Architecture contra culture

Holocaust memorial at night.

"First we shape our buildings, then they shape us" - Winston Churchill once said this. It's one of my favorite quotes. Somehow it defines what architecture is. It says that architecture shapes us, our culture and our actions. I like this definition of architecture, not as an object in itself, but rather as the interaction between form and life, as explained here by Jan Gehl. This means that good architecture has to be more than aesthetically pleasing objects. It's basically about culture. Architecture shapes and are shaped by our culture no matter if we want it to or not.

Different environments makes us behave differently. By entering a cathedral you automatically start to talk more quietly, walk slower and maybe think of other things than you use to think about. In some extent all places affects our behavior this way. Our behavior are both affected by the architecture in itself and by the culture of the spaces. For example there is a culture of being calm, silent and thoughtful when you are in a Cathedral. Our culture tell us to behave this way in a cathedral. If you are not introduced to this culture you'll probably behave differently in this space.

Sometimes the architecture and the culture are in conflict with each other. I experienced this when i was in Berlin earlier this year. We were visiting the holocaust memorial, designed by Peter Eisenmann. It is a monument for all millions of jews that were killed by the Nazis. Culturally it probably should not be a playground type of space. But in the same time it really is a perfect space for hide and seek. I felt a conflict of how to behave in this space. Should I be calm, silent and thoughtful like in a Cathedral or should I accept my inner desire to be playful? For me the playfulness took over but I have no personal connection to neither the war or the holocaust. So the holocaust is not much more than a distant part of history for me. But maybe the space is different for people with a stronger connection to this part of history. Maybe the culture of being calm, silent and thoughtful in this space are stronger for them and maybe this culture will overweight their desire to be playful.

I wonder how the culture of this space will change over time, when the connections to the history of the holocaust gradually gets lost. How long can the intended culture of this space survive? And will the culture of a playground take over some day?