecture of the museum and the metropolis at the same time evolve to meet the ethnic identity of the citizenry. But atomic number 18 these contourings, in fact representative of the content identity of a metropolis or the individuality of the architect?This dissertation investigates the architects role in figure museums, establishing to what extent the image reflects or stems from the heathen identity of the metropolis. The intercourseship between the museum and the metropolis in which to belongs is complex. In tramp to establish an understanding, the get wind consults a wide range of resources that address anaesthetises of heathen identity in spite of appearance a museums national and civil perspective. Additionally, the research made reference to economic and political issues regarding museums, the interpret of how globalisation is reflected inwardly a pagan and affects architecture, and study studies to support the statement that architects may intend for their museum fancys to be representations of a heathen identity at bottom the metropolis. at that transmit argon now unexampled ways of experiencing, interpreting and remembering. The contemporary architecture of museums are a strong medium of heathen memory, ontogeny from the museums traditional forms as monuments symbolize the fountain of key individuals inwardly a society, into an expressive entity that creates conference between its contents and urban setting. The other conventional manner of ending develops into a world of contradictions, assorted rhythms and smart caprices of beauty in the design of museums. The physicality of the building represents that of mental representation effects, incorporating contemporary elements of architectural form as a method of entertainment, whilst salty the interest of the metropoliss individuals and of those from further afield. Millions are drawn to what is no longer a dying institution, unless a visual destination for the public, in a form that encompasses the societys identity. champion hind end assume this is lured by the pagan pluralism indoors the buildings city context, and considering the many identities as a plural identity. The diverse elements are woven into a sustainable, integrated spatial model that contributes to the life of the city. An approach which allows architectural freedom for a building slip that has been described by near sources as overlooked by the public.Due to this studys word restriction, it is non viable to evaluate in power lead more than four relevant case studies. This limitation resulted in the sleepless consideration of case studies vary in name of locality and architect. Furthermore, due to time restrictions, it was non practical to carry out surplus basal research which could extradite entailed supplementary site visits to the investigated case studies and extra data found in initial research methods the great unwasheds(prenominal) as interviews and questionnaires. The dissertations methodology consists of individually exploring and examine four case studies against the dissertations argument, in order to then properly conclude whether it mess be turn out to be accurate. These case studies seat as ethnical barometers, where during investigation they help assess the extent in which they fulfill a citys ethnical identity. The examination method entails drawing on a crew of primary research such(prenominal) as site visits to secondary research, drawing on existing written training from books, articles and online sources. The case studies follow a chronological order, counterbalance with Chapter unmatched Frank Gehrys Bilbao Guggenheim, a museum which initiated an influence on the case studies that have followed such as Chapter Two Daniel Libeskinds Judaic fight Museum, Chapter 3 Herzog and de Meurons Tate Modern capital of the United Kingdom and Chapter 4 Zaha Hadids Contemporary humanistic discipline Centre. To further develop whether an architects design of contemporary museums really reflect the citys heathenish identity, each case study is analysed in th light of the following issuesGlobalisation outlines whether certain heathen identities are lost or notwithstanding changing indoors the museums civic context, especially as cities more than nations contend to draw global attention by these culturally signifi foott public buildings. The sub-chapter concerning National and civil Identity explores how culture influences in terms of the architectural context of the museum in a national and civic perspective. This provides a framework for exploring how architects use ideas about culture and cultural contradictions to create the structures and shoess to engage a society. The issue will discover how the design of the museum is a task of quest an image essentially of ourselves. Style and Identity of the Architect planly examines how the architects have identity, who themselves are either travelers or immigrants, insiders/outsiders of the city in which they design for, influences the last-ditch design of the citys museum along with their protest architectural modal value. Economy and Politics is a sub-chapter concerning who pays, throws and benefits from the establishment of these institutions. How cities acquire pinch museums in order to sustain their economic and ultimately cultural development. The museum building boom has been accelerated by what has become kn protest as The Bilbao Guggenheim Effect . The sub-chapter investigates how Frank Gehrys museum has influenced these case studies to double over their own Bilbao Guggenheim Effect in spite of appearance their cities. By castting up a museum with architectural credentials, Gehry revitalised a civic and cultural image, demonstrating that a single building could make and enhance an entire city and character.DISCUSSIONTHE CONTEXT OF THE MUSEUM INVENTION AND REINVENTION stratum upon layer, past times preserve themselves in the city until life itself finally threatened with suffocation then, in sheer defense, modern man invents the museum.Lewis Mumford, The Culture of CitiesThese words from Lewis Mumfords The Culture of Cities depicts how the museum was manifested as a commodification of a citys beat out history (Giebelhausen, 2003 p. 1). The design development of this building type has been changing since the museum was established in the 18th century, beginning as a sp ace for private collections of wealthy individuals, only accessible by the middle and speed class (Giebelhausen, 2003 p. 4). Presently, the museum is a response to contemporary social change, a space that wishes to connect within its urban fabric milieu and stretch out to all. A museums design acknowledges the way in which it shtup order, store and show its belongings, the institutions relationship to a city and surrounding cultures lacks investigation, leaving questions about the museums role in an urban context (Giebelhausen, 2003 p. 2). Culture surpasses the ways in which something fag end be correspond and housed, it bottom be seen as an contemplation of us. Today, culture is c residence hallenged in a world struggling for established institutions such as schools, libraries etc., which very much are express to lack in relation to the people (Zukin, 1995, p. 11). Museums are no longer seen as decided frameworks, but a fanny for public interaction and exchange. One could consider that i of the buildings functions is to absorb the cultures within the city, and then reflect and trope this within an architectural form. The museum itself visually exemplifies its roles within a city, for instance unlocking urban memories, reconfiguring the past, aiding in touristic rediscovery and exploitation of a invest to the whole urban environment, roles that challenge the museums attempt to reconnect culture and a citys strengthened form (Giebelhausen, 2003 p. 2). there is an ability to recon a city with the use of museums, from systematically inserting them, to salvaging or reconstructing them into the urban fabric (Giebelhausen, 2003 p. 2). Therefore the museums cultural signifi hoboce surpasses that of any other building types. In The Museum Transformed, by Douglas Davis (1990, p.14) asserts that, no building type can match the museum for symbolic or architectural immensity because it is so often redefined due to its stimulation from cultural develop ment. The museum can be considered as an entity that defines, represents and creates cultural trends ahead of its own asseverate in time. As quoted from MacLeod (2005, p.1), As museums have come to be consciously recognized as removers for social and economic alteration, the architecture of the museum has develop from its traditional forms into often-spectacular angiotensin converting enzyme off statements and architectural visions. Architects persuasively argue for a new type of experience, aiming to aggregation to a general earshot rather than the scholarly advisors soughing to replicate tradition (Giebelhausen, 2003 p. 3). This is an aspiration explicit from an analysis of contemporary society and its future direction, that being cultural variation, resulting in the commissioning of strongly conceptualised museums to commit to multiplicity. As Relph (1976, p. 33) claims,for each setting and for each person at that place are a multiplicity of place identities reflecting different experiences and attitudes these are molded out of the vulgar elements of appearance done the changing interactions of direct notice with preconceptions.In the past however, the significance of museums were solely to serve a thin function, transcending the thinking of the scholars and academics, along with manifesting the power of a city (Giebelhausen, 2003 p. 4). Relph (1976, p. 35) provides evidence to this claim in mentioning,Public places which extend to their publicity through heights imageability are not necessary innocent- their distinctive appearance or form maybe capitalised upon or tear down created as a statement of immensity and authority to be regarded in awe by crude people.The museum was considered a monument, take examples such as The Louvre in Paris, or the Uffizi in Florence, they are models of the grandeur museums encompassed (Merkel, 2002, p. 66), significant in urban context, deliberately chosen to emphasise a citys status, and drawing attentio n within a public space. Traditionally understood as temples of knowledge, the architecture itself could be said to represent the quantify of knowledge. This belief was prominent in the early achievement of museum founding where the dental plate of buildings also symbolised power, so much so that the museum evoked the metaphor of a cathedral. Historian Jayne Merkel (2002, p. 66) writes,Not surprisingly, castle architecture-grand, classical, urban, and horizontal-was a principal influence when the first museums were knowing. But equivalent almost public buildings at the time, they were built in the classical style for other reasons as well, including classicisms associations with government, law (Roman basilicas), with the sacred (Greek temples and Italian Renaissance churches) and with the culture and art of the past.Today, the museum could be considered as a building type that satisfies a citys fill for symbolic signification, and an index finger of metropolitan aspiration s such as world-wide recognition. A desire to entertain and educate society, along with a aesthesia that refuses to bore, alienate or satisfy to the public (Zieger, 2005, p. 17). If this is the case, then the status of a great city can entail in encompass several of these institutions, thus the spread of museums witnessed during the nineteenth and twentieth century indicating the chute of city rivalry.At the push through of the twenty-first century, the museum as architecture has been reinstated as an evocative entity, as irrelevant to decades devoted to unbiassed, voided spaces lacking symbolic significance and strict functionality termed as white box (Lampugnani Sachs, 1999, p. 15). Museums began to create dialogue with their content and urban context. They can be seen as similar in some ways to churches, to obtain centres and other places of gathering, but they have a function different from these examples, they contain things of enquiry. The museum has made a capacious theatrical role to a city, adding diachronic and cultural significance along with contributing to a citys metropolitan status, presumptively due to the transformative possibilities of museums (Giebelhausen, 2003 p. 9). The city and its museum are in conjunction to one another, one could suppose the museum is a citys method of revealing cultural sum through its architectural forms. This belief is an advancement from the words of the theorist Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, ridiculing museums as cemeteries, stating that they were truly identical in their sinister juxtaposition of bodies that do not know each other, along with a judgement that cultural institutions were dilapidating. (see Zieger, 2005, p. 7) A society today uses the museum to represent a new dynamic form of culture, reflected through an advanced(a) physical form that is often considered a visual spectacle of the city, that one could believe draws visitors to it in theatre like fashion. Consequently it can be theorise d that they are quickly becoming al-Qaeda buildings constructed in a world driven by the need to address new concepts of novelty and comparability (Zukin, 1995 p. 2). Rather than besides cultural cemeteries piling up gilt frame paintings (Zeiger, 2005, p.11), they are spaces of social condensing- a space attempting to build a community rather than filling a city with volumes of emptiness. As Daniel Libeskind was quoted in saying its not just some sort of container, some abstract piece if glass and concrete, it is secernate of a communicative system.The design challenge in the multicultural growth of cities is to find an architectural expression that goes beyond the conventional, while something relevant to contemporary life. Contemporary museum design can be deemed as a physical entity of cultural trends developing within the city (Zukin, 1995 p. 2), either recognising which cultures are integrating or if the city epitomises a specific one. No matter what conclusions are drawn out from a citys cultural take a leak museums are a place where people go to mix with others unlike themselves, by having a blossomhanded appeal they must aim to please a vast variety of people. Libeskind confirms this in his words,(museum) architecture is what is common between people, and what a contribution it makes to the viability of a city, and to civic space. we might as well make in inspiring environment, an environment that is more than just a shallow faade of something inauthentic. (Cathcart, 2001)To avoid the idea of an unimportant environment is by physically fitting in the cultural identity related to the city. The museum in a physical setting is a structural body of city understanding and city change. There can be no denying the importance of its architecture in the urban environment in terms of regeneration, tourism, symbol and so on (Zukin, 1995, p.2). family as a whole has been persuaded that museums are agents of social economic change. There has been an unpr ecedented period of infrastructure reshaping, building, rebuilding in the design of these institutions that cannot be disassociated from the drive for cultural inclusiveness and diversity. A building with space that can be considered with endless possibilities for use when escaping the straitjacket of conforming to a loose role and move into a sharing mode (MacLeod, 2005, p.25). In other words, a diverse audience of necessity a diversity of spaces that reflect, provoke and thrill.CHAPTER ONE FRANK GEHRYS BILBAO GUGGENHEIMCHAPTER TWO DANIEL LIBESKINDS JEWISH warfare MUSEUMCHAPTER 3 HERZOG AND DE MEURONS TATE MODERN LONDONCHAPTER 4 ZAHA HADIDS CONTEMPORARY ARTS CENTRECHAPTER ONE FRANK