Daniel Libeskind: religious freedom

(Vatican Radio ) On the 19th of April 2013, a TEDx Conference which focused on religious freedom, sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Culture took place here in the Vatican .
Among the speakers at this conference was world renowned US based architect,artist and set designer, Daniel Libeskind.

In an interview with Veronica Scarisbrick he highlights the importance in today's world of the theme of this conference: "..religious freedom, that ability to be tolerant, that ability to see the world is not just driven by violence and by denigration of the individual but by liberty. What could be more important in our time than this topic..."

The architectural feats of this architect of Polish Jewish descent include the Jewish Museum in Berlin and the Danish Jewish Museum in Copenhagen , Denmark.

Veronica Scarisbrick asks him how his personal history plays into his approach to architecture: "..I think greatly, my parents were both holocaust survivors. I grew up under communism in Poland until we were able to leave. So to me it's not an abstract, it's not a story that I read about and researched in books. It's something that I experienced, I know what genocide means, what totalitarianism means...I don't take liberty for granted as many people do. I think it's something we have to strive for everyday and we have to be conscious of all the forces in the world..."

Asked whether he feels a special responsibility towards humanity, as one of the key players in the world of architecture in terms of building bridges between peoples, Daniel Libeskind replies: "...I think every architect should be a bridge builder between peoples, Architecture is about a social space, it's about creating a space where people can be together. It's the greatest vehicle for communicating the fact that humanity is at one in this world. Of course I think that every piece of architecture has to deal with something positive. As I often said ...architecture always lays foundations for a better future... "

In this interview Daniel Libeskind shares information regarding the competition he won in 2003 to be the master architect for the reconstruction of the World Trade Centre site in Lower Manhattan explaining the idea behind his ongoing project. And also announces an all new project: that of a 'Peace Building and Conflict Resolution Centre' at the Maze Prison in Belfast, Northern Ireland...

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