This story was originally published on DenverPost.com on November 19, 2004.
It might just as well have been titled “Daniel Libeskind: Taking
Shots.”
A newly published memoir by the internationally known architect
interweaves personal history with descriptions of his projects,
including the $90.5 million Denver Art Museum addition.
But much attention surrounding the book, titled “Daniel Libeskind:
Breaking Ground,” has focused on his blunt critiques, especially
of some of his architectural peers.
A chief target is David Childs, a collaborator on the World Trade
Center reconstruction.
“This profession is ruthless,” Libeskind said, laughing. “It’s
not just nice architects with nice ties and good shirts. There’s
cruelty behind the scenes.
“There’s people ready to kill each other, to stab each other in
the heart. And coming from the Bronx, as I did, you have to have a
thick skin.”
Libeskind discussed his “very forthright” book and the reaction
to it during an interview before a book-signing Thursday evening at
the LoDo branch of the Tattered Cover Book Store.
He is on a promotional tour primarily taking him to cities where he
has projects underway or completed.
Besides Denver, these have included New York City, San Francisco
and Toronto, and he has a stop scheduled in Hong Kong.
Libeskind said he decided to write a memoir now because of the many
questions he gets from the public about how he comes up with his
ideas or how he was chosen to oversee the architectural master plan
for ground zero at the Trade Center.
“It’s not a retrospective book,” he said. “It’s a cross-section
of what’s happening. It’s not about looking backward at yourself.
It’s really about the action of architecture and what architecture
contributes to life.
“For a lot of people, architecture is a very abstract thing done
by somebody somewhere. I wanted to tell a very personal story.”
Part of that, he said, was revealing some of the behind- the-scenes drama, which is an inevitable part of getting a building
completed.
“There are always struggles, whether it’s ground zero with these
huge, powerful forces or any building. You meet the villains, and
you meet the heroes. It’s like life itself.”
Fine arts critic Kyle MacMillan can be reached at 303-820-1675 or
kmacmillan@denverpost.com.
This story was originally published on DenverPost.com on November 19, 2004.