GEHRYS BILBAO GUGGENHEIMFrank Gehrys Guggenheim museum is declare worldwide as a magnet for tourism, but can it be truly considered an expression of the Basque peoples cultural identity? Or is it just an architects expressionist gesture in an industrial city? The New York quantify depicts The Bilba o Guggenheim as part of an wishful plan to revise the city as an international centre of culture. The museum is not just a neutral container where art is stored and presented, but a place where the institution itself is in relation with the public. globalisationIt could be said that globalisation creates struggle between the dominant and the dominated cultures within a society and the search for a reconstructed identity of a society. (AlSayyad, 2009, p. 22) Within the Spanish Basque region, it is evident that their identity has been burdened with tension in their attempt to stress their own regional identities and singularities from the rest of Spain (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005, p. 74). only one can argue that in this case globalisation has become a force in change and proliferating a cultural identity, allowing the idea of identity to change into a more universal commodity represented by the museum itself.But how do issues of globalisation affect the architecture itself, especiall y in terms of the Bilbao Guggenheim? The new advances of technology, communication and construction methods create interventions for local cultures and establish the identities of a place. Gehrys use of cutting-edge computer design technology enabled him to translate his forms into earth (Chulvi, 2007) (see 1.1). Architectural statements such as the Guggenheim Bilbao are often questioned at times in whether or not they have relation to the place and identity. There could be two sides to this argument, one side could be seeking to safeguard and extend already established indigenous architectural traditions, promoting historical continuity and the preservation of identity through traditional decorative forms. The other side which is in more relation to the Guggenheim Bilbao, considers globalisation as a force that seeks to encourage invention and distribution of new forms using new materials and technology in response to changing needs to have relation to the place and identity. Geh ry has been quotes in saying, Democracy is wide-cut for architecture. pluralistic ideas are what we want presented in architecture, the lead to a visual funny farm is part of our lives (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005, p. 58). There is an fortune for growth in unique architectural forms in all of its diversity and 2903687145_5cb25af9b6 inclusivity.NATIONAL AND CIVIC individualityThe Basque people have been able to preserve their distinct culture and verbiage while flourishing in an environment of globalisation, post-modernity, and European integration (Castillo, 2008). before long, integrating the two social collectives of nationalists and non-nationalists within the region is growing (Castillo, 2008). However how does a group of people who have never had a inelegant to call their own hold to hold on to their own cultural identity? The Bilbao Guggenheim is a phenomenon of cultural development employing the three accompanying phases posited by the theory of cultural epochs- a perio d of chaos, a period of adjustment, and a period of sense of balance in cultural change (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005, p. 74). all(prenominal) around the world culture operates as an engine for new regional and urban development, one could say that no strategic growth of a city would take place without the role of culture (Zukin, 1995, p.11). In the case of the Basque region, it was suffering stultification caught up in a decline in inspiration along with cultural institutions progressively being abandoned. Simultaneously, the Guggenheim Foundation was in need of a new concept of the museum, capable to withstand the achievement of Guggenheim in New York, yet gaining its own recognition abroad. Co-operation between two considerably different cultures occurred in recovering the identity of a tiny society (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005, p. 77). As Frank Gehry himself explains , the museum embodies two different cultures, the Basque culture and American, which is considered as a melting dr aw used to extend its arms to everybody (Farnsworth, 1997). The Bilbao Guggenheim is proof of culture being a key strategy in not only providing a physical renewal but a new injection of self-pride within a city and an entire region. (see 1.2) Culture in the case of the development of this building, can be seen as something essential to humankind and above all to a society in regaining set and providing a sense of identity.Rather than ignoring the cultural context of the city entirely, the fabric is restored, connecting any form of cultural isolation with the new building. The curving forms of the building glide over the River Nervion, a main bridged entry to the Spanish city, shattering strict perpendicularity and ridged geometry regularly associated with museum architecture, providing a new model of collective credit (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005,p. 42). The rejection of these norms is emphasised by the titanium cladding, making the building appear as a single entity that intertwin es the city around it. Like the Basque region the building is a place of contest borders (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005,p. 42). (see 1.3) Whether Gehrys building actually erases the citys cultural heritage is debatable. Bilbao is famous for its maritime history, afterwards Barcelona, it has Spains largest port. The Bilbao Guggenheim pays tribute to its own surroundings as it edges onto the riverfront. Its exterior sculpted out of steel, which istraditionally the main industry of the city (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005, p. 154). The museums relationship with the city is conceived as the outcome of a perceived social need, as society changes and new social needs arise, new building forms will be produced in order to fulfill that need. The Bilbao Guggenhem facilitates a complete urban facelift, a driver for the citys urban regeneration, communicating not only its importance to the city as a powerful foci, but the citys ticktock in the cultural world. As a result, after Bilbao every city aspir es to its own Guggenheim effect the build it and they will come (Barreneche, 2005, p.6) belief is what cities have taken on for their museums after untitledSTYLE AND identity operator OF ARCHITECTFrank Gehry is widely certain as a northbound American architect whose combination of steel, high-tech and flowing designs have broken the rigid hold of rectilineal design that has dominated most of Modern architecture (Zieger, 2005, p. 8). However the question remains is it a good idea for the city to have an international museum built by a foreign architect? Gehry was quoted as spending a lot of time trying to understand the culture and trying to understand the Basque people. He explains,I related to them because I was raised in a Judaic upbringing in Toronto, Canada, so I was an outsider into the culture when I was a kid. And I understandI empathized with this outsider role, andbut I cant put my finger on a piece of the building and say this is Basque, but they reckon to think I captured their spirit. I tried to use the materials of the region to build the building. The stone in Spanish. The steel structure is Spanish. All the work people were Basque. (Farnsworth, 1997)One can assume to Gehry a rich piece of architecture would desegregate elements in a way that preserve the coherence of their origins. At its best, the process of gathering cultural elements and marrying them to the sensitivities of a gifted architect can result in a powerful work of architecture such as the Bilbao