Imperial War Museum North, Manchester

arh. Daniel Libeskind

DIHEL Diana, GLINEUR Orianne, NARITA Alina, SAS Andreea
Department of Architecture,Politehnica University Timisoara 2010-2011
Synopsis: through the anlisis of the Imperial War Museum North, we have tried to answer five basic questions:
1.Is there a continuity of theme and concept in Libeskinds work?
2.What is the vision that created this space?
3.Does this object integrate in the urban pattern of the quais?
4.Is this museum a space for education or is it more theatrical?
5.What is the social impact of the museum?

1 Introduction
Daniel Libeskind was born in Poland in 1946 but
became an American citizen in 1965. After studying
music for several years in Israel, Libeskind returned to
the United States, where he became interested in
architecture. He completed his studies, and even
studied abroad for two years in Great-Britain. In 1985,
he won the Leone di Petra award in the Venice
biennale. In 1988, he took part in the exhibition of the
Deconstructivist architects in New Yorks Museum of
Modern Art. Then, from 1989 to 1998, he worked on
the realization of the Berlins Jewish Museum.
Daniel Libeskind has his own company: Studio Daniel
Libeskind, based in Berlin. He is also teaching
Architecture since 1994 in Los Angeless University.
He often still works on projects linked with Judaism
and the Shoah (San Franciscos Jewish Museum and
the Shoahs center in Manchester).

1.1 Deconstructivism
Deconstructivism in architecture is also called
deconstruction. It began in the late 1980s as a
development of postmodern architecture. Just like
postmodernism, it contests the methodical rationality
of modern architecture. Although, the Deconstructivist
basis are completely different as they totally break with
history, society, site and traditions.
The movement is characterized by ideas of
fragmentation, an interest in non-rectilinear shapes
which lead to the distortion and dislocation of some
elements of architecture, like the envelope or the
structure. The finished visual appearance of buildings
using the Deconstructivist style is characterized by a
stimulating unpredictability and a controlled chaos.
The reaching point in Deconstructivism is to move
architecture away from the constricting 'rules' of
modernism such as form follows function, purity of
form, and truth to materials.
The first Deconstructivists were influenced by the
ideas of the French philosopher Jacques Derrida. His

work is a key influence in Eisenmans architecture, one

of the most important figures of the Deconstructivist
movement. Some practitioners of Deconstructivism
were also influenced by the formal experimentation
and geometric shapes of Russian constructivism. There
are additional references in Deconstructivism to 20thcentury movements: the modernism/postmodernism
interplay, expressionism, cubism, minimalism and
contemporary art.
Important events in the history of the Deconstructivist
movement include the 1982 competition for the Parc de
la Villette, the Museum of Modern Arts 1988
Deconstructivist Architecture exhibition in New York,
organized by Philip Johnson and Mark Wigley, and the
1989 opening of the Wexner Center for the Arts in
Columbus, designed by Peter Eisenman. The New
York exhibition featured works by Frank Gehry,
Daniel Libeskind, Rem Koolhaas, Peter Eisenman,
Zaha Hadid, Coop Himmelb(l)au, and Bernard
Tschumi. Since the exhibition, many of the architects
who were associated with Deconstructivism have
distanced themselves from the movement. Nonetheless,
the term has stuck and nowadays it describes a general
trend within contemporary architecture.

1.2 Libeskinds philosophy

Libeskinds view on architecture is filled with
mysticism and spirituality. He believes that buildings
need to have a deeper significance. For him, the
experience of architecture is more than just a visual
experiment. Light and space need to work together and
create a deeply spiritual place.
In all of Libeskinds buildings you can feel his desire
to create spaces that raise questions that make people
think about themselves and their place in the world.
His interest in literature, mathematics, astrology,
philosophy, and knowledge as a general concept
explain, in some manner, his wish to create something
new, something that did not exist before, ultimately to
make a mark on the world.

