The Secret of the Shadow: Light and Shadow in Architecture

by Daniel Libeskind, Roberto Casati, Sverre Fehn

Light and shadow belong together. Yet the increasing number of artificial light sources on earth are resulting in continuously decreasing zones of shadow and darkness. In architecture, the growing use of glass and other translucent layers questions the very significance of shadows. Do they protect against or cause a loss of brightness? Do we even need shadows today at all? The Secret of the Shadow explores these "holes in the light" through perceptual psychology, historical accounts of their use in architectural teaching, and an overview of their role in classical modern architecture. Additionally, 50 "shadow seekers" from around the world, including Pritzker Prize-winning architects Tadao Ando and Sverre Fehn, contributed a work of their own that reveals the importance of shadows in contemporary architectural concepts.

Genres: Architecture, Nonfiction

Paperback

First published July 2, 2002

About the author

Daniel Libeskind is an internationally renowned architect, known for the Jewish Museum in Berlin, the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, and the Dublin Performing Arts Center in Dublin, Ireland. His practice is designing commercial, residential, and cultural buildings around the world. His Master Plan for rebuilding the World Trade Center site in New York City was selected in 2003 and has served as the blueprint for the entire site, including the Freedom Tower, the Memorial, the Museum, and the PATH Terminal.