The Design Gesture

Author: Sneha J Uttarkar

Brutalist Buildings: Top 10 Amazing Buildings Based on Brutalist Architecture
Introduction
A number of people have a long-hate relationship with Brutalism. This may originate from the “unfinished“ look of the structures or the fact that it is not as flashy as they’d hoped. In fact, many movies set in a dystopian future have been shot in a brutalist structure or have brutalist elements in the background. Why the hate? Well, turns out it originates from the fact that concrete is a cheap material and that is reflected in its surroundings.
But this never stopped me from appreciating concrete in its absolute raw form. The idea that something so simple can look so elegant and grand once portrayed correctly has always fascinated me. In fact, I love brutalism so much that I based my Architectural Thesis on the topic.
Repetitive Elements as seen at the Welbeck Street car park
Brutalist architecture, sometimes known as New Brutalism, emerged in the 1950s as part of postwar reconstruction efforts in the United Kingdom. Hans Asplund, a Swedish architect, created the term Nybrutalism (New Brutalism) to characterize his contemporary brick residence, Villa Goth in Uppsala.
New Brutalism is more than simply an architectural style; it is also a philosophical approach to architectural design, a desire to build simple, honest, and practical structures that are appropriate for their function, people, and place. It gets its name from its major material, Béton brut (“raw concrete”).
Brutalist constructions are characterized by their massive, monolithic, and ‘blocky’ appearance, as well as their rigidly geometric design and large-scale use of poured concrete and small windows. Minimalist buildings that stress raw building materials and structural components above decorative design define Brutalist architecture.
It closely corresponds to functionalism. Besides concrete, other materials commonly used in Brutalist constructions were brick, glass, steel, and rough-hewn stone.
Philip Openshaw- Shutterstock
Exposed concrete or brick, angular geometric shapes, and a mainly monochromatic color palette are common design features; other materials like steel, wood, and glass are often utilized. With visually heavy edifices with geometric lines, solid concrete frames, exaggerated slabs, double-height ceilings, massive forbidding walls, exposed concrete, and a predominantly monochrome palette, Brutalism structures prioritized function over form and stripped-back minimalism over flashy design.
The modernist work of other architects such as French-Swiss Le Corbusier, Estonian-American Louis Kahn, German-American Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and Finnish Alvar Aalto foreshadowed the style as developed by architects such as the Smithsons, Hungarian-born Ern Goldfinger, and the British firm Chamberlin, Powell & Bon.
Top 10 Brutalist structures in the world
Trellick Tower, London, England
Trellick Tower
Year of Construction: 1972
Architect: Ernő Goldfinger
Location: Kensal Green, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London
Ideology
The stunning residential flats in the Trellick Tower, London, is a Grade II listed tower square on the Cheltenham Estate in Kensal Green, London. The building uses brutalism as the style of focus. The architect Ernő Goldfinger designed this structure with his earlier project, Balfron Tower at its base. This social accommodation tower sadly became the epicenter for Illegal activities such as misdemeanor, piracy, drug exploitation, and prostitution. Later on, things improved after 1980 following the substantiation of a residents’ association that laid down certain rules and regulations for increased safety of the residents.
The fundamental characteristics of brutalism suggest exposed services that are well documented in this building. The parallel thin profile of a structure consists of a lift service that is linked to every third story with access to the corridors in the main building. Despite the tower’s public opinion, it is a pop-culture reference as it appeared on t-shirts and songs.
The Palace of Assembly, Capitol Complex, Chandigarh
Palace of Assembly, Chandigarh
Year of Construction: 1962
Architect: Le Corbusier
Location: Chandigarh, India
Ideology
Designed by the modernist architect Le Corbusier, the palace of assembly is a legislative assembly building situated in the city that he designed, Chandigarh. The palace of assembly is a portion of the capital complex, which also includes other structures such as the legislative assembly, secretariat, and the Chandigarh high court.
The structure’s unique features comprise a circular assembly chamber and stair-free circulation. Interior planning boasts the idea of architecture in circulation. The palace is designed to encourage the movement of people and their ideas. The structure feels expansive and the usage of ramps to replace stairs provides fluidity among levels. In 2016, the structure was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Today, most of the structures in Chandigarh are in a state of neglect. To raise awareness against the preciousness of the structures’ auction was conducted in London where the chairs what to be auctioneered.
Robin Hood Gardens, Peter and Alison Smithson, 1972
Demolished Robin hood gardens
Year of Construction: 1972
Architect: Alison and Peter Smithson
Location: Poplar, Tower Hamlets, London, England
Ideology
This residential estate in London was designed by Alison and Peter Smithson in the late 1960s. The design features expansive walkways that were nicknamed ‘streets in the sky.’ Social housing was inspired from Le Corbusier Unité d’Habitation. The initial housing design featured two blocks of 10 (east) and 7 (west) storeys each. In 2012, a wider local regeneration project, Blackwall reach demolished the Robin Hood Gardens.
Their design philosophy involves placing rectilinear grids on residents’ pathways instead of as following modernist buildings. Thus, inspiring the idea for the aerial walkways. It comprises two long curved blocks are facing each other over a primary green space. The estate covers 1.5 hectares of land. The flats range from single-storey apartments to two-storey maisonettes and also feature 2 to 6 bedrooms.
Unité d’Habitation – Citè Radieuse, Marseilles, France
Unité d’Habitation, Le Corbusier, Marseilles, France
Year of Construction: 1952
Architect: Le Corbusier
Location: Marseilles, France
Ideology
This residential housing structure by Le Corbusier is designed with the collaboration of painter-architect Nadir Afonso in the 1950s. In 1920 he started to design apartments that were considered modernist and contemporary residential design in Europe. This structure is placed in Le Corbusier’s designed city La Cité Radieuse. This structure is one of his most famous works and has been proved to be influential in the inspiration for Brutalist architectural style and philosophy all over the world.
The building is made of béton brut (rough-cast concrete) since a steel frame would have been too expensive owing to the post-war steel shortage. The Unité in Marseille, as well as numerous other works by Le Corbusier, were awarded UNESCO World Heritage Sites in July 2016. The French Ministry of Culture has also listed it as a historic monument. On February 9, 2012, it was ravaged by fire.
Habitat 67, Montreal, Canada
Habitat 67, Montreal, Canada
Year of Construction: 1967
Architect: Moshe Safdie
Location: Montreal, Canada
Ideology
The design for Habitat 67 began as a thesis project for Moshe Safdie’s Masters’ architecture program at McGill University. This community housing complex in Montreal, Quebec, Canada was built in 1967 and is one of the most recognizable buildings in both Montreal and Canada. The design consists of 354 identical prefabricated concrete forms that are arranged in various permutations and combinations reaching 12 storeys in height. These combinations produce 146 residences of various extents and configurations. Each unit is connected to at least one private terrace which ranges anywhere from 20 to 90 square meters in size. In 2012, Habitat 67 won the Lego architecture poll for resembling the popular Lego set.
Boston City Hall, Boston, USA
Boston City Hall
Year of Construction: 1968
Architect: Kallmann McKinnell & Knowles and Campbell
Location: 1 City Hall Square, Boston, Massachusetts
Ideology
Consisting of the officers of the mayor of Boston and the Boston City Council, the Boston City Hall was built in 1968. The brutalist structure is controversial because many people are displeased by the appearance of the structure. The structure is surrounded by a Plaza and together it is a part of the government center complex. The top-heavy massing and presence of tiny fenestrations in the facade make it remarkably brutalist. At a period when monumentality was commonly seen to be a suitable feature for governmental architecture, the architects aimed to build a dramatic statement of modern civic democracy inside the ancient city of Boston.
It is considered an excellent work by architects and critics and is one of the top ten proudest achievements of American architecture.
Mill Owners Association Building
ATMA House 187
Year of Construction: 1954
Architect: Le Corbusier
Location: Ahmedabad, India
Ideology
Invited to Ahmedabad by mayor Chinubhai Chimanbhai, Surottam Hutheesing, the then president of Ahmedabad Mill Owners’ Association, commissioned Corbusier to build the new headquarters for their association. In a textile center in India, the Mill Owner’s Association was built as the organization’s headquarters. The key feature of the structure, which Le Corbusier developed when he began working in warmer areas. The building has a ceremonial ramp in the front that extends from the entry to the first floor wherein the executive office and board room are located. The ground floor comprises working spaces for the clerks along with a single-story canteen at the rear end of the building.
The third floor has a high ceiling auditorium with a curved enclosing wall. The eastern and western facade flaunts a sun breaker design which is Corbusier’s invention to prevent harsh sun intake and control air movement. It is planted to shelter the inside from the heat of the sun and comprises an outside concrete lattice formed of angled planes. The construction was completed in 1954.
Geisel Library, San Diego, USA
Geisel Library, San Diego, USA
Year of Construction: 1970
Architect: William L. Pereira & Associates
Location: University of California, San Diego
Ideology
This library building, situated at the University of California, San Diego is constructed in a brutalist/futuristic architectural style. Being one of the most recognizable buildings on campus and as a brutalist structure, the library was designed by William Pereira and Associates. Sitting at the head of a canyon, the library features a combination of stacking of floors to resemble a stack of books. To save on construction costs, the originally conceived steel frame building was changed to reinforced concrete.
This change led to more structural design as the interior spaces were exposed. The unique feature of this structure is the snake path leading to the library from the east side, which is symbolically connected to Warren Mall by the Stuart Collection work Snake Path. The lower levels of the library are named 1 and 2 and the upper levels are named 4 to 8, leaving the third floor out. Speculations point to the purposeful elimination of the number, perhaps a common urban legend, but in reality, the third floor is an open outside forum.