In a post-holocaust world, and after the Hiroshima

experiment, we can consider ourselves survivors of our
own greed and cruelty. Our civilization has been based
on the assumption that we are all rational beings, but it
is that same civilization the one that destroys itself
from the inside. Since this model has obviously failed
us, we now find ourselves at a crossroad; we need to
look for a new way of thinking, a new way of being.
Basically we need to construct different principles.
Libeskind chose Deconstructivism.
Although times are dark and complex, there is Hope
and we might be at the verge of a tremendous creative
era. Libeskind does not search for a synthesis of
solutions; rather he tries constantly to intensify the
mystery. [1]
Libeskind is always searching for something more, a
deeper significance of the places, and symbolism in
Architecture. For example:
The Jewish Museum in Berlin: this museum is not only
a building but its also a part of the exhibition. The
museum is a statement in itself. The line of emptiness
is a part of the museum that represents the
disappearance of people during the holocaust. This is
just one example of how Libeskind operates with
symbols in his buildings.
The World Trade Center project: the memory and the
duty of memory are symbolized by preserving the
Ground
zero
site
underground
(=memory
foundations) whereas hope in the future is represented
by a 541 meters tower. Another significant symbolic
point of the project is that every year, on September 11,
the site will be sunny, without any shadows from 8:46
(first crash) to 10:28 (the collapse of the second tower).

1.3 Imperial War Museum Concept

The Imperial War Museum North deals with the
conflicts that happened during the 20th century and
those which are still to come.

they almost camouflage themselves on the background

of the gray northern skies.
The interior space seems to be fragmented by war as
well. Insecurity and anxiety seem to be the key words
in describing the feelings that you have inside the
museum. The accent falls on emotions, not on
information. This is in the end not a museum of war,
but a museum of survival in spite of war.

2 The museums place in the city

Imperial War Museum is a museum in the
Metropolitan borough of Trafford in Greater
Manchester, England. One of the five branches of the
Imperial War Museum, it explores the impact of
modern conflicts on people and society. It is the first
branch of the Imperial War Museum to be located in
the north of England. The museum occupies a site
overlooking the Manchester Ship Canal in Trafford
Park, an area which during the Second World War was
a key industrial centre and consequently heavily
bombed during the Manchester Blitz in 1940. The area
is now home to the Lowry cultural centre and the
Media City UK development, which stand opposite the
museum at Salford Quays.
IWMN is a memorable place to encounter, not only for
the entire Trafford region, but also for tourists. The
building is visible across the strategic points of the city
and its surroundings. It doesnt matter if you approach
it by car or by foot, the building itself offers a new
perspective, depending how you approach it. The
impact of this building is huge, and it also provides
new views from within itself of the surrounding
panorama, which becomes part of the museum
experience. The museum is a revitalizing intervention
on a site once beaming with action and industry that
was later abandoned because of the development of
new technology and means of access and
transportation.

3 Shapes and volumes

Img.1 Concept
The concept comes from the idea of the world
shattered by war. To materialize this idea, Libeskind
took a sphere symbolizing the Earth, he broke it into
pieces, and then he started working with those shards
in creating a volume.
The pieces he worked with are also symbolic. Every
piece of the composition represents a realm of conflict.
The vertical piece represents the air; the main volume
represents the earth while the volume closest to the
quays represents the water.
From the theme of war, the architect chose to use the
color palette. The faades of the building are very pale,

The main three volumes,the indoor enclosures, the

textures are a transposition of concept ideas formulated
during and after the competition. We recall them
briefly to see to what extend they have determined the
architectural expression.

