Page 4 - Daniel Libeskind: Inspirations

NOTABLE USERS
Daniel Libeskind | Architekt Daniel Libeskind AG | Zürich, Switzerland
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“I think that everything good that’s produced in the world is produced through [love]. You’re in love with [a site’s] uniqueness; therefore, you cannot just treat it like a commodity and do something on it
that can be done in any other place— you have to do something that grows out of the roots of the place. . .
it’s an evolution. . .
you have to start with a vision,
with a community, with emotion. . . and, as time goes on, embody it. . .
in every detail of the building.”
—Daniel Libeskind, Architekt Daniel Libeskind AG, Zürich, Switzerland
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retail space. Their twin façades boast glazed multi- story atriums and landscaped roofs, and provide state-of-the-art work spaces. The theater, which
is the centerpiece, is constructed from reinforced concrete and steel, with stainless steel rain screen panels that feature strips of high-performance glazing. The curtain wall also has high-performance glass and exposed polyester, powder-coated, pre-fabricated steel box sections. When the
theater opened in 2010, ADL won the Real Estate Award (REA) “Best European Scheme” and the 2010 Trophy Award of Saint-Gobain Gyproc in “Innovation” for its work.
For designs like this, Libeskind relies on working models created from his initial sketches. The archi- tectural design teams generate 3D computer models and then turn them into physical models by using
a laser cutter. The models are assembled and often produced in different scenarios to optimize the shapes and placements of the buildings. For the Grand Canal Center and other public space design, ADL architects like the convenience of
the Vectorworks program’s workgroup referencing. It allows them to establish and maintain office standards, because everyone links to a master symbol library. This creates an error-free workflow between team members that makes working togeth- er easy. ADL considers the Vectorworks software
to be the most efficient design tool for organizing symbols and keeping them clean.
Libeskind’s vision with this project was to construct “a powerful cultural presence expressed in dynamic volumes and sculpted to project a fluid and transpar- ent public dialogue with the cultural, commercial, and residential surroundings, whilst communicating the various inner forces intrinsic to the theater. This composition creates an icon that mirrors the joy and drama emblematic of Dublin itself.”
Libeskind’s thinking
Of his evolution in thought over the years, Libeskind remarks, “I would not say my philosophy has changed, but developments in technology, politics, culture, and personal experience all contribute to your new perspectives. I am actively engaged in the design of buildings that are capable of transmitting, in an exciting and innovative manner, historical and cultural material to a contemporary audience using the latest in twenty-first century technology.”
It’s an exciting future, and Libeskind hopes to continue to create more exciting spaces. “I think there is a Renaissance in architecture today. More people are interested in architecture and its cultural value, especially with respect to sustainable and ecological issues, creating a higher standard for the field. The public’s heightened sense of awareness and involvement is a benefit to us all,” he notes. When more people are passionate about archi- tecture, then it can be better realized and better enjoyed. Libeskind’s work, too, has inspired future generations to embrace architecture. And, that is
a beautiful thing.
Danel Libeskind’s work has been featured
on the cover of Time Magazine, Newsweek, Architectural Record, and the Wall Street Journal, among other publications.
architekt daniel Libeskind ag
Walchestrasse 9
CH - 8006 Zürich Switzerland
Phone +41 44 540 4700
Fax +41 44 540 4760
info@daniel-libeskind.com
www.daniel-libeskind.com
Images: Project photos courtesy of Architekt Daniel Libeskind AG Daniel Libeskind headshot © Michael Klinkhamer Photography
Original text and publication by: Nemetschek Vectorworks, Inc. www.vectorworks.net
The Robinia wood façade of the Westside Shopping and Leisure Center in Bern-Brünnen, Switzerland artfully integrates into the surrounding rural countryside to the west.
speCiaL honors:
In 2001 Daniel Libeskind was the first architect awarded the Hiroshima Art Prize, which is bestowed
upon an artist whose work promotes international understanding and peace. He was also the first architect to accept the Buber-Rosenzweig Medal from the German Coordinating Council of Societies for Christian-Jewish Cooperation (DKR). In another act of distinction, Libeskind was appointed the first Cultural Ambassador for Architecture by the U.S. Department of State, as part of its CultureConnect program to build and strengthen cultural relationships among diverse world cultures, especially for youth.