This extraordinary project to construct a memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe involved a team of multi disciplinary engineers from Buro Happold.
Opened in May 2005, the site for the memorial is located in central Berlin, between the Brandenburg Gate and Potsdamer Platz. Following Peter Eisenman's architectural design, a field of 2,711 concrete stelae and an underground ‘place of information' were constructed on the 19,000m2 site. The stelae measure 2.38m x 0.95m and vary in height up to a maximum of 5m.
Buro Happold was responsible for developing a meticulous and innovative methodology for constructing the stelae in order to meet the architect's aesthetic demands, and to ensure their durability over time. During the planning process several test stelae of varying height, concrete mix and manufacturing technique were produced in order to verify how the theoretical engineering explorations would work in practice. At the memorial site the width measurements between the rows of stelae are restricted, leaving a pathway narrow enough for only one person to pass through at a time in order to create space and peacefulness for visitors.
Date: Completed in 2005
