Daniel Libeskind: The Space of Encounter

by Daniel Libeskind, Aaron Betsky, Jeffrey Kipnis

Since leaving a career in classical music to focus solely on architecture in 1979, Libeskind's highly unconventional approach to design has riveted the interest of architects and designers around the world. Perhaps the leading architectural theoretician of our time, Libeskind is now receiving numerous commissions for new buildings, including the Jewish Museum in San Francisco. The Victoria and Albert extension in London, and the Felix Nussbaum Museum in Germany. His work has been the subject of more than 140 exhibitions and he travels and lectures constantly. This book on Libeskind's extraordinary work-eschews, in true Libeskind fashion, ,the traditional monograph format. Inspired by Libeskind's almost constant interaction with students and young architects and designers, the focus is on the underlying processes that drive Libeskind's work. By revealing for the first time in print his project proposals, and heavily drawing on unpublished letters, lauded speeches, and other writings--this book outlines the ideas behind his work and the underlying principles that created the rapid trajectory of Libeskind's career-from a young practitioner with an unconventional approach to a high-profile, often controversial architect and educator. Complimenting the brilliantly insightful textual material are drawings and full-color images of his models, finished projects, and projects in-process.

Genres: Architecture, Design

224 pages, Hardcover

First published April 21, 2001

About the author

Daniel Libeskind is an internationally renowned architect, known for the Jewish Museum in Berlin, the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, and the Dublin Performing Arts Center in Dublin, Ireland. His practice is designing commercial, residential, and cultural buildings around the world. His Master Plan for rebuilding the World Trade Center site in New York City was selected in 2003 and has served as the blueprint for the entire site, including the Freedom Tower, the Memorial, the Museum, and the PATH Terminal.

Reviews

[c h a d · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I understand three paragraphs in the entire book.

[Colin · Rating 4 out of 5]

An absolutely lovely book in terms of design--it's a visual gem. Textually, it's probably way over the heads of architectural enthusiasts like me, but the parts that are intelligible, like Libeskind's talks and proposals for projects, are fascinating looks into the processes of public art.

[Michael Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Think architectural Prose.