emotional memorial part 2/2

it was packed with people

all clustered in groups, mostly, probably on tour

i began to walk through it

the low blocks suddenly got taller.

my breathing is heavy

people show up for an instant, then disappear.

  

i'm holding my breath

i feel like crying

i'm scared

i'm walking slowly

kids running – idiots!

i hear footsteps of people running close by

scaring me

where are they coming from?

where do they go?

people seen only for a split second

i feel like I’m being watched

i crouch down (literally) and close my eyes

it’s calm. too calm

footsteps in distance

distant cries

voices

footsteps are louder

open my eyes

i don’t see anyone

why are people laughing?????

it’s a memorial!

kids running are out of breath, that scares me

im so uncomfortable

i catch myself holding my breath

i can’t walk non-stop

i have to pause

see shadows of people on vertical surfaces and floor surface

tops of some pillars aren’t perfectly flat

slanted paths between blocks

flood of emotion 

The ground undulated as you walked through.

In a way it was like a maze.

I felt lost inside of this memorial.

This memorial was filled with people, but for most of it I felt so alone since I only caught glimpses of people within the grid.

Once the 30 minutes were up, I made my way to the opposite end of the memorial.

Im standing alone, off to the side, by myself.

One of my classmates talks to me for a minute and then so does my professor.

Within moments of my professor talking I burst out crying.

I was so moved by the memorial.

All of the tension, nervousness, fright, and suspense affected me to the point that the only way of releasing them was crying.

As I cried, I managed to blurt out to my professor “This was such a wonderful memorial.”

It absolutely was.

I think what makes this memorial so perfect is the emotions you feel as you walk between the rows and rows of blocks.

There is something so beautiful, powerful, and yet heartbreaking about the memorial.

It made me think of being a mom, and not being able to see my children but hearing them call out for me. No matter how fast I run, I can only catch a glimpse of them.

Some of the paths between two rows of blocks were slanted, so you couldn’t help but occasionally brace yourself against the blocks as you walked through.

Originally I thought that 30 minutes wasn't enough time to get a feel for the memorial, but now that I've experienced it, I wonder what the minimum amount of time would be to fully appreciate it?

This memorial made me feel something.

It made me respond.

It had an immediate affect on me.

That is what a memorial should do.

It shouldn’t only remind a person of something; it should make that person respond to what they experience!

i haven't felt the feeling i felt walking through that memorial on Friday, than any other day in my life.

it scared me.

i want to create architecture like this memorial. 

why is the experiential aspect of something like this, ignored by most students? even my studio professor?

If you’re ever in Berlin, the one thing you MUST see is this memorial.