3.1 Concept and volume

The volume form is the result of concept
materialization process. It was changed due to financial
constraints and resembles the specific way of
Libeskind to design space.
The curvature of the main three volumes is explained
by the image of the contemporary world shattered into
fragments by conflict [2] .Each volume represents a

realm of conflict: earth, water and air. The system of

gently tilting planes also symbolize the four themes
that represent the British landscape: stone, fields,
water and forest because we wish to confront the
global scale of war represented by the building with
the local scale where battles are fought. War does not
only reconfigure lines on a world map, but changes
everyday landscapes.[3]
The exterior appearance of the building suggests the
neutralized landscape during the war. There are no
contrasts, no living colors. The heavy, cold materials
and the uniform gray texture on the facades reflect an
artificial environment that simulates the devastated
natural environment which hosts battles. The
camouflage patterns used by the military are an
abstraction of landscapes of combat. These patterns
represent a visual average of the natural environment:
the muted green, brown, and ochre hues of typical
camouflage are a graphic summary of wild and
cultivated places.[4]
The way of conceiving the interior space expresses the
architectural approach to the theme of war. It is not an
amount of heroic acts, a demonstration of power, an
exhibition of seductive armament and technology. The
war implies people, it shapes peoples lives. We are
interested in the toil and sacrifice of the armed forces,
but also the people behind the scenes, those who stayed
home and those who were caught in the middle.[5] The
visitors experience evokes the common peoples
experience during wartime. The museum beyond
images, objects, sounds and so on, exposes moods.
This work evokes the speaking architecture of the
French 18th-century, in which the very fabric of the
structure is intended to modify your personal manner
of perceiving things.
The current form of the building, beside being a result
of the concept ideea, is a consequence of the budget
source. In the competition Libeskind proposed a
composition of thin- shell concrete roofs over a zigzag
volume containig the permanent exhibition. To reduce
the budget (whose amount exceeded 20 million dollars)
instead of thin concrete curves, he used thick metal
fascias. The initial structure and volume was partially
replaced, but the architect tried to keep the concept
ideas in the new form.
The shapes resemble the architects style (there are
obvious similarities with Libeskinds Jewish Museum
in Berlin and the planned 'spiral' extension for the
V&A). He uses once more, symbolic sculptural shapes,
sharp angles, metal cladding and slits.

3.2 Composition
Lets now look more closely to the composition.
The composition, in spite of being modern and
Libeskind style ,respects classic rules like hierarchy,
use of shapes from the same formal family and
articulated volumes. Each of the three volumes which

form the building symbolize a realm of conflict: air,

earth and water. Their curvatures are fragments from
the roundness of the globe. The Earth Shard is the
main, large volume, the core of the composition, a
connector of the other two spaces. It has a convex
shape and contains the exhibition spaces. The Water
Shard, enclosing a restaurant has a concave form which
leaps gently over Earth. The Air Shard spears the grand
vault of the Earth Shard. It is the vertical pylon of the
composition and contains nothing but the void of a
nine-story tower.

Img.2 View from the other side of the Mersey River

The museum is unusual in terms of exhibits. There are
on display images, sounds, and even smells meant to
create moods. In fact there are exposed moods. The
configuration of interior spaces physically disorients
and sensitizes visitors. It sugests the lack of a reference
frame, specific to war. This kind of approach explains
the empty tower, the domed asphalt floor, the sharp
angles, the cuts in the ceiling and the entirely artificial
illuminated Earth Shard.

Img.3 Night view of the museum

Passing through a low- ceilinged lobby and ascending a
stair you enter the first realm, the Earth Shard. An
aluminum clad roof folds over dark-painted walls of
concrete. There are almost no windows because the
concept was to create an artificial environment that

stimulates the senses- so natural light is not necessary.

(The space is lit by randomly put diagonal gashes of
fluorescents). The permanent exhibits occupy an
enormous single space under the curved vault ceiling.
The domed asphalt floor induces a state of insecurity.
With zigzagging outer walls, are enclosed small, roomlike thematic presentations. The few windows are
displaced as strips on the concrete facade.
The Air Shard is made from criss-crossed tubular-steel
supports clad in metal-batten. The 4.5 degree tilt of the
shard assures a curvature specific for each aisle. There
is nothing but an elevator which threads to a viewing
platform with metal-grid flooring which enhance
vertigo.
The Water Shard laps Earth. It is almost opaque. Its
window strip emphasizes the concave curvature of the
roof and seems to draw the canal into the structure.