Saint-Pierre Church, Firminy, France
Saint-Pierre Church, Firminy, France
Year of Construction: 1973-2006
Architect: Le Corbusier, José Oubrerie
Location: Firminy, Loire, France
Ideology
Saint-Pierre, a concrete structure in the commune of Firminy, France, was Le Corbusier’s final significant construction. It began in 1973 and was finished in 2006, 41 years after his death. The construction was stalled from 1975 to 2003 because of local political conflicts. The structure was finished by the French architect José Oubrerie, who had been Le Corbusier’s pupil for many years. Although a church, the structure has also been used as a secondary school and as a shelter.
The church currently serves as a cultural venue. In Vanity Fair magazine’s World Architecture Survey of 2010, the building was voted second in the rankings of the top structures erected in the twenty-first century, garnering four votes. In his reaction, American deconstructionist architect Peter Eisenman claimed that this skyscraper is the most important structure erected since 1980.
Villa Göth, Edman and Holm, 1950
Villa Göth, Edman and Holm
Year of Construction: 1950
Architect: Bengt Edman and Lennart Holm
Location: Uppsala, Sweden
Ideology
A humble house on the street of Döbelnsgatan in the Kåbo neighbourhood is believed to be the first brutalist structure to come into existence. The house is listed to have a special architectural interest in Sweden. The home has two floors along with the basement which is constructed entirely out of dark brick. The fenestrations give slight horizontality to the structure. One of the most important elements of brutalist buildings is the visibility of structure that is present here in visible I-beam over the window sections.
As is the choice of material that is clearly displayed. The roof is constructed as a flat gable roof. The interior floor plan features an open floor plan with the materials continuing within. The washrooms are on the first floor and are formed of raw concrete (béton brut). An open stair at the center of the home connects all the floors together.
New brutalism is not only an architectural style; it is also an architectural strategy, a desire to construct plain, honest, and utilitarian structures by, for example, not allowing them to evoke connections or feelings. The rigid, modernistic design language of brutalism is thought to be a reaction against the architecture of the 1940s, much of which was marked by a retroactive nostalgia.
October 29, 2024
Architectural Photography: The Ultimate Guide to Excellent Architectural Photography
What Is The Best Way to Explain Architecture Photography?
Architectural photography is a sub-discipline of photography that focuses on capturing photos of buildings and other architectural structures that are both visually beautiful and accurate in terms of depictions of their topic. Architecture photography is not as dynamic as other types of photography. Architectural photographers are usually well-versed in the usage of specific techniques and devices for capturing such imagery.
Generali Tower, Milan, Italy by Zaha Hadid Photographer: Marco Tagliarino
Architectural photographers are professionals who photograph buildings and other constructed structures. Their images are frequently used for commercial objectives, such as for the developer to distribute online, in brochures, or for the project team’s portfolios. Since the invention of photography, one of the most popular topics has been architecture.
The earliest surviving photograph is Nicéphore Niépce’s ‘View from the Window at Le Gras,’ which was taken in 1826 or 1827 and shows building rooftops. In architecture photography, you must pay close attention to composition rules. A structure may appear stunning in person, but if you don’t know how to photograph it properly, it will appear mediocre in photographs.
Photo enthusiast capturing a building’s beauty and magnanimity
Buildings were especially well-suited to early photography processes, which needed lengthy exposure times and stationary objects.
The early architectural pictures, on the other hand, were mostly shot as record images with no artistic effort. At the turn of the century, photographers like Frederick Evans began to create more sophisticated, stylized photographs, portraying the particular character of their constructed objects.
Paris Boulevard du Temple (1839). Photo by Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre
Architecture photography gradually got increasingly creative over the twentieth century, becoming a component of the period’s stylistic reporting and appearing in art, architectural, and lifestyle publications, as well as photographic and architectural books. William Henry Fox Talbot photographed architecture, including a Latticed window in Lacock Abbey in 1835. With often dramatic photos showcasing attractive structures, typically filmed from odd angles, it became a significant way to present the latest ideas in style, architecture, and technology.
Architectural structures, such as buildings, have been prized photographic subjects throughout the history of photography, reflecting society’s admiration for architecture and its cultural significance. Architectural photography established itself as a visual medium in the 1860s.
Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris (1841). Photo by Joseph Philibert Girault de Prangey
Architectural Photography has been monumental in recording the evolution of architecture in different countries and through different time periods.
What characteristics distinguish an excellent architectural photograph?
Some of the greatest architectural pictures contain blurred humans with the structure itself in focus, generally made using long exposure and giving depth and intrigue to the final product while reducing any distraction from the building.
Architectural photography evolved over time in the same way that building designs altered and blended with conventional forms. Architects began engaging more photographers for commissioned work in the early 1950s, resulting in architectural photography being recognised as more of an art form than it had previously been.
Architectural photography grew increasingly creative in the early to mid-twentieth century, as photographers experimented with new methods such as using diagonal lines and dramatic shadows in their compositions.
Types of Architectural Photography
Architectural photography is a type of photography that focuses on photographing structures or buildings. As a result, it also entails documenting the interiors and exteriors of constructions, bridges, and cityscapes.
Architecture Photography can be broadly categorized into exterior and Interior Architecture Photography.
Exterior vs Interior Architecture Photography
Exterior architecture photography can make use of natural or ambient light, but interior photography frequently necessitates the use of supplemental lighting, such as electronic flash strobes or incandescent ‘hot lights.’ This may take longer to set up, but it is ultimately more controlled than outside lighting, where shadows shift, people and cars pass by, and so on.
One may say, Interior Architecture Photography is tougher than exterior Architecture Photography for the same reasons mentioned above, and they are not wrong.
Duomo guarding Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, Italy
The outside framework of a building is captured via exterior architecture photography. The exteriors of a building are very straightforward to shoot since they receive a lot of natural light. The current weather conditions have an impact on this sort of photography, which might result in a dynamic image.
Simply said, this is the process of shooting the outside of buildings. This is the most common style of architectural photography, owing to the fact that it does not need entering a structure.
Exterior Architecture Photography
In all but the darkest settings, exterior architecture photography takes use of available light during the day, or employs ambient light from nearby street lights, landscape lighting, external building lights, moonlight, and even twilight present in the sky at night. Landscape around a structure is often crucial to the overall composition of a shot, and even necessary to express the building’s aesthetic harmony with its surroundings.
Ambient light from windows and skylights, as well as interior lighting equipment, may be used to photograph interior architectural spaces. Architectural photographers, on the other hand, frequently employ auxiliary lighting to increase the lighting within a structure.
The interiors of a structure are captured via interior architecture photography. Because there is little light available within the confines of a structure, this type of photography can be difficult. As a result, extra illumination is necessary to adequately portray the interiors.
Interior Architecture Photography
What Makes a Great Photograph?
Weather or Climate
Weather plays an integral role when it comes to Exterior Architecture Photograph. Enough sunlight intake into the lens is an assured, beautiful click. You may want to pick the correct time of the day or pick the correct time of the year for your travel to get that perfect shot.
Time of the day
The time of the day is a variable many people can depend on. I’ve personally seen photographers pitch a tent near their desired Photography spot in hopes of a better factor or lighting for a photograph.
Lighting
Propably one of the most crucial factors in capturing a good Architecture Photograph, be it exterior or interior, is lighting. It can make or break a photo. It also sets the tone for how the photographer views or rather envisions the site.
Following the natural silhouette
It is very important for a photographer to follow the lines that are repetitive in the structure. What I mean by this is you wouldn’t want to photograph a structure that has parallel lines in 45degrees.
Human inclusion
Many photographers shy away from including human anatomy into their photographs in the worry of it taking the attention away from the structure. I argue that the inclusion of human subjects brings character to the space. Many photographers have included blurred, hazy human silhouettes in their photographs to add that ump in a still.
Focus on a particular peculiar feature
Focusing on a certain peculiar feature will set you apart from many other photographers who have stood before you. It also brings light to the structure in which it was not viewed as before.
(Last but not the least) Don’t shy away from post processing tools
The current trend of #nofilter has taken social media by a storm. However, a little bit of post photography processing enhances the photo double-fold. It also sometimes helps you view a discarded photograph in a new light.
https://www.archdaily.com/804685/10-tips-to-perfect-your-architectural-photography
https://www.format.com/magazine/resources/photography/architecture-photography
https://www.creativelive.com/blog/8-architecture-photography-tips-to-master-the-art-of-photographing-structures/
Career Roadmap to Become a Successful Architectural Photographer

Architectural photographers have a diverse set of talents and expertise, as well as a college diploma in many cases.
Learn to Operate Camera Equipment
Those interested in a career in architectural photography must be able to operate camera equipment, particularly digital camera equipment. Even if a student intends to pursue a formal education in the profession, he or she must be able to use a camera effectively before enrolling. Take beginner photography classes by established phtographers. Architectural photographers can practise shooting images of buildings and other structures in their towns to improve fundamental photography abilities.
Earn yourself a Bachelor’s Degree
A Bachelor’s Degree is a great way to start your career. While a four-year degree in photography is not necessary to enter the sector, the BLS notes that companies may prefer individuals who have one. Composition components, shooting methods, and darkroom operations are all included in a bachelor’s degree programme. Studio lighting, photojournalism, digital imaging, and photography history are all possible courses. Students may also opt to pursue a minor in architecture or take architecture-related courses.
Internships are a great way to learn new skills
Before graduating, several bachelor’s degree programmes require students to do an internship. Internships with professional photographers or professional photographic organisations may be beneficial to aspiring architecture photographers. Students and recent graduates of a four-year degree programme can apply for mentorship and internships through the Young Photographers Alliance.
Create a Portfolio
To start a career as an architectural photographer, an artist must have a portfolio of their greatest images. Architectural photographers should start establishing their portfolios while still in school and keep them updated throughout their careers. Published images, as well as outstanding works from college and an internship programme, should be included in a portfolio. Having an internet portfolio allows a photographer’s work to be seen by a larger audience.
Become a member of a professional organisation
Beginning and expert photographers both can benefit from professional photographic groups’ clients and work prospects. A photographer must join one of these organisations to benefit from their services, which includes an annual fee and a review by the membership board.
