The Holocaust Memorial

In June 2014, a new work of art by Daniel Libeskind was unveiled at the Statehouse in the centre of Columbus, Ohio.  Erected at the request of the State Governor, this work deliberately seeks to perpetuate the memory of the Holocaust tragedy. The memorial consists of a long limestone base supporting 3 elements: a 5-metre high, steel outline of a shattered Star of David, two benches and a low wall with an inscription inspired by the Talmud: “If you save one life, it is as if you saved the world. In memory of the six Jewish victims who died during the Holocaust”. The sculpture also includes the story of a survivor from the Nazi death camps.
The concept created by Daniel Libeskind is based on an intimate, meditative light. There is no general light, just a discreet interplay of muted light, shadows, reflections and different colour temperatures. The luminaires are installed flush with the ground so that nothing disturbs the vision of the space created by the three minimalist elements.
The benches are lit by Linealuce mini Led luminaires placed underneath them, so it looks as if the light is coming from the benches themselves.
To light the wall with the inscription, the architect has chosen fluorescent Linealuce luminaires with asymmetric optics as they can follow its distinctive, sloping shape while also creating a soft and subtle effect.
The main sculpture, on the other hand, is lit by adjustable Light Up Led luminaires. The dramatic split that cuts the sculpture apart offers a regenerating view of the open sky, undisturbed by the central Columbus skyline, intensified by the deliberate changes in the lighting colour temperatures. In fact, the two different light temperatures used in the memorial (a warm 3000K temperature on the plinth and a colder 4000K temperature outside it) come into contact right down the sculpture’s crack. This difference helps increase the sense of depth in the fissure that cuts through the star, and then continues down the sculpture and right across the limestone base.