3.3 Textures
There are two main materials used for the structure:
concrete used for zigzagging walls from the
basement and the first floor; and metal used for the
roofs of the Earth and Water Shard and for the Air
Shard, which is like a huge tube. For the exterior
cladding they used aluminium panels. From a distance
it is perceived as an enormous uniform gray skin. The
muted colors of aluminum and exposed concrete
follow the camouflage patterns used by the military.
So, the building is perfectly camouflaged in the lifeless
urban tissue which it belongs to. At a closer look you
can perceive the joints between the aluminum plates,
and the imprints of reinforced concrete.
Excepting a few window strips the building is almost
opaque- like a prison.

Img.4 Texture of Air Shard

4 Structure
The buildings structure is of steel on concrete, with
an aluminum faade. In the main exhibition hall, the
steel posts are hidden behind slanted walls that divide
the interior space in smaller exhibition areas. Even if
the structural system is not apparent to the naked eye,
at a closer analysis of the buildings plans, its role in
the interior arrangement of spaces becomes obvious.
The structural grid becomes a reference point in the
setting of the walls. Dividing the interior space is a
game of connecting dots. In this case the structure has
to be hidden because the accent has to fall upon the
exhibits.
The situation in the Air Shard is, however, very
different. In this case the space frame which supports
the building becomes a display in itself. While taking
the elevator to the outlook platform at the top of the
building, one travels through a maze of beams and
posts. The structure becomes the main character in this
particular play, it captures the eye as well as the
imagination, and it is in itself an engineering marvel.

Img.5 Texture of group entrance

Img.6 Spaceframe that supports the Air Shard

5 Interior space
The building is made up of three main areas. The Air
Shard, which houses the main entrance and a viewing
platform set at a height of 29 meters; the Water Shard,
in which you can find a restaurant; and last but not
least the Earth Shard, which houses the main exhibition
area.

5.1 Exhibits and exhibition

followed by the 1919-1938 period, 1939-1945, 19461990, and last but not least the 1990 to the present day
period. The exhibition itself is made up of six silos
which tackle subjects such as the legacy of war and the
experience of war; large objects including a T34 Tank
and a Harrier Jump-Jet; time stacks, which give you a
general overview of the era in question; and action
stands, which are interactive displays that visitors can
use.

The ground floor of the building contains the main

entrance as well as a group entrance, bathrooms, a coat
room, a picnic room, the learning room, stairs,
elevators, the museum shop and a rather interesting
space called your history, where people can go and
enquire about their family history.

Img.9 Harrier Jump Jet

Img.7 Ground floor plan

Things really start to get interesting once you reach the
first floor. Here you can find the main exhibition area,
a special exhibition space, the Libeskind
rooms(conference rooms for rent) and the Water
Shard Caf.

Img.8 First floor plan

The main exhibition space is organized according to a
timeline, and it has 6 stages. The first is the
introduction, the second is the 1914-1918 period,

The entrance in the exhibition area is made through the

introduction display. The first thing you see here is a
Harrier Jump-Jet set high above your head, pointing
dramatically towards the exhibition area, like a road
sign telling you which way to go. Moving along, on
your left side there is the 1914-1918 period display, a
time stack and an action station, all set around silo
number 1, entitled The Experience of War. After
passing by an artillery piece and a fire-fighting trailer
you get to the 1919-1938 period and silo number 2:
Women and War.

Img.10 Trabant car

If you continue your journey past a Trabant estate car,
a Leopard patrol vehicle and several action stands, you
will get to the 1939-1945 time period and silo number
3: Impressions of War. A model barrage balloon and

a T34 Russian tank are the last of the large objects on

display. By following the path pointed out by the
tanks gun, you will inevitably reach the 1946-1990
period, another time stack and action stand, and silo
number 4: Empire, Commonwealth & War. Next on
the tour is silo number 5: Science, Technology &
War; the 1990 to the present day period, and last but
not least silo number 6: Legacy of War. The circle is
now complete.
From here you can go to the special exhibition gallery,
the Libeskind rooms (conference rooms for rent), to the
Water Shard Caf, or down the stairs and to the exit.

time stacks. But once you enter these sheltered spaces,

you find a different approach to the theme of the
museum. The silos are much more dramatic and
serious, and that is why they had to be sheltered.
Libeskind is undoubtedly a master of space and light.
That is why it may come as a surprise that there is no
natural light in the exhibition area of this building.
Light is natural, war is not. I believe that is why the
architect felt the need to create an artificial space to
house the artifacts of war. If we consider the exhibition
a road, and the big objects on display the road signs
that tell you where to go next, the light fixtures would
be the stop signs, signaling something important ahead.