Work as a Photographer’s Assistant to gain experience
Working as an assistant to a photographer might help aspiring architectural photographers obtain professional experience. An assistant may be responsible for mundane activities, such as discovering business prospects for the employer, in addition to developing technical and business skills. Look for assistant roles on job boards and through local photographers.
Maintain your education. Architectural photographers can benefit from continuing education options throughout their careers, even if it is not mandated. Continuing education may assist architectural photographers to keep up to date on commercial photography legislation as well as industry-changing technologies.
Although many businesses prefer individuals with a bachelor’s degree in photography, architectural photographers rely on their innate creative aptitude and expertise in handling camera equipment. Membership in professional organisations that provide photographer finding services, as well as a portfolio and associated expertise as a photographer’s assistant, can increase work opportunities and career progression.
Extraordinaire Photographers (Architectural Photographers to Follow)
Architectural photographers are professionals who photograph buildings and other constructed structures. Architectural photographers might be skilled photographers who have specialized in architecture throughout the course of their careers, or they could have a background in architecture or a similar field. Their images are frequently used for commercial objectives, such as for the developer to distribute online or in brochures, or for the project team’s portfolios. Because potential buyers and customers are often lured to homes by their appearance, it’s critical to have appealing images accessible, and the appropriate photographs may be quite useful to those who hire them.
When commissioning architectural photography, there are a few things to keep in mind. Photographers have a variety of techniques and ideologies, so it’s crucial to do your homework before committing to one. It’s also crucial to spell out the commission’s purpose in writing to avoid any misunderstandings or disagreements about what’s expected and what usage rights are allowed.
It’s critical to figure out whether the customer wants photographs for archival purposes, for sales, or for the photographer’s artistic flair.
The photographer may opt to show some of the building’s surroundings, as well as unusual angles and views. Controlled viewpoints with a focus on non-converging and parallel vertical lines are frequently employed.
Here are a list of world renowned Architecture Photgraphers who revolutionzed the field with their work. Their work has laid important paths that many Architecture Photgraphers follow today.
Eugène Atget
Eugène Atget
“Documents pour artistes”
James Austin
James Austin By Pauline Austin
Jeckyll Lodge 04
Jack Boucher
Jack Boucher
Racquet-club by Jack Boucher
Frederick H. Evans
By Gertrude Käsebier –Public Domain
June 24, 1943, London, United Kingdom
Lucien Hervé
Lucien Hervé with Le Corbusier
Lucien Hervé Brutalist Photograph
Eric de Maré
Eric de Maré- Self Portrait
Mersey Docks and Harbour Board, Number 3 bridge, Liverpool
Lucia Moholy
Lucia Moholy- Self-Portrait
Photograph of a Study in Balance, from László Moholy-Nagy’s Preliminary Course
Wolfgang Sievers
By Romy Sai Zunde – Self-photographed
Wolfgang Sievers: A Life
Ezra Stoller
Ezra Stoller
Ezra Stoller
1. Tekla Evelina Severin
Architectural Photographer Tekla Evelina Severin
Tekla Evelina Severin
October 29, 2024
Modernist Architecture: Captivating Innovation in Designing for 21st Century
Origin Or Birth
With the boom of industrialization, modernist architecture style also started becoming predominant. New inventions in construction technology with their varied use of glass, steel, and reinforced concrete in their construction, inspired many architects of that time to use them in their modern house design. This gave way to the infamous idea of “Form follows function” which was pro Minimalism and against ornamentation. It was first formed in the first part of the 20th century and prevailed until the 1980s following the Second World War, where the new brutalist movement arrived as an opposition to the bourgeois capitalists, demanding equality, through architecture.
However, Modernist Architecture came into the picture at the end of the 19th century following the technological and engineering revolutions to create more functional spaces.
What Constitutes As Modernist and how to catch one in the wild?
Although there are many ways in which one can recognize or identify a Modernist piece of Architecture, the below points help:
- Lines that are clean without embellishment
Clean lines emphasized
- Low, horizontal massing with horizontal planes and wide ceilings (roof overhangs)
Functional Design
- Generous use of glass for open, running floor layouts with natural light
Blurring the line between the out and the in
- Emphasis on rectangular, well-defined outlines
Artery Residence by Hufft, Kansas, U.S.
- Use of modern materials and systems such as columns of steel, exposed cement blocks, floors of stained-glued concrete, free column and heat systems
Circular Support Systems
- Innovative use in the simplified style of classic materials like wood, brick, and stone that demonstrate its natural properties and is installed in huge and smooth planes
Modern usage of wood
- A deliberate connection between the site and the internal building is planned to complement the natural nature surrounding the site best.
The connection between the site and the building
And to sum it up:
Spotting Modernism
Examples of Modernist Houses with Architects that Defined Modernist Architecture
Watch these legendary Modernist Architects lead by example with their avant-garde designs to revolutionize residential design.
F.L.Wright- Falling Water
Designed by F.L. Wright in 1939, one of the pioneers in modernist architecture, Falling Water located in southwest Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands is a 90 minutes drive from Downtown Pittsburgh. Listed among Smithsonian’s “Life List of 28 Places To See Before You Die” Wright’s masterpiece is built over Bear run, a waterfall, as a weekend home for Liliane and Edgar J. Kaufmann.
The house features beautifully integrated buildings and elements with site context, an important feature of Modernist buildings. Wright’s strong passion for Japanese architecture reflects in the house’s design and the ratio of the exterior to interior connection. The clean and defined lines across the facade indicate the flow of spaces. The project also sees a lot of integration with the setting extended with frameless windows to project continuity.
Fallingwater miniature model at MRRV, Carnegie Science Center
Raj Rewal- Sheikh Sarai Housing
The low rise, high-density scheme consisting of a complex of 550 units in South Delhi, The Sheikh Sarai Housing, diversifies into different units with an axial pedestrian network. The architect has based his designs on a clear pattern: connecting movement to space, from person to neighborhood, and pedestrian to vehicular.
The modern style architecture is designed based on a self-financing scheme for the Delhi Development Authority. It separates the movement of pedestrians and vehicles and allows interconnected squares of different scales for community activities. All units have very good proportions and links to all buildings with courtyards or rooftop patios. The use of clean lines and geometrical facades makes this project an avant-garde modernist structure in India.
Sheikh Sarai Housing
Charles Correa- Ramakrishna House
Owned by one of the Ahmedabad Mill owners, the residence was built by Charles Correa based on the spatial and climatic concepts developed in the tube house. The modern house design is situated towards the northern end of the building to maximize the size of the garden and improve the spatial sequence. The concept creates several parallel walls, marked by courts and canons, that culminate in the living room opening into the major gardens south.
Argued by some to be a modernist brutal building, the residence is beyond anybody’s imagination, truly a modern style of architecture.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, courtesy of Peter Serenyi
John Lautner- Sheats-Goldstein Residence
Originally built for Helen and Paul Sheats, the Sheats-Goldstein residence is located in the Beverly Crest, Los Angeles of sunny California. The American architect John Lautner examples a classic organic architecture in the futuristic home. The house was built with sandstone in a cave-like format. The house features poured in concrete, steel, and wood usage. The majority of the rooms feature an open space blurring the line between the interior and exterior. Lautner has also installed a rarely seen feature of thousands of L.E.D. lights installed in the skyscape that floods the room every evening for sky and light show. Truly a masterpiece of modern house design.
The Sheats-Goldstein Residence
Ray & Charles Eames- Eames House
The proposal for a modern style of architecture was first appealed by the arts and architecture magazine which in 1945 started a competition with its “Case study house project” to imagine an abode suitable for the post-world war lifestyle. Many architects submitted their proposals. Then known as the Bridge House and published under Case study House #8. Then stepped in Ray and Charles Eames who wanted to design a space that allowed two people to live and work together.
The joint venture of the two has made this project more personal and content. The juxtapositioned use of glass with wood, the rectangular open and simple floor plan, the unadorned straight traveling lines, all the while retaining the furniture of the time, speaks of the ambitiousness of the couple via the space.
Modern House Design: Eames House
Richard Neutra- Kaufmann Desert House, Palm Springs, Calif
Richard Neutra was at the forefront in the game of Modern Residential Architecture. The residence in Palm Springs, California is one of his several iconic residential projects that was owned by the Kauffmann’s (same as the one who owns Falling Water). The Architect employs a lot of standard modernist and international style materials with wide use of glass, steel, and various stones in and around the house. The simplistic design reflects one of the fundamental principles of modernist architecture.
Kaufmann Desert House
Rudolph Schindler- Lovell Beach House, Newport Beach
Completed in 1926 the Lovell Beach House in Newport Beach is another masterpiece of modernist architecture by Rudolph Schindler and is recognized as one of his most important projects. The client for the project was very inspired by a healthy living lifestyle and wanted the house to meet his needs. Accordingly, the arrangement of living quarters on the north of the house maximizes the intake of fresh air. The straight lines and the extensive use of glass makes this structure stand out in its surroundings. Facing the beach, the interior spaces are exposed to the natural aesthetic.
Lovell Beach House
October 29, 2024
Architectural Writing: Everything About Effective Architectural Journalism
What is Architectural Writing?
Architectural journalism is a kind of journalism that focuses on architecture or design. Simply described, architectural journalism is independent writing and criticism in the domains of architecture, design, and urbanism. Architectural Journalism is followed by many architects and designers that have a writing style. Architectural journalism aids in the comprehension of design principles so that one may easily construct their own design thoughts while maintaining an aesthetic sense.
Multiple facets of Architectural Writing/Journalism
In today’s world, where people are driven by the material they consume and are reliant on the internet for products and services, harnessing the power of digital and print media to connect and interact with them is critical, especially in architecture and design. There are a variety of ways or outlets to connect with others, but writing is perhaps one of the most important. Using the correct phrases to attract people’s attention may be a game-changer, especially now that people’s attention spans are getting shorter and shorter.