Guggenheim. According to the Bilbao revitalisation Plan, the natural slope running down to the riverfront was to be transformed into a green valley, but Gehry did not want to lose the industrial feel of the existing waterfront. (see 1.4 1.5) People say that the design of the museums architecture was inspired during Gehry climb up the Mundana, one of the highest mountains in the outskirts of Bilbao. Seen from the river, the building appears to take the check of a boat remunerat ive homage to the port city that has given its home. The museums bright, shining panels resemble tilt scales, reflecting the influence of natural forms and shapes. (Chulvi, 2007) One could argue that the architects use of abstract, free-form components from local materials are reminiscent of Modernist Spanish sculptures, a cultural aspect precious by the Basque, or how the architects design of the enormous boat-shaped gallery is a dedication toward Bilbaos past as a centre of shipbuilding and trade (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005, p. 154). Many would argue that Gehrys design for the Bilbao Guggenheim truly reflects the identity of the Basque people up to now though the architect himself has no relation to region. However, there is a head of sensitivity to the regions character that can be witnessed through the architecture. The city of Bilbao places an emphasis on the institution Gehry has designed, as having an important role in defining public culture. This has been achieved through the architects process of negotiating what architectural expressions could be accepted by the people.ECONOMY AND governanceGehrys museum was hailed an as instant landmark, bringing a sense of relevance to architecture in the transformation of cities. (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005, p. 7) The Basque region was in need of local development due to its rustic city appearance and distinct regional identity compared to the rest of Spain. Primarily, the Basque region was in need of distancing itself from the negativity that it was associated with, such as being recognised as a terrorist region. Bilbao, the largest city in the Basque country, is a stronghold for the independent group ETA (Basque Fatherland and Liberty), which seeks liberty from Spain through often uncultivated behavior (Farnsworth, 1997). For the Guggenheim Foundation this was an opportunity to gillyflower a centerpiece of bulky urban renewal for Bilbao.Previous museum concepts were of a private space for seekers of wisdo m, philosophers and historians. Currently the museums directors are in estimate of new futuristic architectural visions that were unimaginable years before, representing a museums city and forming the basis of urban regeneration such as Bilbao Guggenheim. The titanium shapes flourish through Bilbaos dark cornices and nigh smokestacks, as Andrew Friedman (see Zieger, 2005, p. 9) explains,the nearby smokestacks and cranes they seemto be Gehrys whimsical idea of visually rendering the tumultuous and violent process by which a once-working industrial waterfront is brought to heel-an actual enactment of the grim process that the Guggenheim makes a point of capitalising on.The capitlisation Friedman mentions is the transformation of Bilbao from living city to an architectural destination. In other words the city acquires a touch building in order to stimulate a citys makeover (Zeiger, 2005, p.9). The design of the museum is recognised as a drive for social and economic regeneration, fr om traditional forms, to, in this case, a spectacular one off statement that challenges architectural preconceptions and creates a visual paste while maintaining the integrity of the site. Why have contemporary museums become a favorite tool of urban regeneration and redevelopment schemes since the Bilbao Guggenheim? Referred to as the miracle, (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005, p. 7) Frank Gehrys Bilbao Guggenheim changed the face of the Bilbao city, and set up to give a new purpose to an abandoned industrial estate. Since the Guggenheim was built, Bilbao has never been the same again the museum has helped create pedestrianised areas that run from the town hall to the port on the shores of the river. (Chulvi, 2007) The answer is that museums allow an opportunity for growth in unique architectural forms in all of its diversity and inclusivity.CHAPTER ONE FRANK GEHRYS BILBAO GUGGENHEIMCHAPTER TWO DANIEL LIBESKINDS JEWISH WAR MUSEUMCHAPTER 3 HERZOG AND DE MEURONS TATE MODERNCHAPTER 4 ZAHA HADIDS CONTEMPORARY ARTS CENTRECHAPTER TWO DANIEL LIBESKINDS JEWISH WAR MUSEUMThe Judaic War Museums design is so powerful that it can be considered as an artifact in its own right. Even as it was uncover in 1999 with nothing in it, the building was said to evoke a sense of loss and hoo-hah inflicted on Europes Judaic population the Holocaust in World War II (Barreneche, 2006, p.121). Through the buildings brief and urban site, Libeskinds Jewish Museum echoes the history of Berlin creating an emotional effect on the visitor.GLOBALISATIONCultural identity is something people have, and a form of traditional inheritance that is shared, something that needs to be protected and preserved. In contemporary society, globalisation has been portrayed sweeping through diverse cultures, and bringing a homogenised cultural experience (Tomlinson, 2003, p. 270). However, one can argue that globalisation, instead of destroying, has become a force in creating and developing cultural identity, a llowing the idea of identity to change into a more collective entity. In terms of how this relates to the Jewish Museum, the building is not just seen as a response to some traditions, it is also open to new ones, a tie beam to the past and the future (see 2.1). The mission of the Jewish Museum, and for all new museums, is not just for the city themselves but for the wider public, in which it becomes a communal existence. Around the globe, in every corner, new museums have appeared, coming in every shape and size, appealing to various preferences (Barreneche, 2005, p. 6). As Victoria Newhouse notes (see Barreneche, 2005, p.6), One intriguing aspect of the true proliferation of museums is the museumfication of seemingly every phenomenon. The Jewish Museum is an example of this, and one could assume that through the guidance of globalisation, there are Jewish Museums in cities from New York to Sydney stemming from Libeskinds prominent Berlin museum. (Barreneche, 2005, p. 6).NATIONAL AND CIVIC IDENTITYCulture is cumulative and changing by additions of successive generations, reinterpreted from one individual or group to another. The designed environments of contemporary museums create a setting and representation of particular cultural identities. Daniel Libeskinds Jewish War Museum in Berlin encompasses these attributes, it is a building that engrains Jewish history. The design is based on a process of connecting lines between the locations of historic events and the locations of Jewish culture in Berlin. This is evident from the buildings plan with the zigzag footprint, symbolically derived from a fragmented principal of David (Barreneche, 2006, p.121). (see 2.2) The architect has created metaphors for the absence of Jewish communities in Berlin where the lines slices the plan (Barreneche, 2005, p. 121). The concepts of absence, emptiness and the invisible express the disappearance of Jewish culture in the city. Libeskind proves there is a powerful faith in the ability of people to involveRelationship Between Museum and Cultural IdentityRelationship Between Museum and Cultural IdentityTHE MUSEUM AND THE CITY AN EMBODIMENT OF CULTURAL IDENTITY OF THE CITY IN WHICH IT STANDSINTRODUCTIONAs society enters a new century, many cultures have recond to an age of globalisation and, in turn, are embracing the idea of contemporary living. This results in the development of cutting-edge technology, new methods of communication, and