5.2 The Big Picture Show

It is my personal opinion that the best thing in the
Imperial war Museum isnt the exhibits, its silos, action
stations, time stacks or its timeline organization. No,
the best thing in this museum can only be seen once
every hour, and it starts by turning off the lights. Its
called The Big Picture Show, and it is an award
winning movie projected simultaneously 360 around
you. Images from war, music, sounds and tape
recordings are projected on the walls, floors and
visitors, creating a deeply disturbing atmosphere which
enhances every emotion. The show is made up of three
parts: The War at Home, Children and War and
Weapons of War. These movies are special because
of their authenticity. They contain the thoughts and
testimonies of people directly affected by war. The
impact they have on the viewer is so big because it is
unexpected, uncensored and, at first unbelievable. The
visitors are literally engulfed in the movie. Because the
projection happens all around you, on every wall and
every object, you feel like you are part of the action,
you feel like you are there, in the moment.

5.3 Space, light and emotion

The interior space is not what you would normally
expect a museum to be like. There are no straight
lines, no perpendicular angles; everything is relative,
just like the balance between peace and war. The floor
is slightly slanted, which enhances the feeling of
incertitude. The interior walls are set in such a way as
to create protected areas, rooms, for lack of a better
term, where the six silos are displayed. On the outside
walls of these rooms you can find the timeline
display, famous quotes about war, action stands and

Img.11 Quote on the interior walls

Img.12 The Big Picture Show

One thing is clear: when you get out of this museum
you will never be the same again. The museum starts
out as a statement. The first thing that you see is a
sculpture like building that dominates Manchesters
quays. Once you enter, you find a colorful space that
invites you to play. The museum shop, the restaurant
and the interactive displays make you leave your guard
down and forget for a moment that you are in a
museum of war. Then, out of a sudden, the lights go
down and you are bombarded with images and sounds,
noise, light and smell. There are people who would
argue that this over stimulation of the visitors is
basically a way of mass manipulation. So, the
following question comes naturally: is it ethical to
manipulate people just to get a message across? Who
decides what messages are good or bad? Considering
that we are a society addicted to reality TV and
sensationalism, I personally believe that a traditional
museum can not survive in the current state. However I
honestly can not say if this way of operating is ethical.
I suppose in the end it is better to be manipulated into
learning a lesson than never to have learnt it at all. We
should however keep in mind that by accepting this
museum and its modus operandi as legitimate, we
open the door to other buildings just like it, and their
concept, their theme might not be so humanitarian. So
where do we draw the line? Who decides what is
wrong or right? The question remains!

6 Social impact
The Imperial War Museum North is about people and
their stories, about how life used to be, and perhaps
still is, shaped by war and conflict. It describes the life
and the feelings of the people behind the scenes, the
ones who were fighting, the ones that suffered, or the
ones who were caught in the middle. The accent falls
on the feeling - the idea of imagining how it all
happened- and how war affected the lives of British
and Commonwealth citizens since 1914.

6.1 Education
It doesnt celebrate war, but it shows the difficulty of
attaining peace[6] . Therefore, it is a center with free
admission where both children and grownups can learn
about war, about the political conflicts, about what
influenced them and how they were resolved, about
sacrifice, anger and fear. The intention is not to trace
history, but to transform the visitors experience from a
passive one of gazing onto objects, into one where
artifacts and interpretation are used to stimulate
questions and conversation.