Design Writing differs from Architectural Journalism in that it can be commercial, whereas Architectural Journalism is independent and community-oriented.
Architectural Digest, Architectural Records, A+D, and other design magazines that cover buildings, space planning, and other topics fall under this category. They get an advantage by criticizing or discussing an architectural work or design concept. Architectural journalism aids in the comprehension of design principles so that one may easily construct their own design thoughts while maintaining an aesthetic sense. It covers up-and-coming trends in the business and professional architects, as well as admiring and criticizing architectural works.
Architectural writing is a vital talent for architects and professionals who want to work in architecture journalism. This sort of writing requires deciphering abstract or difficult architectural principles and presenting them in a straightforward, intelligible manner.
De architectura by Marcus Vitruvius Pollio
De architectura by Marcus Vitruvius Pollio is the earliest book on architecture, and it is a group of ten books that teach every aspect of the building, including materials and methods of construction in ancient architecture, as well as Greek architects. It is an essential book since it discusses several forms of Roman technology, such as aqueducts and mills, dewatering machines, and a force pump.
Architectural journalism is gaining a lot more traction compared to being a traditional architect all around the world. This is because, besides designing, describing the same is extremely important in creating a brand.
What exactly is the purpose of architectural writing?
The ability to write is important for a variety of reasons: it facilitates effective communication; it encourages the exploration and expression of ideas; it promotes critical evaluation of previous architectures and precedents, and it aids in the development of the mental skills required for creative thinking.
Futnani Chambers, Kolkata
This facet of architectural journalism is the realization of buildings, their structures, and their expression via the power of words. It is a profession that expresses many architectural marvels through comprehending their purpose, principles, and service. And this may be accomplished through technical and logical ability, as well as a linguistic style based on a thorough understanding of the technological, architectural track that the writer should have taken. It is a profession that puts the architect’s personality and nature to light, as well as his architectural piece’s functioning and design characteristics, for the benefit of the public.
As a general rule, all architectural journalism is design writing, but not all design writing and communications are architectural journalism.
Architectural Journalism is the community’s way of holding itself accountable, besides understanding how architecture fits into the ethos. Unfortunately, the sector is still completely unknown, particularly in India; this provides us, the current generation of designers, the best chance to shape the profession for decades to come.
Design writing is an essential ability that every architect needs to some extent.
Pioneers at the frontier of the field
What distinguishes an Architectural Journalist piece is people who are enthusiastic about writing about it. With the surge of various students each year, each kid has their own tale to tell. Each of them, besides having a personal perspective, is a part of a collective effort that falls under the umbrella of architecture.
Different types of Architectural Writing?
Typical six genres of architectural writing – i.e., typical methods in which architects and critics convey ideas about buildings – are identified as observation, analysis, reflection, critique, manifestos, and storytelling.
Observation
This genre mainly deals with the details that are observed by the onlooker. These may include main architectural elements, forms, colors, and features that may catch their eye. The spectator/critic may also express his observations as emotions. They may express the initial understanding their bodies felt while in the space. These seem to have a very strong and lasting impact on the observer/reader.
Analysis
Analysis part of an architectural journalist piece comprises a close examination of a certain architectural structure or structure of importance conducted by the observer. It may investigate upon the findings of the structure and their point of view may be brought forward. Some of the analysis part of Architectural Writing is subjective and opinions vary from person to person.
Reflection
This part of Architectural Writing investigates upon the tangible part of a 3d space. What the author felt, experienced, sensed, etc. are the topics of discussion under this category.
Critique
This is probably the most important part of Architectural Writing or journalism. It categories the structure into the viability of the manufactured designs. It directly challenges the architect or designer’s capacities, aptitude and dexterities.
Storytelling
Storytelling is probably the most enjoyable part of Architectural Writing. It comprises conveying to the reader, in a very hands on manner, the structure and its tangible elements. An excellent piece of Architectural Writing written in this style should directly transport the reader to the structure’s womb and at the heart of the visitors’ experience.
How to efficiently write about architecture?
- Make a captivating scenario.
- Put provocative questions in the mix.
- Facts and information should be included.
- Use a quote.
- Use metaphors and similes in your writing.
- Your personal opinions should be expressed.
- Make advantage of images that come to you naturally.
- Be clever.
Architectural journalism may be divided into several subcategories, including design interpretation, perceptional thinking, creative writing, paper writing, photography documentation, investigation, preliminary research, and eventually, a research paper.
Career growth and development
Although the impact of this profession is great in India, it is receiving less exposure among students and in the institution itself. Although India has over 450 architectural institutes, only a few of them offer Architectural Journalism as an interdisciplinary subject. Some of those academies are CCA, CEPT, NIT-H, SPA Delhi, KRVIA, Rachana Sansad, PVPCOA Pune, and McGAN’S Ooty School of Architecture, etc.
As a result, we recognize that raising awareness about this new emergent discipline is critical and that much more work is needed to achieve this goal, especially given the growing number of Architectural Colleges in India in recent years.
Career growth and development in Architectural Writing/Journalism
It’s disheartening to learn that a good deal of architecture institutions have yet to incorporate these sorts of courses into their curriculum. If our architectural institutions include such courses as a cornerstone of the curriculum or at the very least as an elective, it will undoubtedly give a lot of opportunities for architecture students in the future.
Working in a subject like Architectural Journalism allows you to combine your technical understanding of architecture from a degree with your love of writing, making it a far cry from practising architecture.
This is a platform where anybody with a secret gift for writing may showcase it in front of the public, and most architects are boosting the worth of life by improving the urban layout, architecture, and landscape design, as well as via writing. It also has several advantages and benefits over traditional architectural practise, which is recognised to be a difficult and demanding career. Articles, editorials, and personal opinions may all be motivating in magazines. Individual thought participation in a certain issue or structure may be achieved via journalism in a variety of ways.
Here is a short list of the potential career opportunities should you select this field as your career option:
1. Content writer
2. Editor/ Editor in chief
3. Social media handler
4. Journalist/blogger
5. P.R. Official
6. Writer for blogs and website
7. Magazine article editor
8. Webpage manager
9. Communications head
The International Committee of Architectural Critiques has no Indian members. Critics, theorists, and historians from all around the world are invited to take part. C.I.C.A. and its members consider themselves as working with professional architects to improve architecture and cities. Architectural journalism is more of a pastime for architects than a real career choice, hence there are fewer architects or architecture students who choose it as a serious career option. It elucidates a wide variety of ideas or concepts and provides readers with the opportunity to consider them.
The major role of architectural journalists is to assist architects in not only comprehending their own projects, but also in making critical decisions about them. While each project contains a variety of individual thoughts and perspectives, how architectural journalists explain their perspective on that project is a kind of best explanation. He has a deeper understanding of things and can transmit technical information through his writing and thinking.
Although this profession is steadily gaining popularity in India, many architecture schools do not provide such degrees. Including such courses in the core curriculum, even as optional, would provide architecture students with a lot of opportunities.
Courses and workplaces
Many schools and universities throughout the world offer these types of courses. You may enroll in a diploma or certification degree in architectural journalism at colleges such as McGill University’s School of Architecture in Canada, Goldring’s Arts Journalism program at Syracuse University in New York, and a few others in the United States United Kingdom.
Courses and workplaces in Architectural Writing/Journalism
In this profession, India is clearly a step behind. Only a few experts have made a career out of architectural journalism and have been acknowledged for their efforts. People like Apurva Bose Dutta, a Bangalore-based architectural journalist who has written many articles for publications such as A+D magazine, Livingetc, Times of India, Architect & Interiors India, and whose work has been recognized and awarded for Creative Excellence in Architectural Journalism, Oct 2010, A3F award in Architectural Journalism for the year 2009–2010, and others, have stood out and are role models for many aspiring architectural journalists.
Taking part in online internships at architectural and design websites such as Arch2O, De-zeen Magazine, Arch Daily, and others can help you learn more about the subject as an architecture student. Following graduation, full-time summer internships/training in major Indian architectural publications like Architectural Digest, Architecture Update, A+D, W.F.M., I.A.&B., and others are other alternatives. We’d be surprised, if not outraged, to hear that the International Committee of Architectural Critiques is devoid of any Indians.
The Richard Solomon Award for Architectural Journalism, the International Building Press National Journalism Awards, the President’s Award in Architectural Journalism (by the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada), and the Haskell Awards for Student Architectural Journalism have all been given to architectural journalism.
If one recognizes the sensitivity of the issue and leads oneself to the latter portion, one will have the maturity to begin architectural intervention analysis, documentation, investigation, study, and research. In India, one can join architectural research groups such as C.S.I.R., C.B.R.I., Research Cell at The C.C.A., C.E.P.T., and building centers such as L.B.C., Trivandrum, and Anangpur Building Center, Faridabad.
October 29, 2024
Architecture in Movies: 21 Interesting Must-watch for Architects
Introduction
How many times have you seen the protagonist’s home and wished that you would own it? Watched by millions around the world and a significant part of human culture, movies are the ignition point of a young mind’s journey towards their possible future career. From the ultra-modern houses of the future to the creepy crawlers in horror, Architecture in movies sets the tone and backstory to the entire plot of the film. Utopia is depicted with avant-garde postmodernist buildings guaranteed by the capitalist supremacy of the postindustrial era whereas dystopia is depicted with raw brutalist structures.
So, to understand what we actually mean, take a look at the below list of movies in which Architecture is used significantly to portray a myriad of emotions.
Architecture in Movies of Different Genres
Sci-Fi
HER
Written and directed by producer Spike Jonze, HER is a 2013 American Romantic Sci-Fi which follows Theodore, who develops a romantic relationship with an AI, Samantha. The English film’s plot follows the protagonist being sad and lonely with his impending divorce looming overhead. Subsequently, his space around him reflects his mindset, with an Architectural lack of interest. Yet, the movie is on this list, because you see, the film’s very cleverly designed portrayal sets the tone for the character, his home, and by extension the time when this takes place. Truly, a Masterpiece!