the rapid growth of cities, causing indigenous culture of cities to increasingly blend. The desire to embrace this dynamic compels many architects to consider ways of creating architecture truly representative of a wide range of humanity. These new advances create city growth, impacting on urban form and the design process of the public institutions, including museums, which is what this dissertation will primarily explore. The result is to extend the range of materials, forms, cultural references and social thinking a vailable to museum architecture. But does this create an uninspired sameness, where some identities are being ignored and/or distorted? Where the notion of cultures integrating really means the identity struggle between the dominants and the dominated? One could speculate that now, more rapidly than before, the architecture of the museum and the city simultaneously evolve to meet the cultural identity of the people. But are these buildings, in fact representative of the national identity of a city or the individuality of the architect?This dissertation investigates the architects role in designing museums, establishing to what extent the design reflects or stems from the cultural identity of the city. The relationship between the museum and the city in which to belongs is complex. In order to establish an understanding, the study consults a wide range of resources that address issues of cultural identity within a museums national and civic perspective. Additionally, the research mad e reference to economic and political issues regarding museums, the study of how globalisation is reflected within a cultural and affects architecture, and case studies to support the statement that architects may intend for their museum designs to be representations of a cultural identity within the city.There are now new ways of experiencing, interpreting and remembering. The contemporary architecture of museums are a strong medium of cultural memory, developing from the museums traditional forms as monuments symbolising the power of key individuals within a society, into an expressive entity that creates dialogue between its contents and urban context. The otherwise conventional manner of designing develops into a world of contradictions, assorted rhythms and new ideas of beauty in the design of museums. The physicality of the building represents that of theatrical effects, incorporating contemporary elements of architectural form as a method of entertainment, whilst engaging the interest of the citys individuals and of those from further afield. Millions are drawn to what is no longer a dying institution, but a visual destination for the public, in a form that encompasses the societys identity. One can assume this is influenced by the cultural pluralism within the buildings city context, and considering the many identities as a plural identity. The diverse elements are woven into a sustainable, integrated spatial fabric that contributes to the life of the city. An approach which allows architectural freedom for a building type that has been described by some sources as overlooked by the public.Due to this studys word restriction, it is not possible to evaluate in detail more than four relevant case studies. This limitation resulted in the careful consideration of case studies varying in terms of locality and architect. Furthermore, due to time restrictions, it was not possible to carry out additional primary research which could have entailed supplementary site visits to the investigated case studies and additional data found in initial research methods such as interviews and questionnaires. The dissertations methodology consists of individually exploring and studying four case studies against the dissertations argument, in order to then properly conclude whether it can be proven to be accurate. These case studies pose as cultural barometers, where during investigation they help assess the extent in which they fulfill a citys cultural identity. The examination method entails drawing on a combination of primary research such as site visits to secondary research, drawing on existing written information from books, articles and online sources. The case studies follow a chronological order, beginning with Chapter One Frank Gehrys Bilbao Guggenheim, a museum which initiated an influence on the case studies that have followed such as Chapter Two Daniel Libeskinds Jewish War Museum, Chapter 3 Herzog and de Meurons Tate Modern London and Cha pter 4 Zaha Hadids Contemporary Arts Centre. To further develop whether an architects design of contemporary museums truly reflect the citys cultural identity, each case study is analysed in th light of the following issuesGlobalisation outlines whether certain cultural identities are lost or just changing within the museums civic context, especially as cities more than nations contend to draw global attention through these culturally significant public buildings. The sub-chapter concerning National and Civic Identity explores how culture influences in terms of the architectural context of the museum in a national and civic perspective. This provides a framework for exploring how architects use ideas about culture and cultural contradictions to create the structures and spaces to engage a society. The issue will discover how the design of the museum is a task of seeking an image essentially of ourselves. Style and Identity of the Architect briefly examines how the architects own ide ntity, who themselves are either travelers or immigrants, insiders/outsiders of the city in which they design for, influences the ultimate design of the citys museum along with their own architectural style. Economy and Politics is a sub-chapter concerning who pays, owns and benefits from the establishment of these institutions. How cities acquire signature museums in order to stimulate their economic and ultimately cultural development. The museum building boom has been accelerated by what has become known as The Bilbao Guggenheim Effect . The sub-chapter investigates how Frank Gehrys museum has influenced these case studies to replicate their own Bilbao Guggenheim Effect within their cities. By putting up a museum with architectural credentials, Gehry revitalised a civic and cultural image, demonstrating that a single building could energise and enhance an entire city and region.DISCUSSIONTHE CONTEXT OF THE MUSEUM INVENTION AND REINVENTIONLayer upon layer, past times preserve them selves in the city until life itself finally threatened with suffocation then, in sheer defense, modern man invents the museum.Lewis Mumford, The Culture of CitiesThese words from Lewis Mumfords The Culture of Cities depicts how the museum was manifested as a commodification of a citys overpowering history (Giebelhausen, 2003 p. 1). The design development of this building type has been changing since the museum was established in the 18th century, beginning as a space for private collections of wealthy individuals, only accessible by the middle and upper class (Giebelhausen, 2003 p. 4). Presently, the museum is a response to contemporary social change, a space that wishes to connect within its urban fabric surroundings and open to all. A museums design acknowledges the way in which it can order, store and display its belongings, the institutions relationship to a city and surrounding cultures lacks investigation, leaving questions about the museums role in an urban context (Giebelha usen, 2003 p. 2). Culture surpasses the ways in which something can be represented and housed, it can be seen as an expression of us. Today, culture is challenged in a world struggling for established institutions such as schools, libraries etc., which often are said to lack in relation to the people (Zukin, 1995, p. 11). Museums are no longer seen as fixed frameworks, but a place for public interaction and exchange. One could consider that one of the buildings functions is