Ceci n'est pas une place: Research Center for the History of the Third Reich and a park, Berlin

Abstract

Rene Magritte’s painting, "Ceci n'est pas une pomme" depicts an apple, and the "reality" of it. But the realities at the Research Center for the History of the Third Reich are both part of the History of a City and the History of Man.

I have tried to deal in my solution with all of the symbolic and pragmatic issues of the project. It is the final exercise of my architectural ideas to the graduate level. Clear attention, however, was given to follow the brief given by the 1985 NIAE International Design Competition. In this manner, the meaning of History and Tragedy are explored through the use of architectural manifestations, that is, the materialization of a "reality".

My scheme is one more exploration of my concerns, and also an extension to the search for an architectural attitude. Even though I believe at this time that language in architecture is a conscious decision of the designer, my preoccupation dealt with architectural issues such as building and city, elements and typologies, Platonic forms and spatial relationships, as well as drawings as a tool to express architectural intentions.