Warner Bros.
Blade Runner 2049
In architecture, no matter what year is meant to be portrayed, Brutalism is always used as a key element to depict dystopia. Cleverly used in the movie, the plot revolves about a Blade Runner who uncovers a secret that threatens to destabilize society and the course of human civilization, setting a mark for being one of the sci-fi’s best movies. Set in L.A., Brutalism is used as a key element to depict how the director envisions the future, devoid of beauty and cold. Ouch.
Black Panther
Black Panther, a marvel movie, follows the nation of Wakanda established 1000 years ago, which camouflaged itself as a third-world country. The architecture in the movies takes inspiration from Zaha Hadid’s projects and physically manifests elements of African culture which is represented in its architecture, from the Vernacular choice of materials to the modern blend of curves, this movie is a must-watch for Architects and design enthusiasts alike.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/Everett Collection
Inception
The Infamous, Inception is a notoriously ambitious movie that will have you itching to know the truth. The sci-fi best movies revolve around Leonardo DiCaprio, a professional subconscious thief teaming up with a brilliant Architecture student, Ariadne, who helps create complex mazes in the subconscious realm. Featuring an architectural optical illusion, Penrose staircase to the Parisian buildings folding onto themselves, this movie will give you the chills and a migraine.
Penrose Staircase Featured in the movie
Metropolis (1927)
A 1927 movie, Metropolis is an English film, widely known and applauded to be a masterpiece of Architectural sci-fi. With a plot set in a dystopian future (nothing new here), Lang’s movie direction is visually beautiful. From its Bauhaus, cubist, and futurist designs and touches of Gothic, this movie installs inspiration in every frame.
Metropolis 1927 Poster
Horror
The Shining
Stanley Kubrick’s master filmmaking has been projected in this movie, accelerating it to the top of the best Hollywood horror movies to watch. From the elevator projectile vomiting blood to the ghost bartender, this movie packs cleverly hidden Easter eggs at every turn, which only a trained eye can catch.
The Shining
The Winchester House
Sarah Winchester’s mansion pioneers architecture in movies of Victorian-Style, and is the centerpiece of the movie “The Winchester House”. Cursed by spirits to never cease construction, it’s inspired by a TRUE story. The movie features Queen Anne Victorian-style interiors and the bags itself the classic “Creepy old mansion” status. From staircases that lead nowhere to doors that open to a death fall on mansion grounds, the house has it all. Today it is open to the public where it serves as a horror lover’s paradise.
The Winchester House
The Others
Another classic, the movie portrays a house that consists of all the elements to qualify itself as a haunted BnB. And what’s more, it comes with its own burial ground surrounded by almost impossible to climb fortresses. The house consists of many rooms with an eerie feeling allowing a person to (Spoilers) slip back in time. Another feat for Architecture in movies.
The Others House
The Haunting of the Hill House
Though a series, the story effectively uses a family home and turns it into a living, breathing being in itself. The dreaded Red Door is the center point around which the story revolves. Jumping back and forth in time, this series is a mind game that connects the end to the beginning. Architecture in movies has become a whole new ball game and this series doesn’t disappoint.
The Haunting of the Hill House Manor
Rosemary’s Baby
A classic, dealing with Satanists and their New York Apartment, this movie is claimed by many to be the best Hollywood horror movie ever. It revolves around Rosemary who falls in love with a man and carries his baby. During the pregnancy, she experiences the apartment being constantly chilly even on a summer afternoon, and extremely nosey neighbours. The ‘Bramford’, a Gothic building is a set and we can only hope you take our advice and watch this timeless classic.
The Bramford
Architecture in movies: Fantasy/Drama
Angels and Demons
The movie is based on famed author Dan Brown’s novel, Angels and Demons, following a Harward symbologist, Robert Langdon, who discovers the event of the resurgence of an ancient secret brotherhood, Illuminati. As fast-paced as the book is, this movie genre type is equally engaging. It takes us around the city of Rome and the Vatican as Robert Langdon ventures deep in the search for clues. A must-watch for all who love adventure with old-world architecture.
Tom Hanks in Angels and Demons
My Architect
The movie elaborates on the life of an architect Miles Moss, hired by a young couple to design their dream house. Although he takes into consideration the design details of the client, he ends up designing something he has always envisioned. The movie brilliantly portrays the multifaceted profession that is architecture. Definitely a class apart from other movie genre types.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
I know, this movie is every child’s dream and a nightmare. But I personally think it is a masterpiece as far as edible Architecture goes. Based on the book “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” by Roald Dahl, the English film revolves around a boy, Charlie Bucket, and his family of 6 who goes from living under one, almost dilapidated roof, to owning the world’s most sought after chocolatiers factory. A Quintessential Tim Burton movie features the loopy-droopy dream-like aura, reflected in the architecture as well. If you haven’t already watched the movie, trust me, you’re missing out.
Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Harry Potter
A staple in fantasy and fiction, the Harry Potter series features 8 movies and 7 books where J.K. Rowling takes you on a tumbling ride of adventures and vividly expressed Medieval Gothic architecture. From the Durham to Alnwick Castles, all in the U.K., these movie genre types decorate old-world architecture with the magical world of the franchise. You can visit this dreamy land for yourself in Universal Orlando Resort and the film set in London.
Wizarding World of Harry Potter
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Presented by Wes Anderson, an Architectural Film Maker, the English film pays respects to European opulence in Gorlitz, Germany. With most of the scenes shot in the lobby of the 1913 Art Nouveau style building, the film features just about everything there is to Architecture. Set designers Adam Stockhausen and Anna Pinnock, undoubtedly did the movie justice.
The Model of The Budapest Hotel
“Architecture exists, like cinema, in the dimension of time and movement” – Jean Nouvel
Recommended Documentaries
Archiculture
Archiculture takes a thoughtful, yet critical look at the architectural studio. The 25-minute movie genre types offer a unique glimpse into the world of studio-based, design education through the eyes of a group of students finishing their final design projects. Interviews with leading professionals, historians, and educators help create crucial dialog around the key issues faced by this unique teaching methodology and the built environment these future architects will create.
Archiculture
How much does your building weigh, Mr.Foster?
Following the works of the famous British architect, Norman Foster and his unending quest to improve the quality of people through design. This documentary collects the origins of the architect and how his dreams and influences inspired Beijing Airport and many other architectural Marvels.
IMDb
Sketches of Frank Gehry
The English film covers the life and work of the Canadian-American architect, Frank Gehry, which was screened at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival. It contains various footage of Gary designing buildings and also discussing his work on his own residence.
The poster
Unfinished Spaces
Unfinished Spaces is a 2011 documentary film featuring three visionary Architects, Ricardo Porro, Roberto Gottardi, and Vittorio Garatti. The film tells the dramatic story of the art schools and the atmosphere of architecture in movies back in the day.
Ricardo Porro
The Infinite Happiness
Following the lives of residents dwelling in an innovative 8 feet Housing Development, the documentary, The Infinite happiness, portrays a community building in Copenhagen designed by the Danish architect, Bjarke Ingles. The occupying tenants express their happiness and funny everyday stories. These movie genre types are truly an eyeopener we highly recommend you watch.
Minimalism: A Documentary About The Important Things
Minimalism: A Documentary About The Important Things explores the different aspects of Minimalism and its modern usage and its repercussions. The English film takes us inside the lives of minimalists from all walks of life: families, entrepreneurs, architects, artists, journalists, scientists, and even a former Wall Street broker, all of whom are striving to live a non-materialist life.
Minimalism
Conclusion
The director very cleverly pans towards the dwelling of the protagonist or the architecture of a city before proceeding into a certain scene depicting the backdrop and time with Architecture as the medium, and this is no coincidence. Makes me wonder, what would the world be like without architecture and its depictions? Almost alien-like, and a boring one at that.
I hope the above list of different movie genre types helps you on your quest to find the perfect architecturally significant movie.
October 29, 2024
Important Things to Include in your Architecture Portfolio
An architecture portfolio is one of the most significant tools an architect and/or architecture student should have. It is a timeline and record of experience that demonstrates its authors’ architectural talents, processes, and capabilities through the meticulous selection of drawings, photos, text, and photographs. Professional architecture is a holy field of study that demands zeal, clarity of vision, and a commitment to rise above the market’s immense competition in order to build a name for oneself.
Architecture Portfolio in the making
An architecture portfolio should exhibit and provide a clear image of the range, amount, and diversity of your architectural abilities, knowledge, and current experience to the person reading it. As a result, it must demonstrate (as much as feasible) that you are capable and experienced in each aspect of project development.
The objective is to create an outstanding architecture portfolio that showcases your distinct vision, innate sense of style, and desire to create something from nothing. Good architect, whether they are recent graduates or seasoned professionals, understand the importance of visualization and portfolio presentations. So, when creating a portfolio for yourself, take advantage of this.
Before we begin the process of building your portfolio, there are a few things to keep in mind. These arguments were made with the possibility of reaching a wide audience in mind. Whether you’re a newbie or a seasoned veteran, these pointers will help you along the way:
Important Things to Include in your Architecture Portfolio
Stick to what you represent
When you identify your personal style, it becomes easier to choose the architecture portfolio template for your folder. You can choose the template that complements your design style. Since the field of architecture relies heavily on a sense of style, your portfolio needs to speak subliminally. You are not only expressing your interests in an artistic manner, but you are also letting the recruiter know your design preferences subliminally. According to this, the recruiter can make an informed decision.
Recruiters need to see for themselves how easily you can put together an aesthetically beautiful design, since, at the end of the day, that’s what creates an impression on clients.
Stick to what you represent
Choose a simple theme and use white space for the template if you prefer to work with limited colors and let the drawing speak for itself. You can also select a template that allows you to add a logo for a more personal touch and sense of uniqueness. Bold, geographical designs look best when set against a plain backdrop.
