NOTE TO USERS The original manuscript received by UMI contains pages with indistinct print. Pages were microfilmed as received. This reproduction is the best copy available An Architecture of Souk Modernlty, Daniel Libeskind and the Spiritual by Joel David Robiwon Graduate Program in the visual Arts Submitted in partial fulflllment of the requirements for the degree of Mastet of Arts Faculty of Graduate Studies The Unhrersity of Western Ontario London, Ontario December 1997 O JoelDavid Robinson 1997 National Library Bibliothèque nationale du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographie Services senrices bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395. rue Wellington OüawaON K1A W ûttawaON K1AON4 Canada canada The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distrihte or sell reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfichelfilm, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in ths thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts fkom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. Abstract Architecture has often rnirrored a mode1 of the cosmos (what Phto calls the world-soul) wberein the laws of harmony and proportion are centrai to the creation of aii being. When manifest in architecture, such laws are the means through which we may embody the historical spirit, attain an image of beauty and experience an affect of the souî wherein we recognize our communal humÂnity. in an epoch marked by the end of modemity and the dissolution of those sublime fictions of the cosmos, history and man, some architecn have challengeci this intellectual tradition so to re-awaken reflection on our aesthetic experience with respect to space, time and the universe - that is, ow historical reallty. With attention to Daniel Libeskind's Jewish Mension to the Berlin Museum, among other projects, I will question whether the architecture of our epoch can reinvent the spirituai. rebuild the soul and strike chords in us yet again. Keywords: architecture, BerUn, cosmology, deconstruction, history, Libeskind. modernity, sod, splriniallty. Reckiess! wanüng CO see the soul Face to face You go dom in flames. For this study, 1 remain forever indebted to al1 the individuals at the University of Western Ontario frm whom I teceived inspiration, guidance and critical advice dong the way. However, here 1 can onîy mention those who had a direct impact on the wolution and maturation of this project. First. 1 would iike to thaalr my advisor Professor Mark A Cheecham for his pointed criticism of the manuscript in its confused and fragmentary States of becoming. It was his encouragement and patience which ailowed me to experiment with inter-discipliaary content, unorthodox theoretical paradi- and alternative forms of writing appropriate to the new art history of which he is an intelligent advocate Here. 1 would also üke to express my gradhde to Professor Glenn Peers for lcindly agreeing to take on the responsibility of second reader. His comments on the rough draft of the thesis proved very helpful. 1 would also We to express my warm thadcs to those that have had an enduring impact on my academic stuciles at the UIlfversity. Professor Bridget Ellion deserves fint mention here. for I have known her the longest. 1 wuid iike to thank her for having inspired me in almost evqrthhg 1 have done in the direction of becoming a student of art history. Despite aii her genuine encouragement, she has also been my most adversarial critic, and for that reason a most worthy teacher. Professor Kathryn Brush also deserves my Wnd gratitude here. for she has hvested an upUftlng fait. in my work from the beginning. If I had not studied under her in a seminar on methodological perspectives in medieval art, the necessary historical ground for my thesis might nwer have ken furnished. Professor John Hatch has also been an Lnsightful source and informative cornpanion throughout the course of this research, Hts enthusiasn over art that acknowieâges the world of Einstein and Heisenberg has obliged me to seek out what 1 would CUserious art and xorn some of the more fashionable impulses in contemporary art history. For my referaces to Sir Arthur Wdington and modem physics, 1 remain indebted to him. I am also fortunate to have had the opportunity to participate in seminars led by Professors Patrick Mahon and David Clark, two instnictors of visual art at the university. In their semlnars, 1 was at liberty to develop a more experimental strategy of research, the ramifications of which can be discerneci in the following essay. FinaUy, for permission to include figure illustrations in this thesis, aedit must be granted to Studio Ubeskind, EL Croquis pubiishers and Academy Editions/St. Martin's Press. Table of Contents Page Certifica te of Examination i i A bstrac t iii Epigraph iv Acknowledgements v Table of Contents vii List of Figures ix List of Appendices xi Preface xii introduction I 1. Tne City as a Star of Redemption Is refracted and congeais into a uboogie-~g.ie* iike constella cion* 7 2. Skin, cowi of the sod, hides a deaf monk sucking opinions ... 