to absorb the cultures within the city, and then reflect and shape this within an architectural form. The museum itself visually exemplifies its roles within a city, for instance unlocking urban memories, reconfiguring the past, aiding in touristic rediscovery and exploitation of a place to the whole urban environment, roles that challenge the museums attempt to reconnect culture and a citys built form (Giebelhausen, 2003 p. 2).There is an ability to recon a city with the use of museums, from systematically inser ting them, to salvaging or reconstructing them into the urban fabric (Giebelhausen, 2003 p. 2). Therefore the museums cultural significance surpasses that of any other building types. In The Museum Transformed, by Douglas Davis (1990, p.14) asserts that, no building type can match the museum for symbolic or architectural importance because it is so often redefined due to its stimulation from cultural development. The museum can be considered as an entity that defines, represents and creates cultural trends ahead of its own place in time. As quoted from MacLeod (2005, p.1), As museums have come to be consciously recognized as drivers for social and economic regeneration, the architecture of the museum has developed from its traditional forms into often-spectacular one off statements and architectural visions. Architects persuasively argue for a new type of experience, aiming to appeal to a general audience rather than the scholarly advisors soughing to replicate tradition (Giebelhaus en, 2003 p. 3). This is an aspiration expressed from an analysis of contemporary society and its future direction, that being cultural diversity, resulting in the commissioning of strongly conceptualised museums to devote to multiplicity. As Relph (1976, p. 33) claims,for each setting and for each person there are a multiplicity of place identities reflecting different experiences and attitudes these are molded out of the common elements of appearancethrough the changing interactions of direct observation with preconceptions.In the past however, the significance of museums were solely to serve a refined function, transcending the thinking of the scholars and academics, along with manifesting the power of a city (Giebelhausen, 2003 p. 4). Relph (1976, p. 35) provides evidence to this claim in mentioning,Public places which achieve their publicity through high imageability are not necessary innocent- their distinctive appearance or form maybe capitalised upon or even created as a stat ement of grandeur and authority to be regarded in awe by common people.The museum was considered a monument, take examples such as The Louvre in Paris, or the Uffizi in Florence, they are models of the grandeur museums encompassed (Merkel, 2002, p. 66), significant in urban context, deliberately chosen to emphasise a citys status, and drawing attention within a public space. Traditionally understood as temples of knowledge, the architecture itself could be said to represent the value of knowledge. This belief was prominent in the early period of museum founding where the scale of buildings also symbolised power, so much so that the museum evoked the metaphor of a cathedral. Historian Jayne Merkel (2002, p. 66) writes,Not surprisingly, palace architecture-grand, classical, urban, and horizontal-was a principal influence when the first museums were designed. But like most public buildings at the time, they were built in the classical style for other reasons as well, including classici sms associations with government, law (Roman basilicas), with the sacred (Greek temples and Italian Renaissance churches) and with the culture and art of the past.Today, the museum could be considered as a building type that satisfies a citys need for symbolic signification, and an indicator of metropolitan aspirations such as world-wide recognition. A desire to entertain and educate society, along with a sensitivity that refuses to bore, alienate or pander to the public (Zieger, 2005, p. 17). If this is the case, then the status of a great city can entail in encompassing several of these institutions, thus the spread of museums witnessed during the nineteenth and twentieth century indicating the start of city rivalry.At the start of the twenty-first century, the museum as architecture has been reinstated as an evocative entity, as opposed to decades devoted to neutral, voided spaces lacking symbolic significance and strict functionality termed as white box (Lampugnani Sachs, 1999, p. 15). Museums began to create dialogue with their content and urban context. They can be seen as similar in some ways to churches, to shopping centres and other places of gathering, but they have a function different from these examples, they contain things of enquiry. The museum has made a considerable contribution to a city, adding historic and cultural significance along with contributing to a citys metropolitan status, presumably due to the transformative possibilities of museums (Giebelhausen, 2003 p. 9). The city and its museum are in conjunction to one another, one could believe the museum is a citys method of revealing cultural meaning through its architectural forms. This belief is an advancement from the words of the theorist Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, ridiculing museums as cemeteries, stating that they were truly identical in their sinister juxtaposition of bodies that do not know each other, along with a judgement that cultural institutions were dilapidating. (see Zie ger, 2005, p. 7) A society today uses the museum to represent a new dynamic form of culture, reflected through an innovative physical form that is often considered a visual spectacle of the city, that one could believe draws visitors to it in theatre like fashion. Consequently it can be theorised that they are quickly becoming radical buildings constructed in a world driven by the need to address new concepts of diversity and equality (Zukin, 1995 p. 2). Rather than just cultural cemeteries piling up gilt frame paintings (Zeiger, 2005, p.11), they are spaces of social condensing- a space attempting to build a community rather than filling a city with volumes of emptiness. As Daniel Libeskind was quoted in saying its not just some sort of container, some abstract piece if glass and concrete, it is part of a communicative system.The design challenge in the multicultural growth of cities is to find an architectural expression that goes beyond the conventional, while something relevant to contemporary life. Contemporary museum design can be deemed as a physical entity of cultural trends developing within the city (Zukin, 1995 p. 2), either recognising which cultures are integrating or if the city epitomises a specific one. No matter what conclusions are drawn out from a citys cultural make-up museums are a place where people go to mix with others unlike themselves, by having a broad appeal they must aim to please a vast variety of people. Libeskind confirms this in his words,(museum) architecture is what is common between people, and what a contribution it makes to the viability of a city, and to civic space. we might as well make in inspiring environment, an environment that is more than just a shallow faade of something inauthentic. (Cathcart, 2001)To avoid the idea of an undistinguished environment is by physically fitting in the cultural identity related to the city. The museum in a physical setting is a structural body of city understanding and city change. T here can be no denying the importance of its architecture in the urban environment in terms of regeneration, tourism, symbolism and so on (Zukin, 1995, p.2). Society as a whole has been persuaded that museums are agents of social economic change. There has been an unprecedented period of radical reshaping, building, rebuilding in the design of these institutions that cannot be disassociated from the drive for cultural inclusiveness and diversity. A building