My Personal Reaction to an Architectural Work - Essay Example

It is like walking through a distorted field of black blocks. I think the memorial is supposed to invoke fear, confusion, and a feeling of orderliness. This is probably what the Jews felt during the holocaust. They were afraid for their lives and were confused about ever surviving. The only thing they knew was to work in an orderly fashion. Much like ants work relentlessly to meet the goals set by their ruler.

            The structures themselves make no sense but their meaning is deep. They lack any form of identity or individualism. The structures are separate only by their height. I think that Eisenman is an architectural genius. He is able to evoke so many emotions from something so simple. But why does it only commemorate the Jews? There were many other people convicted for reasons other than being Jewish. Amongst those who were victims of the holocaust were the handi-capped, gays, Gypsies, and Soviet prisoners of war. It is not just the Jews who need to be remembered but the others who fell to Nazi Germany’s regiment. Nevertheless, the memorial achieved its purpose- to represent subliminally a dark age in man’s history.