6.2 Volunteering
Supporting Imperial War Museum North's educational
goals, the museum has operated a volunteer program
since opening in 2002. The program seeks to engage
local people at risk of social exclusion. Originally
based on a National Vocational Qualification, the
program was revised and relaunched in 2004, and
consisted of a basic cultural heritage course, providing
opportunities to develop academic skills and improve
confidence, and to support individuals seeking to return
to employment. In return volunteers work in the
museum's public spaces as part of the front of the
house teams.

Img.12 Educational trip to the museum

6.3 A new kind of program

The museum of the 21st century has little in common
with the museum in the classical sense. The world is
continually changing, architecture is no exception.
Architectural programs have to evolve if they want to
survive the era of technology. In a world where virtual

reality becomes more and more complex, objective

reality has to find new and interesting things to offer.
That is why museums today are becoming more
interactive. The line between museum and school is
fading fast, and so is the line between museum and
theatre.
Libeskind tried to regenerate space by culture.
Everything inside it (colors, surfaces, sounds) is a
mixture of pieces of information that are put together
so that it could focus entrepreneurial and spiritual
energies. People not only come there to see a building
or some displays, but also to have a creative activity.
The visitors are directed by lighting and the sloping
floors, so, even when moving from one exhibition area
to another, the space offers an experience.

7 Concluzion
By analyzing Libeskinds work, we have been able to
find several themes and concepts that he seems to
prefer. The theme of war, destruction, but most
importantly, of survival, seems to be one of his
favorites. The real genius of his work resides in the
way he manages to find the goodness and the spiritual
aspects even in the worst situations imaginable.
Due to its many qualities, the museum has become one
of the most popular visitor attractions in the northwest, already receiving over 1.700.000 visitors. People
like it, and what happens in it. They like it because it is
dynamic, because it changes attitude and experiments
with their feelings.
The shape of the museum is the result of the influence
of three factors. The most important is the great vision
of the architect about war and its effects. Determinants
were also the financial constrains and the specific
manner of Libeskind to imagine the space.
Like it or not, the building is a national cultural
institution, a record of who we are and what we have
been, a generator and guardian of shared mythology. It
must surely therefore be something and mean
something
more
than
another
afternoon's
[7]
entertainment, another film on the box.
While visiting it, you experience fear, a world of
insecurity and frustration that others lived in for years.
You learn to appreciate your life and the life of others,
and may find yourself very lucky to live nowadays.
Because of the whole experience, youre point of view
referring to history, life, sacrifice, patience and people
will definitely change. It wont make you a better
person, but it will surely help you understand the way
things happen, how few people control millions of
innocent lives, and that there is nothing you can do to
change it.
Interactive museum are a necesity for the survival of
the program. This seems to be the trend of our
generation. Kurt Cobain said it best: I feel stupid and
contagious / Here we are now , entertain us.[8]

Note bibliografice:

Bibliografie:

[1] http://ooo.nl/libeskind/home.htm
[2] http://www.daniel-libeskind.com/projects/showall/imperial-war-museum-north/
[3]http://www.daniel-libeskind.com/media/singleview/period/1289134927///browse/2/article/353/impe
rial-war-1/
[4] Idem
[5]http://www.jsrussellwriter.com/plopurbanism.html
[6] Idem
[7]http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3575/is_127
1_213/ai_97232974/pg_2/
[8]http://www.lyricsfreak.com/n/nirvana/smells+like
+teen+spirit_20101055.html

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Now! , Vol.3, Taschen, 2008
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4.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRIMLWCMk
YA&feature=related
5.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v8kBYdQTVo
6. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTCIVd-D5WI
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8.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_AsJ5LmvW8
&feature=related
9. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIAJNuux1Pw
10.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5HwsopiGG
Y&feature=related
11.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpEWaqhsCA&feature=related
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13.http://www.technoscience.net/?onglet=glossaire&definition=8888
14.http://ooo.nl/royal/libeskind/home.htm
15.http://www.daniel-libeskind.com/projects/showall/imperial-war-museum-north/