with space that can be considered with endless possibilities for use when escaping the straitjacket of conforming to a giving role and move into a sharing mode (MacLeod, 2005, p.25). In other words, a diverse audience needs a diversity of spaces that reflect, provoke and thrill.CHAPTER ONE FRANK GEHRYS BILBAO GUGGENHEIMCHAPTER TWO DANIEL LIBESKINDS JEWISH WAR MUSEUMCHAPTER 3 HERZOG AND DE MEURONS TATE MODERN LONDONCHAPTER 4 ZAHA HADIDS CONTEMPORARY ARTS CENTRECHAPTER ONE FRANK GEHRYS BILBAO GUGGENHEIMFrank Gehrys Guggenheim mus eum is acknowledged worldwide as a magnet for tourism, but can it be truly considered an expression of the Basque peoples cultural identity? Or is it just an architects expressionist gesture in an industrial city? The New York Times depicts The Bilbao Guggenheim as part of an ambitious plan to revise the city as an international centre of culture. The museum is not just a neutral container where art is stored and presented, but a place where the institution itself is in relation with the public.GLOBALISATIONIt could be said that globalisation creates struggle between the dominant and the dominated cultures within a society and the search for a reconstructed identity of a society. (AlSayyad, 2009, p. 22) Within the Spanish Basque region, it is evident that their identity has been burdened with tension in their attempt to stress their own regional identities and singularities from the rest of Spain (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005, p. 74). However one can argue that in this case globalisatio n has become a force in strengthening and proliferating a cultural identity, allowing the idea of identity to change into a more universal commodity represented by the museum itself.But how do issues of globalisation affect the architecture itself, especially in terms of the Bilbao Guggenheim? The new advances of technology, communication and construction methods create interventions for local cultures and establish the identities of a place. Gehrys use of cutting-edge computer design technology enabled him to translate his forms into reality (Chulvi, 2007) (see 1.1). Architectural statements such as the Guggenheim Bilbao are often questioned at times in whether or not they have relation to the place and identity. There could be two sides to this argument, one side could be seeking to safeguard and extend already established indigenous architectural traditions, promoting historical continuity and the preservation of identity through traditional decorative forms. The other side which is in more relation to the Guggenheim Bilbao, considers globalisation as a force that seeks to encourage invention and distribution of new forms using new materials and technology in response to changing needs to have relation to the place and identity. Gehry has been quotes in saying, Democracy is good for architecture. Pluralistic ideas are what we want presented in architecture, the lead to a visual chaos is part of our lives (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005, p. 58). There is an opportunity for growth in unique architectural forms in all of its diversity and 2903687145_5cb25af9b6 inclusivity.NATIONAL AND CIVIC IDENTITYThe Basque people have been able to preserve their distinct culture and language while flourishing in an environment of globalisation, post-modernity, and European integration (Castillo, 2008). Currently, integrating the two social collectives of nationalists and non-nationalists within the region is growing (Castillo, 2008). However how does a group of people who have ne ver had a country to call their own continue to hold on to their own cultural identity? The Bilbao Guggenheim is a phenomenon of cultural development employing the three successive phases posited by the theory of cultural epochs- a period of chaos, a period of adjustment, and a period of equilibrium in cultural change (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005, p. 74). All around the world culture operates as an engine for new regional and urban development, one could say that no strategic growth of a city would take place without the role of culture (Zukin, 1995, p.11). In the case of the Basque region, it was suffering deterioration caught up in a decline in inspiration along with cultural institutions progressively being abandoned. Simultaneously, the Guggenheim Foundation was in need of a new concept of the museum, capable to withstand the achievement of Guggenheim in New York, yet gaining its own recognition abroad. Co-operation between two considerably different cultures occurred in recovering the identity of a small society (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005, p. 77). As Frank Gehry himself explains , the museum embodies two different cultures, the Basque culture and American, which is considered as a melting pot used to extend its arms to everybody (Farnsworth, 1997). The Bilbao Guggenheim is proof of culture being a key strategy in not only providing a physical renewal but a new injection of self-esteem within a city and an entire region. (see 1.2) Culture in the case of the development of this building, can be seen as something essential to humankind and above all to a society in regaining values and providing a sense of identity.Rather than ignoring the cultural context of the city entirely, the fabric is restored, connecting any form of cultural isolation with the new building. The curving forms of the building glide over the River Nervion, a main bridged entry to the Spanish city, shattering strict perpendicularity and ridged geometry regularly associated with museum archit ecture, providing a new model of collective identification (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005,p. 42). The rejection of these norms is emphasised by the titanium cladding, making the building appear as a single entity that intertwines the city around it. Like the Basque region the building is a place of contested borders (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005,p. 42). (see 1.3) Whether Gehrys building actually erases the citys cultural heritage is debatable. Bilbao is famous for its maritime history, after Barcelona, it has Spains largest port. The Bilbao Guggenheim pays tribute to its own surroundings as it edges onto the riverfront. Its exterior sculpted out of steel, which istraditionally the main industry of the city (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005, p. 154). The museums relationship with the city is conceived as the outcome of a perceived social need, as society changes and new social needs arise, new building forms will be produced in order to fulfill that need. The Bilbao Guggenhem facilitates a complete u rban facelift, a driver for the citys urban regeneration, communicating not only its importance to the city as a powerful foci, but the citys mark in the cultural world. As a result, after Bilbao every city aspires to its own Guggenheim effect the build it and they will come (Barreneche, 2005, p.6) belief is what cities have taken on for their museums after untitledSTYLE AND IDENTITY OF ARCHITECTFrank Gehry is widely recognised as a North American architect whose combination of steel, high-tech and flowing designs have broken the rigid hold of rectilinear design that has dominated most of Modern architecture (Zieger, 2005, p. 8). However the question remains is it a good idea for the city to have an international museum built by a foreign architect? Gehry was quoted as spending a lot of time trying to understand the culture and trying to understand the Basque people. He explains,I related to them because I was raised in a Jewish upbringing in Toronto, Canada, so I was an outsider i nto the culture when I was a kid. And I understandI empathized with this outsider role, andbut I cant put my finger on a piece of the building and say this is Basque, but they seem to think I captured their spirit. I tried to use the materials of the