Opening the Monday times, I saw that the new San Francisco Jewish Museum has opened. Designed by the Jewish Museum Guru, Daniel Libeskind, it is his 4th Jewish museum after Copenhagen, Osnabrück, and Berlin. While it seems he would be honing his skills, using each to aproach an issue of place or context (San Francisco has an entirely different meaning to Jews than Berlin), he instead focuses on the cultural traditions of Judaism. The first seemingly sparse collection is appropriately titled: "Being Jewish, a Bay Area Portrait".
Although Liebeskind intended the Museum to represent or perhaps invoke Paradise, the opposite is rather true. Although the U.S. has often represented sanctuary during times of opression, the Museum has the acute stabbing angles, cold steel and hard concrete of its terror inspiring Berlin and Copenhagen counterparts.
Again reissued were the Hebrew letters, Biblical phrases turned into architectural representation, Jewish symbols abstracted, other themes employed as "symbols".
All in all it seems a bit overdone. Maybe just re-done too many times. I wouldn't be surpised if Libeskind had an alogarithm for cranking out Jewish Museums. No matter how or through what means he came to this building, a $50M budget should get more from him than reissuing a previous project.
An insider at the firm has told me He's flying his entire enterprise, interns included, to SF for wining, dining, and the opening parrrrty.
For more information, read the New York times Review: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/09/arts/design/09jewi.html?pagewanted=2&ref=arts
IF you have pictures, please send!
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