12 3. lrrationaî number Harhiog its indivisible quotient in the black water of Beghdng 16 4. The Lriveutury of conflict confIrms the ghost, casts each soul in a minor key - sixth on the diatonic 21 5. Ttie wlnds are dzy and melanchofy Ms the void of anatomy n 6. Primordial whorls smunding the btain. .. stimularing the ear of remDionysus 32 7. On the equator a shattered camera begins to melt 35 8. Poor Pascai witb bis cafcdator playing a duge for inflnlte space 40 9. 1 am prairaisingtbe dty by s-g six phantoms on snows of evident docuiry 34 10. FiaaUy the water irself can be adbered to the mind, pmvided that one does not &y on the glue 49 11. Mut solitude, in m,beW lts ihk to every pirouetdng sbard of che erirploded amphora? 53 12. Tbdorie a building is not just a rieutrai shape, but a gift or rem to histofy 57 13. The theory is this: to contain the Universe in a last inAnitesimal sound charge by capping che West 14th a non-reversible gadcet 59 14. The Graphk as the souf of Architecture 62 15. ... insane, three dimasional star conffguradons organfied amund an invisible axis cdîed scfeme or epiEiph 16 But ?O awaken a race of star bu& in hahunk crysrals: dim your eye's labyrinthine cavlty 17. ... telegrams from Mos~s-.., messages whfch induce a reduse wirheRng Ln the pusisating âawn ?O inhaîe througb his own mouth 18. It Is an attempt m NI up the soul Mta memory so that one wvuld fInally oboterate it all togetber 19. Whea the once potent &ut& of arrhitechve is reduceû ro a sigm of Its absence one experlemes a pamhhg, suffbsariag mess: 'The psycbe lusts ro be wet..' Conclusion Appendices Notes Figures Bibliography Vita The section tities are extracts nom texts written by Daniel Libeskind. List of Figures Figure Description Page 1. Daniel Libeskind. Plan of the Jewish Extension to the Berlin Museum. 1989. Collage. Courtesy EL Croquis ....................................................................................... 112 2. Daniel Libeskind. Jewish Extension. 1989. Model. Courtesy Academy =dom ........................................................................................................................... 113 3. Daniel Libeskind. The underground axes, discontinuous void, Holocaust tower. E.TA Hofhnana garden and staircase of the Jewish Extension. 1989. Modei. Courtesy EL Croquis..H.............~............e...~...............~...~w..œ.........e..s.....~...e...~. 1 14 4. Daniel Libeskind. Façade of the Berlin Museum from Lindenstrasse, with the Jewish Extension under construction. 1996. Author's photograpb .......Al5 5. Daniel Ubeskinâ. View of the consmction of the Jewish Extension from south, with Hoiocaust tower and E-TA Hoffmann Garden in forqpund. 19%. Courtesy El Croquis...................-..~..w.~..............................................e.............. ......... 116 6. Daniel Libeskind. View of the constniction of the jewish Extension from the east. with the Berlin Musuem in the background. 1996. Author's photogiaph,..................~....œ~...~w...œ..o~.~.............e.................~..........s.............................. 117 7. Daniel Libeskind. OssLflcation. from Ana tomy's Melancboly. 1981. Drawing. Cowtesy Daniel LibesLiad ....... ................................................................. 118 8. Daniel Ubeskind. Interior view of the Jewish Extension. 1989. Working modeL Courtesy Academy MLtlon~,...,..............~..~........................~~............~..... 119 9. Daniel Libeskind. Interior view of the Jewish Extension. 1989. Working modd. Coutesy Acaderny Mitions ............,........... ..........*........e..m........~..w........t...... 119 10. Daniel Libeskind. Verdcal V, from Chamber Works: ArcMtecrural Medicidons on 12iemes fmm Heraditus 1983. Courtesy Daniel Libeskind ..... 120 11. Daniel Libeskind. Vertical Horizon. from Micromegas. 198 1. Drawing. courtesy Daniel Libeskind ........,.. ..,...................................................................