Learn from those before you
Study the portfolios of your seniors. There are so many architectural portfolios to browse through on the web. As you browse through them, make notes of all the elements that you do like. Try to implement them in your own portfolio with a twist of your own sophistication. Any aspiring architect or architecture student always has a visionary they admire. There are several viable options available for current architects who are designing the skyline of various cities across the globe. See what portfolio design best suits your artistic style.
Learn from those before you
When applying for a job, most architectural firms will first want a sample portfolio to be delivered along with your C.V./resume. This should be a very thorough selection of your best and most relevant work, consisting of two to five A3 or A4 pages (three is ideal). It’s all about the quality, not the number, so limit yourself to one or two sketches or photographs.
Set of a sample of architecture projects
Samples of your own architectural work are an important part of any architectural portfolio. Diversification is crucial in order to demonstrate your different skills and talents, therefore the media you used to present your work is just as significant as the drawings themselves.
When it comes to choosing your drawings and photos, quality over number is the way to go; one well-made and presented drawing or image is far more compelling than five ordinary examples. As previously said, three A3-sized sheets of your greatest work will suffice to make the best impression on a recruiter.
If you’re going to show hand drawings, ensure sure the scanner you’re using is of good quality. If necessary, you can take your drawings to a print shop and have them professionally scanned.
Set of a sample of Architecture projects
You can easily add your previous architecture projects to your portfolio if you have a lot of professional experience in the area. Create a folder containing your greatest work to share with potential employers. You can add them to a portfolio layout or update them on a website to share the link with them.
Make the most of your graphic design talents
Interior design and architecture both benefit from graphic design. Any excellent architecture school will teach its pupils the fundamentals of graphic design. These abilities are carried over into the design phase, where you can employ a variety of software tools. To improve your design work, we propose Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Behance, Adobe Indesign, CorelDraw, and others. These software technologies aid in the creation of spectacular effects and representations that entice potential clients to contact the architecture business.
Make the most of your graphic design talents
Your appeal as an architect and designer is enhanced by demonstrating your understanding of graphic design.
Specialization is the need of the hour
When you are an architect, it is important to find the specific section of the field that interests you. Specializing in a certain field after your degree indicates an innate interest in the subject, which is a major plus in the eyes of an employer. With the proper course and the right guidance, it can also lead to exceptional jobs with handsome incomes.
This comes with experience and a variety of projects undertaken. The more you explore the field, the more comfortable you will feel in a certain specialization field. Venture out and find out what is the most suitable for your brand.
E.g. of specializations are residential and commercial building designs, while others include landscaping, urban development, interior design, green buildings, restoration architecture, Research Architects, Lighting Architects, political architects, and Extreme architects.
Group Work will attract recruiters
Architecture firms have different people from different walks of life working under one roof. Not only must one maintain cordial relationships with one another but also get along while working on vast projects. If you’ve worked in the profession of architecture before, you’ve undoubtedly collaborated with a team of designers, construction crews, freelancers, and others. Your ability to communicate and collaborate with various teams demonstrates that you are flexible when it comes to project management. You may have previously been an inconsequential cog in the entire process, but remember that every team member contributes to the overall architecture project. Consider group projects you worked on during your education program as a newly graduated architecture student.
Group Work will attract recruiters
Your employer will make sure these criteria are ticked off before they hire you.
Consider portfolio websites
Whatever artistic industry you operate in, having a website that showcases your design work and previous experiences is very popular. A portfolio website has a lot of advantages, and if you can create one, you’re already ahead of the game. It portrays you as a multifaceted person who can not only create stunning visuals but also build a professional website showing skills outside of work. Consider Issuu for a safe platform to publish your works.
Balance hard and soft skills
A good architect must contain both hard and soft skills for the generation of a superior design. Nowadays, recruiters heavily rely on these skills during recruitment for their firms.
In your architect portfolio, you must exhibit the following soft skills:
- Project management
- Creativity
- Critical thinking
- Time management
- Teamwork
- Leadership
- Problem-solving
- Decision-making
- Adaptability
- Communication
- Collaboration
- Work Ethic
- Negotiation
- Persuasion
Here are a few hard skills an architect must possess:
- Design skills
- Thorough understanding of mathematics
- Science of structural elements
- Software skills
- Architecture and development framework
An amalgamation of Hard and soft skills
However, regardless of the project type, they should all attempt to demonstrate a comparable set of competencies, which include:
- Creative problem solving
- Versatility (showing other interests such as photography, sculpture, furniture design, filmmaking)
- Model making
- Hand sketching and drawing (freehand/digital)
- Construction detailing (and knowledge)
- Architectural visualization (showcasing atmosphere, story, narrative)
- Visual/graphical communication (software and digital skills)
- Industry involvement (blog, published work, lectured)
- CAD skills (general software skills)
- 3D modeling (general software skills)
Duties performed in each project
An architect must, in a project, wear multiple hats, especially in your own firm’s work. If in any project you have volunteered to take care of the managerial part of the sector, make sure to mention it in your portfolio under the project for which it was worked. If in any project you are taking care of a representation that has been presented, break down the sources and mention the software used. Project management, managerial support and uplifting are some of the many duties that are performed by an architect in a single project.
Showcase the design process
Showing the design process of a project in your portfolio is as important as the renders and final drawings. Let the recruiter understand your thought process during the design stages. Representing these via images and graphics is the best way to get your point across.
Showcase the design process
Potential employers are interested in seeing your creative process and learning more about your design approach. You can include diagrams that show the design’s evolution, as well as the earliest sketches you did at the start.
There are several do’s and don’t recommend by people over the years as to what one must and mustn’t put into their portfolio. Follow the below points to better help secure that dream job of yours!
Do’s
- To help you stand out, let your cover image do the talking.
- With a play on layout, design style, and font, you may show off your professional niche as well as your individuality in your portfolio.
- Make the hero the best image. Don’t give all the photographs in a project equal weight; otherwise, the viewer won’t be able to navigate the project easily.
- It’s a good idea to include a visual synopsis of projects at the start so that the audience knows what to expect and may skip to the part that interests them.
- Add a project summary to the Portfolio.
- Allow enough time for the spectator to process each project by taking a clear pause between them. Adding all the projects one by one will result in a data overflow.
- Take lots of pictures of your models and the structures you’ve made (it pays to invest in a DSLR camera). When it comes to presenting yourself in the best light possible, every little detail counts. If not captured properly, even the most beautiful models might look horrible.
- Including process sketches give your document a more personalized feel and represent your thought process. At the same time, technological prowess demonstrates your forward-thinking attitude. So, for numerous projects, it’s ideal to have a mix of hand drawings and highlight technology/software employed (such as BIM software and HoloLens.
Dont’s
- Don’t do the same thing twice. Choose the most suitable option.
- It shouldn’t be too long or too short. The goal is to assemble your greatest work and present it in an easily understandable format.
- The portfolio file size should not exceed 10 megabytes.
- Do not arrange your portfolio from the oldest to the newest projects.
- On a single page, don’t write more than 100 words. If you have a lot of words, divide them into paragraphs or spread them out over several pages. Reduce the number of words you use as much as feasible.
- In your portfolio, don’t use too much color. If you’re unsure, go with monochrome. It’s preferable to appear as if you’re having a color attack.
- Make sure your images and layout are consistent from page to page.
- a maximum of two font types.
Conclusion
This sector is built on innovation and a deep understanding of people and their needs. Nothing will be able to stop you once you’ve mastered that. Simply take the initiative to build an impressive architectural portfolio to demonstrate to potential employers, real estate investors, and homeowners why you are the ideal fit for the job.
Don’t give up on your dreams because they appear difficult. Align your vision with theirs, and there you have it! You’ve landed the job. Align your vision with theirs, and there you have it! You’ve landed the job. We hope the above-listed tips and pointers have helped you design your dream portfolio that best highlights your abilities as an architect.
October 29, 2024
The Egyptian Architecture: An Intriguing Evolution in Architecture
Introduction
The reign of the Egyptian Pharaohs lasted for about 2700 years with its first king Narmer in 3100 B.C.E. and concluded with the death of Cleopatra VII in 30 B.C.E. During this long period, there were times of strong centralized rule, and periods of much weaker which led to colonization from other rulers and kingdoms, eventually leading to the downfall of the empire.
So many Egyptian ancient architecture was built around Egypt by Amenhotep III (1286 – 1353 BCE) were credited by early scholars to an exceptionally long reign. Over 250 buildings, monuments, steles, and temples were commissioned by Amenhotep III, credited by many to be the one who increased general interest in Architecture and Egyptian designs.
Egyptian ancient architecture
Ranging from pyramids to temples, The Egyptian Architecture is a vast and exceptionally interesting subject considering the time and the grandeur of the structures. Let’s try and break down what happened at a specific point in time and how a simple stone revolutionized the world’s most influential architecture to date.
Evolution of The Egyptian Architecture
Egyptian ancient architecture is not just a style, but a set of styles with some differences over time.
Bench-shaped mounds called mastabas were the early Egyptian architecture of king’s tombs. Around 2780 B.C. the first pyramid was built by the architect of King Djoser, Imhotep, as he placed in a stack of six mastabas, one smaller than the one below, to form a pyramid in steps. On the west bank of the River Nile at Sakkara near Memphis stands this step pyramid. It contains different rooms and passages, like later pyramids, including the King’s burial chamber.
Mastabas
During the reign of King Snefru, Fourth Dynasty Founder (2680 – 2560 BCE), the transition from Step Pyramid into the true, smooth-sided pyramid took place. A pyramid was built at Medum, then filled with stone, and covered with a limestone casing. In the vicinity of Bahshur, the Egyptian design of a pyramid that appeared to be smooth-edged started taking life. But the angle is decreased from 51 to 43 degrees, and the sides rise less sharply, which makes it known as the Bent Pyramid. During construction, the angle change was probably made to give the building more stability.
