Would the world be a different place without the achievements of Daniel Libeskind? In pondering the answer, there is no doubt that people around the globe count themselves as his fans and are excited to read about, see, and experience his latest projects. It also must be recognized that his visionary thinking has led to revised or re-examined historical narratives, which are manifested through his architecture.

Tracing his life and the development of his career, the architect himself often provides examples of the ways his commissions transform a stagnant neighborhood into a destination which attracts the establishment of businesses, cultural venues and housing.

Transformation extends to museumgoers, whose view of history and themselves is impacted by a visit to one of Libeskind’s memorials. Through these places, the past is distilled, seen and lived. Often, as in the Berlin Jewish Museum, the future is also addressed, much of the time with some hope that generations will solve the problems which led society to genocide. Libeskind’s architectural vocabulary is easily spotted: skewed and distorted geometry, disorienting narrow passageways, a façade punctuated by jagged tears and fissures express his conception of Jewish history.

A musical phenom—he was an accordion virtuoso as a child—author, philosopher, sculptor, painter and furniture designer, Libeskind did not see any of his buildings completed until he was 52 years old. In his presentations, he delineates the sources, not only for his aesthetic, but also for his ideals and values.

Libeskind was born to working-class Holocaust survivors in Łódź, Poland, then under Soviet control, which was a city that he described as “a place of vacuity, a place without Jews.” Those who remained, like his mother and father, suffered from the constant threat of persecution—the proverbial “knock at the door.” At first emigrating from Poland to Israel, and ultimately settling in New York City, he and his family lived in a two room, subsidized apartment in Amalgamated Housing Cooperative in the Bronx, where, despite crowded conditions and lack of amenities, he acquired his first sense of community.

Over the last several years, Libeskind’s studio has continued to create opulent condominiums, high-end office complexes, cutting-edge mixed-use towers and large-scale urban environments, but his work has now expanded, and taken a new turn: the design of subsidized properties for lower-income older Americans. He makes it clear that it is his own history and perhaps the memory of his hardworking parents, which serve as his inspiration to further what he sees as social justice. According to critics, the two recently opened buildings in New York might transform and elevate notions of affordable housing.

Freeport, New York

Completed in September 2023, Libeskind’s sustainably built five-story Allan and Geraldine Rosenberg Residences’ minimal white exterior and gray metal roof stand out amid the neighborhood landscape. The property includes 45 apartments of varying layouts, which are accessed by corridors whose windows overlook a central landscaped courtyard. This open space will provide a setting for community-wide activities. Designed for aging in place, the Rosenberg Residences building also houses a gym, a computer room, and a health and wellness center.

Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn

In April, the first residents moved into the sustainably built Atrium at Sumner. The building features a bright white façade embellished by a pattern of open and solid geometric forms. A glazed entrance lobby connects the building’s interior to the street and the community at large. Similar to the concept of the Rosenberg Residences, apartment dwellers can open their front doors and step out into the corridor to view and enjoy the second-floor public space.

Of the 190 spacious studio and one-bedroom apartment earmarked for low-income seniors, 57 units are designated for individuals and couples who have experienced homelessness. Building amenities include a 24-hour concierge, free Wi-Fi, laundry rooms, a community room, a gym and library.

These buildings can be viewed as a manifestation of the architect’s own faith and his imperative to repair the world through the creation of community, and enhancement of the quality of life not just for wealthy clients, but for everyone. Libeskind has stated: “In my experience from living in social housing, if you’re proud to be there and you care for your neighbor, it’s a community. And we shouldn’t diminish the beauty of community.”

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Cheryl Kempler is an art and music specialist who works in the B’nai B’rith International Curatorial Office and writes about history and Jewish culture for B’nai B’rith Magazine. To view some of her additional content, click here.