Peter Eisenman - Field of Stelae

Under construction
Peter Eisenman
Field of Stelae
Berlin, Germany

2,752 stelae in dark concrete, varying in height and inclination.

Photo: arcspace

After several revisions the "Field of Stelae" Holocaust Memorial is now under construction a few yards from the Brandenburg Gate.
The site for the Memorial, a 19,000 square meter stretch of unoccupied land on the edge of the Grosser Tiergarten, was until 1945 part of the "Ministry Gardens", a private park that was attached to the ministries along Wilhelmstrasse.
The war and post-war years and the fact that the Berlin Wall, built in 1961, and the "death strip" ran along Ebertstrasse occupying almost all of what is now the memorial site, obliterated any traces of what was there before 1945.

Photo: arcspace

The final design features 2,752 concrete slabs (stelae) arranged in a grid pattern. The slabs are 0.95 meters deep and 2.38 meters wide and vary only in height from 0.2 meters to 4.8 meters. The unevenly sloping ground, giving the impression of an undulating field, will be paved with concrete stones.
In the western part groups of trees will be planted in informal groups to form a transition to the Tiergarten.

A subterranean information center will be located at the southeast corner. The center will consist of several rooms, some lit by natural light, with an exhibition area of ca. 100 meters.
The "Field of Stelae" will not have a fixed entrance, center or exit, visitors will be able to choose their own way in and out of the complex.

Photo: arcspace

The "Field of Stelae" memorial is scheduled to open May 8, 2005 - the 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.

Denkmal

Since the reunification, this site between Pariser Platz and the adjacent squares Potsdamer Platz and Leipziger Platz has become a prominent inner-city area which is still undergoing development. Several new buildings, including the DZ Bank by Frank Gehry, the Reichtag by Norman Foster, the British Embassy by Michael Wilford, the French Embassy by Christian de Portzamparc, have already been completed nearby.
Construction recently started on the new US Embassy designed by Moore Ruble Yudell Architects with Gruen Associates. The Embassy is scheduled for completion in 2008.

May 24, 2004

Peter Eisenman arcspace features





				Features
		Under construction Peter Eisenman Field of Stelae Berlin, Germany 2,752 stelae in dark concrete, varying in height and inclination. Photo: arcspace After several revisions the "Field of Stelae" Holocaust Memorial is now under construction a few yards from the Brandenburg Gate. The site for the Memorial, a 19,000 square meter stretch of unoccupied land on the edge of the Grosser Tiergarten, was until 1945 part of the "Ministry Gardens", a private park that was attached to the ministries along Wilhelmstrasse. The war and post-war years and the fact that the Berlin Wall, built in 1961, and the "death strip" ran along Ebertstrasse occupying almost all of what is now the memorial site, obliterated any traces of what was there before 1945. Photo: arcspace The final design features 2,752 concrete slabs (stelae) arranged in a grid pattern. The slabs are 0.95 meters deep and 2.38 meters wide and vary only in height from 0.2 meters to 4.8 meters. The unevenly sloping ground, giving the impression of an undulating field, will be paved with concrete stones. In the western part groups of trees will be planted in informal groups to form a transition to the Tiergarten. A subterranean information center will be located at the southeast corner. The center will consist of several rooms, some lit by natural light, with an exhibition area of ca. 100 meters. The "Field of Stelae" will not have a fixed entrance, center or exit, visitors will be able to choose their own way in and out of the complex. Photo: arcspace The "Field of Stelae" memorial is scheduled to open May 8, 2005 - the 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. Denkmal Since the reunification, this site between Pariser Platz and the adjacent squares Potsdamer Platz and Leipziger Platz has become a prominent inner-city area which is still undergoing development. Several new buildings, including the DZ Bank by Frank Gehry, the Reichtag by Norman Foster, the British Embassy by Michael Wilford, the French Embassy by Christian de Portzamparc, have already been completed nearby. Construction recently started on the new US Embassy designed by Moore Ruble Yudell Architects with Gruen Associates. The Embassy is scheduled for completion in 2008. May 24, 2004 Peter Eisenman arcspace features