Locally available and abundant, mud-brick and limestone were built by levied workers in most Egyptian monuments. The post and lintel construction methods were employed in monumental buildings. Many structures were astronomically aligned. Columns were typical of the Egyptian civilization, decorated with capitals that resemble important plants like papyrus.
Papyrus
Egyptian ancient architecture and its motifs had an impact on architecture elsewhere, first reaching the world in Orientalization, and then again in Egyptomania in the 19th century, which led to the popularization of the dreamy idea of pharaohs and their luxury, although real life was miles away from fantasy.
Mystery and Myth Around It
In the city of Hermopolis, the myth of creation focussed on the nature of the universe before world creation. A set of eight gods called the Ogdoad represented the inherent properties of primeval waters.
Hermopolis
Probably the first civilization to construct temples dedicated to their dead, Egyptians set the tone for a new genre of architecture with revolutionary Egyptian designs.
Perhaps the biggest mystery and the aura surrounding Egyptian ancient architecture relates to its avant-garde architecture and astronomical accuracy in an age way behind any technological advancements. From the construction of pyramids to shafts that open up to point to a certain star in the sky on a certain day in the year, ancient Egyptian Architects and their creations have baffled historians and civilians alike for many years now.
Two major temples, cult temples, and burial or mortuary temples, can be distinguished from Egyptian ancient architecture. The cult temples contained the images of gods and received daily cults; while the latter contained a sanctuary for the funerary cult of dead kings.
The Egyptian cult temple in the Old Kingdon is generally thought to have been most owed to Re, the Sun God cult in Heliopolis that was probably open in plan and lacked a shrine. Among cult temples, Sun temples were unique, and worship focused on a cult object, the benben, a squat obelisk placed in full sunlight.
Re, the Sun God cult in Heliopolis
This gives rise to the billion-dollar question: How were the pyramids built? In an age where manual labor was the only source of construction fuel and when the average human lifespan was 40 years, how were the locals able to construct such huge mathematically and astronomically accurate structures for their day and age?
Enter, Jean-Pierre Houdin, a French architect, how might’ve just cracked the mystery. In 1999, Houdin’s father, a retired civil engineer was very curious about the subject and started to develop ideas in which the pyramid could have been built from within.
In 2005, Dassault Systèmes’ Mehdi Tayoubi and Richard Breitner invited Houdin to join a new “Passion for innovation” sponsorship program. Using software applications like CATIA to reconstitute a three-dimensional site for this gigantic construction, they were able to test the Egyptian monument and whether this approach is plausible in real-time. Tayoubi and his team used 3D technology as a teaching medium to explain and communicate it and suggested an interactive three-dimensional journey through time.
Schematic Representation of the Internal Ramp
Their scheme is to build the first 30% of the pyramid with a regular external ramp, whereby an “internal ramp” takes stones beyond this height. The external ramp stones are recycled to the top stories, explaining the otherwise puzzling absence of ramp evidence. Later on, by x-ray technology scientists did find evidence of an internal ramp that would’ve been used to construct the pyramid front the inside out, although the theory largely remains unsolved and unproven.
Jean-Pierre Houdin Pyramid theory
A study recently showed that the Egyptian Great Pyramid focuses – under resonance conditions – on electromagnetic energy in its inner areas and beneath its foundation. This continues to battle modern-day scientists on the holistic approach of Egyptian ancient architecture.
Great Pyramid of Giza can focus electromagnetic energy
Another speculation is that beings of other worlds aka. aliens might have aided in the construction of the structures as it was perceived humanly impossible. The high precision of the stones used in making the pyramids replicate a laser cutting machine technology which is a rather recent discovery. Some hieroglyphics on temples also indicate extraterrestrial activity and frequent visits by beings in a “flying disc”. This raises questions that cannot be answered.
Egyptian designs: Ancient art depicting the extraterrestrial or supernatural influence
Astronomical Accuracy Behind The Structures
The Egyptians wanted meaningful structures to be built. They, therefore, believed that their buildings were aligned with the main stars in the belief that the cosmic rays would aid in their prosperity. Air shafts were in alignment with the Thuban in the king’s chamber, the Pole star as it is now known. Temples were more important events such as solstices and equinoxes, connected astronomically. Currently, it requires accurate measures; however, they were successful in doing this without “help”.
Astronomical ceiling relief from Dendera, Egypt
The Egyptians thought that the gods were living in the Duat, the Osiri kingdom. It is located in the sky region where Sirius and Orion heliacally rise in the morning in the summer solstice just before the sun. Hence, the Egyptian monuments were shaped to follow these heavenly bodies.
Egyptian architecture and art: Pyramids of Giza and Orion’s Belt
Giza’s Alignment with Heavenly Bodies
Architecture and Scripture
The word hieroglyphic means sacred writings or carvings.
Hieroglyphics were a major part of Egyptian architecture and art. They depicted everything from the birth and death of civilizations to the perils that they went through as a society. They were probably the first generation to ever consider timing in their successes and failures for the next world to see. Initially inscribed on papyrus leaves, they moved on to stone tablets and even further on the walls of temples. They take you on a journey almost in the style of storytelling to the time in which they are set in.
Hieroglyphs from the tomb of Seti I
In the classical language of the Middle Kingdom, the Egyptian hieroglyphs have developed into an adulterated writing scheme used to record monuments; during the period around 900 different signs were used.
It was believed that words and names written in hieroglyphs had magical power. This is why funeral texts were written on the coffins and tomb walls with the names of the deceased. The gods heard the prayers, and the people were protected from harm. The Egyptians painted their walls and roofs, believing that those who had gone through could take with them all the images of their lives and only the dead Egyptian gods would ever be able to see the work. Such was the grandeur of Egyptian architecture and art.
Hieroglyphics carved on temple walls
Iconic Structures
The Sphinx
Made of limestone, The Great Sphinx of Giza constitutes a statue of a reclining sphinx, a mythical creature with the head of a man and the body of a lion. Standing on the Giza plateau on the west bank of the Nile in Egypt, the exceptional piece of Egyptian architecture faces west to east with the face appearing to represent the Pharaoh Kahfre. The original Sphinx shape was cut out of the bedrock and restored with limestone block layers. Although the nose is broken. it is Egypt’s oldest known monumental statue and one of the world’s most recognizable.
Egyptian architecture and art: The Sphinx
Egyptian architecture and art: Japanese Mission Samurai Sphinx 1864
Khufu Pyramid or Pyramid of Giza
The Great Pyramid of Giza is the oldest and the largest pyramid in the Giza pyramid complex, currently situated on Giza bordered by Greater Cairo, Egypt. It is also known as the Pyramid of Khufu or the Pyramid of Cheops. One of the seven wonders of the Ancient world, a piece of Egyptian ancient architecture continues to remain largely intact. Built for the fourth dynasty Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu, it is estimated that the pyramid was built in the 26th century BC in 27 years of construction time.
Egyptian architecture and art: Pyramid of Cheops
The pyramid was built with locally available limestone from quarries and an estimated 2.3 million large blocks were used that weigh 6 million tonnes in total. The pyramid was once topped by a capstone known as pyramidion which is now missing. It was speculated to be made out of limestone, granite, and basalt but is widely believed in pop culture to be made out of solid gold.
Inner Sarcophagus
Tutankhamun’s Tomb
Devoid of external displays of wealth, Tutankhamun’s tomb had been buried deep down in the valley of kings for thousands of years until in 1922, The tube was disturbed and found by Howard Carter. The famed is egyptologist and his men found the Tomb to be densely packed with items in great disarray with multiple robberies to have occurred in the past. Numerous items including a coffin made of solid gold, jewelry, bread clothing, statues, chariots, weapons, and of course the mummified body of King Tut were found.
Inside Pharaoh Tutankhamun’s tomb, 18th dynasty
For the final excavation and data collection, the tomb took 8 years to completely be documented. Probably one of the most significant findings of the century, King Tut’s Tomb, considering his position, was not heavily ornamented when compared to the other pharaohs, which raises a few eyebrows. One reason could be due to his untimely death at the age of around 16 to 19 years.
Sarcophagi of King Tut
And who can forget Howard’s infamous quote from when he could peek into the tomb with the faint light of a candlestick. I remember ditching my biology book for the one I had picked up in the school library called “The Discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamen” by Howard Carter himself. As he uttered the words “I see wonderful things”, a spark was ignited in me that day which has led to me writing this article today. Strange ways of life!
October 29, 2024
Space Architecture: Bold Fiction or Impending Reality of the 21st Century
In times where space is up and open for commercial travel and exploration, we have to ask ourselves, is the new space race leaning towards colonization? If so, by what time will we be able to set our mark on fellow planets and raise our kids in various G’s?
Karen Nyberg, a NASA astronaut, taking in the view from the space station’s cupola in 2013. Credit: NASA
The Genesis of the concept
In the neonatal stage of Space Architecture, Architects and industrial designers started to contribute to the aerospace industry by the 1960s. In the USSR, the studio of Vladimir Chelomei designed the Salyut 1 space station, which was launched in 1971. Raymond Loewy, an industrial designer, persuaded NASA in 1968 to incorporate a window in the Skylab space station, which was launched in 1973, so that astronauts could see out and see the Earth, revolutionizing the way we humans viewed “The Blue Marble.”
Salyut 1 Space Station
At the beginning of human space flight, engineers dominated the field in providing services necessary for human sustenance on space ships, but architects were right behind to establish their role in designing space stations and planetary bases on different celestial bodies.
As of the early 1970s, the crew systems division was responsible for Capsule designs, but later on, a few architecture students persisted on the scope for the profession, defending graduate theses on space station concepts. Towards the end of the decade, NASA wanted an architect’s thinking methodology for their space stations, a compelling factor for aerospace support contractors to hire one, thus beginning the age of space race for architects.