region to build the building. The stone in Spanish. The steel structure is Spanish. All the work people were Basque. (Farnsworth, 1997)One can assume to Gehry a rich piece of architecture would combine elements in a way that preserve the coherence of their origins. At its best, the process of gathering cultural elements and marrying them to the sensitivities of a gifted architect can result in a powerful work of architecture such as the Bilbao Guggenheim. According to the Bilbao Revitalization Plan, the natural slope running down to the riverfront was to be transformed into a green valley, but Gehry did not want to lose the industrial feel of the existing waterfront. (see 1.4 1.5) People say that the design of the museums architecture was inspired during Gehry climb up the Mundana, one of the highest mountains in the outskirts of Bilbao. Seen from the river, the building appears to take the shape of a boat paying homage to the port city that has given its home. The museums bright, shining panels resemble fish scales, reflecting the influence of natural forms and shapes. (Chulvi, 2007) One could argue that the architects use of abstract, free-form components from local materials are reminiscent of Modernist Spanish sculptures, a cultural aspect valued by the Basque, or how the architects design of the enormous boat-shaped gallery is a dedication toward Bilbaos past as a centre of shipbuilding and trade (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005, p. 154). Many would argue that Gehrys design for the Bilbao Guggenheim truly reflects the identity of the Basque people even though the architect himself has no relation to region. However, there is a degree of sensitivity to the regions character that can be witnessed through the architec ture. The city of Bilbao places an emphasis on the institution Gehry has designed, as having an important role in defining public culture. This has been achieved through the architects process of negotiating what architectural expressions could be accepted by the people.ECONOMY AND POLITICSGehrys museum was hailed an as instant landmark, bringing a sense of relevance to architecture in the transformation of cities. (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005, p. 7) The Basque region was in need of local development due to its rustic city appearance and distinct regional identity compared to the rest of Spain. Primarily, the Basque region was in need of distancing itself from the negativity that it was associated with, such as being recognised as a terrorist region. Bilbao, the largest city in the Basque country, is a stronghold for the separatist group ETA (Basque Fatherland and Liberty), which seeks independence from Spain through often violent behavior (Farnsworth, 1997). For the Guggenheim Foundat ion this was an opportunity to fund a centerpiece of huge urban renewal for Bilbao.Previous museum concepts were of a private space for seekers of wisdom, philosophers and historians. Currently the museums directors are in favor of new futuristic architectural visions that were unimaginable years before, representing a museums city and forming the basis of urban regeneration such as Bilbao Guggenheim. The titanium shapes flourish through Bilbaos dark cornices and nearby smokestacks, as Andrew Friedman (see Zieger, 2005, p. 9) explains,the nearby smokestacks and cranes they seemto be Gehrys whimsical idea of visually rendering the tumultuous and violent process by which a once-working industrial waterfront is brought to heel-an actual enactment of the grim process that the Guggenheim makes a point of capitalising on.The capitlisation Friedman mentions is the transformation of Bilbao from living city to an architectural destination. In other words the city acquires a signature buildin g in order to stimulate a citys makeover (Zeiger, 2005, p.9). The design of the museum is recognised as a drive for social and economic regeneration, from traditional forms, to, in this case, a spectacular one off statement that challenges architectural preconceptions and creates a visual feast while maintaining the integrity of the site. Why have contemporary museums become a favorite tool of urban regeneration and redevelopment schemes since the Bilbao Guggenheim? Referred to as the miracle, (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005, p. 7) Frank Gehrys Bilbao Guggenheim changed the face of the Bilbao city, and set up to give a new purpose to an abandoned industrial estate. Since the Guggenheim was built, Bilbao has never been the same again the museum has helped create pedestrianised areas that run from the town hall to the port on the shores of the river. (Chulvi, 2007) The answer is that museums allow an opportunity for growth in unique architectural forms in all of its diversity and inclusivi ty.CHAPTER ONE FRANK GEHRYS BILBAO GUGGENHEIMCHAPTER TWO DANIEL LIBESKINDS JEWISH WAR MUSEUMCHAPTER 3 HERZOG AND DE MEURONS TATE MODERNCHAPTER 4 ZAHA HADIDS CONTEMPORARY ARTS CENTRECHAPTER TWO DANIEL LIBESKINDS JEWISH WAR MUSEUMThe Jewish War Museums design is so powerful that it can be considered as an artifact in its own right. Even as it was unveiled in 1999 with nothing in it, the building was said to evoke a sense of loss and dislocation inflicted on Europes Jewish population the Holocaust in World War II (Barreneche, 2006, p.121). Through the buildings brief and urban site, Libeskinds Jewish Museum echoes the history of Berlin creating an emotional effect on the visitor.GLOBALISATIONCultural identity is something people have, and a form of traditional inheritance that is shared, something that needs to be protected and preserved. In contemporary society, globalisation has been portrayed sweeping through diverse cultures, and bringing a homogenized cultural experience (Tomlins on, 2003, p. 270). However, one can argue that globalisation, instead of destroying, has become a force in creating and developing cultural identity, allowing the idea of identity to change into a more collective entity. In terms of how this relates to the Jewish Museum, the building is not just seen as a response to some traditions, it is also open to new ones, a link to the past and the future (see 2.1). The mission of the Jewish Museum, and for all new museums, is not just for the city themselves but for the wider public, in which it becomes a communal existence. Around the globe, in every corner, new museums have appeared, coming in every shape and size, appealing to various preferences (Barreneche, 2005, p. 6). As Victoria Newhouse notes (see Barreneche, 2005, p.6), One intriguing aspect of the current proliferation of museums is the museumfication of seemingly every phenomenon. The Jewish Museum is an example of this, and one could assume that through the guidance of globalisa tion, there are Jewish Museums in cities from New York to Sydney stemming from Libeskinds prominent Berlin museum. (Barreneche, 2005, p. 6).NATIONAL AND CIVIC IDENTITYCulture is cumulative and changing by additions of successive generations, reinterpreted from one individual or group to another. The designed environments of contemporary museums create a setting and representation of particular cultural identities. Daniel Libeskinds Jewish War Museum in Berlin encompasses these attributes, it is a building that engrains Jewish history. The design is based on a process of connecting lines between the locations of historic events and the locations of Jewish culture in Berlin. This is evident from the buildings plan with the zigzag footprint, symbolically derived from a fragmented Star of David (Barreneche, 2006, p.121). (see 2.2) The architect has created metaphors for the absence of Jewish communities in Berlin where the lines slices the plan (Barreneche, 2005, p. 121). The concepts o f absence, emptiness and the invisible express the disappearance of Jewish culture in the city. Libeskind proves there is a powerful faith in the ability of people to learn