Later, the Space Station Freedom program expanded the opportunities for a space station of NASA architects, the larger contractor community, and academics to collaborate in the burgeoning profession of Space Architecture. Space architecture is primarily concerned with the development of concepts for orbiting space stations, lunar and Martian exploration spacecraft, and surface bases for the world’s space agencies, most notably NASA.
Multifariousness of Space Architecture
When it comes to Space Architecture, there are different zones in which man-made objects exist.
Suborbital
Structures that cross the boundary of space but do not reach orbital speeds are considered suborbital architecture. For spaceplanes, the architecture has much in common with airliner architecture, especially those of small business jets, much like the one Richard Branson recently traveled to “space” in.
Photo by Space X’s Crew Dragon Spacecraft
Example: SpaceShipTwo
Virgin Galactic (VG), an American spaceflight company founded by Richard Branson, recently launched the Scaled Composites Model 339 SpaceShipTwo (SS2), an air-launched suborbital spaceplane type designed for space tourism. The architecture of the SpaceShipTwo vehicle is uncommon to other space ships with this cabin looking more like something out of science fiction than a modern spacecraft, Unlike the haphazard interiors with obscure switches and protruding machinery of previous generations. The choice of material for this aircraft is lightweight composite materials rather than heavy metal.
Photo of the Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo
Orbital
Orbital architecture is the architecture of structures designed to orbit around the Earth or another astronomical object.
A currently operational orbital architecture is the International Space Station.
Existing: International Space Station:
Holding a crew of six and built by aerospace engineers, The International Space Station (ISS) is the only permanently inhabited structure currently in space. The International Space Station is constantly under construction with modules being added now and then. It serves as a motel for astronauts and cosmonauts also doubling as a very cool science laboratory.
The Modules were primarily launched using the Space Shuttle and were assembled by its working crew aboard the ISS. The design aspect of human experience and comfort takes a back seat in such projects as accomplishing an incredible feat of engineering to not only construct but to retain such stations are considered enough.
Image of the I.S.S. (David A. Nixon)
Proposed: Voyager Station
Chief Architect: Tim Alatorre
Planned by Orbital Assembly Corporation, the first-ever commercial space hotel, Voyager Station, will start construction in 2026 and aims to open by 2027. Accommodating 280 guests and 112 crew members spanning over 50,000-square-meters. Made possible by opening up low Earth orbit and beyond to construction, OAC aims to take advantage of this decrease in launch costs and increase in reliability and safety, a new contender in the space race for commercializing the heavens.
The construction company plans on serving passengers traditional ‘space food’ like freeze-dried ice cream and also aims to have recreational spaces for activities like basketball, so you can float to the hoop. Although the rates have not yet been disclosed, it would not surprise us if it would drain a wealthy man’s valet by half, but the company aims, with time and resources, the ticket would fit right into a common man’s budget.
The central un-pressurized ring structure will contain the docking hub connecting the modules. Akin a wheel, the outer ring truss will connect to the central ring by a network of spokes, and from there it will have 24 habitation modules, with the whole thing rotating at slightly under a second in a minute.
Photo by O.A.C.
Lunar
Existing both in theory and practice today, Lunar architecture deals with man-made structures on our nearest celestial body. Today, five Apollo Lunar Module descent stages remain upright in various positions over the Near Side’s equatorial zone, pointing at mankind’s extra-terrestrial endeavors.
The Moon is the farthest humans have traveled, and space architecture is what has kept them alive and allowed them to sustain and function as humans. An example of the lunar architectural mark is the Command Module: a part of the Apollo Missions of 1969.
Existing: Command Module: Apollo Missions:
The command module is the one in which the astronauts traveled for the Apollo Mission. The outer structure was made of stainless steel brazed-honeycomb brazed between 0.5 inches to 2.5 inches steel alloy face sheets. For additional heat protection, the area between the inner and outer shells was filled with a layer of fiberglass insulation to help in re-entry.
An uncounted aspect throughout the design process was lunar debris which astronauts contaminated the modules with during their rendezvous which John Young of Apollo 16 described as being like tiny razor blades. Dust mitigation was quickly discovered as one of many challenges that needed to be addressed if humans lived on the Moon. It now proudly sits in the Smithsonian display in the National Ai rand Space Museum’s Lunar Exploration Vehicles gallery. A cross-section of the module is illustrated below.
Command Module: Apollo Missions Illustration
Apollo Command Module
Proposed: Sinterhab: 3d Printed Habitat Module For Nasa Moon-base
Constructed by 3D printing technology, the project is a design study for a core module on a Lunar South Pole, with the use of in-situ resources and equipped with a bio-regenerative life support system for 4-8 people.
The Sinterhab contains an experimental garden for the development of new bio-regenerative life support system elements, which combines deployable membrane structures and pre-integrated stiff elements with a sintered Regolith shell for enhanced radiation and micrometeorite shielding, taking space architecture to a whole new level.
Constituting the building, construction, and interior elements, the project explores these various concepts from an architectural point of view. SinterHab’s construction approach is based on contour carving using lunar regolith sintering. NASA JPL’s Sinterator robotics 3D printing technology allows future generations of massive lunar cities to be built with less imported materials and solar energy.
Microwave sintering provides a rigid structure in the shape of walls, vaults, and other architectural components. Plants used for food production are also useful for air purification and water purification. The water in the rejuvenation system has a dual purpose in the safe-haven habitat core, acting as radiation shielding. To learn more, head over to Sinterhab.
Sinterhab Visualized
Martian
Martian architecture is architecture and support systems designed to sustain human life on the surface of Mars. Although a human expedition to Mars has not yet become reality, there has been continuous work on Martian habitat design and architecture. Martian architecture is divided into two categories: architecture imported from Earth fully assembled (which is very expensive) and architecture making use of local resources.
Proposed: Mars X House V2
Mars X-House won first place in 100% Virtual Design in NASA’s Phase 3 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge. Mars X House is an evidence-based design process to demonstrate the design and constructability of a future home for a four-person crew to live and work on Mars for an earth year. Designed to exceed radiation standards to ensure human health, the Mars X-House allows the crew to experience natural light and view the Martian landscape.
Mars X House V2 visualized
Layered Wall Composition Mars X-House 2
3d Printed Mars Habitat (3rd Phase Of Nasa’s Centennial Challenge)
The Hassell and Eckersley O’Callaghan’s (EOC) design for human habitation on Mars investigates 3D printing technologies that could be used to deliver safe, comfortable, and efficient homes, in an attempt to re-define human-centric design to allow humans to thrive on the red planet.
The habitat structure notion that has been developed is made up of two systems. Lightweight inflatable modules are deployed as a reconfigurable framework for specific program requirements, producing an artificial atmosphere to support the Astronauts’ survival. This is in conjunction with Eckersley O’Callaghan’s compression-only shell structure, which will be 3D printed autonomously using Martian regolith to shield the modules from high amounts of radiation.
3d Printed Mars Habitat
“Within the last decade, we humans have made huge advancements in technology. In the next ten years, it may not be inconceivable we will have humans traveling to the moon commercially and space colonies as space hotels.” – Kailin Gow on STEM Stage Talk.
Architects in the Space race
B.I.G.
Mars Dune Alpha
BIG, Bjarke Ingels’ studio, is teaming up with ICON, a building technology business, and NASA to produce Mars Dune Alpha, a 3D-printed structure that simulates life on Mars.
The 158-square-meter “habitat,” which is now under construction at the Johnson Space Centre in Texas, was designed by BIG and ICON to help humans prepare for life on Mars. The Mars Dune Alpha will house four people for extended periods, simulating the physical and emotional challenges that a crew may experience on a long-duration space mission. Due to the scarcity of building materials on the planet, it was built using 3D printers.
The specific technology that will be used is Vulcan, ICON’s 3D-printing system that uses the company’s own Portland Cement-based mix called Lavacrete.
Mars Dune Alpha visualized
Plan of the Structure
Project Olympus
BIG and ICON, a 3D-printed building business, have revealed that they are working on Project Olympus, a robotic construction project for the moon.
After receiving a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) government contract bolstered with financing from NASA, ICON enlisted the design company and SEArch+ (Space Exploration Architecture) for the project. Project Olympus aims to develop a way to create a 3D-printed infrastructure for living on the moon using materials found on its surface.
Project Olympus + ICON
S.O.M.
Moon Village
SOM and the European Space Agency have collaborated on a design for a lunar settlement made entirely of inflatable modules. SOM exhibited a detailed scale model of Moon Village, which it initially unveiled in2019, as part of its show Life Beyond Earth at the Venice Architecture Biennale. The plan is for a collection of independent four-level units to be placed in the moon’s south polar area to serve as research hubs.
The modules are made to be inflatable so that they may be compressed and rocketed to the moon, where they can be extended to their full size. The space architecture of each unit would be constructed using a hybrid structural design that combines a hard titanium alloy perimeter frame with a soft structural shell. Because the south polar region receives a lot of daylight throughout the lunar year, the shelters would be positioned there, allowing the units to harvest sunlight for energy.
Moon Village visualized
Foster + Partners
Foster + Partners is looking at the possibility of using lunar dirt to 3D print buildings on the moon, thus entering the space race. The London architecture firm is collaborating with the European Space Agency to research methods for building lunar dwellings and has created a four-person residence that would protect its occupants from extreme temperature changes, meteorites, and gamma radiation.
The house’s foundation would be built out of a modular tube, with an inflatable dome folding up over it. Using a robot-operated D-Shape printer, layers of lunar soil, known as regolith, would be built up around the frame, generating a lightweight foam-like creation drawn from biological structures typically found in nature.
Foster + Partners 3d printed houses visualized
Hurdles
Lack of established infrastructure, such as power and water supply, sewage and waste recycling, and transportation assistance, is one of the most significant issues facing space architecture today.
You will become aware of the potential that Space Architecture offers for Earth applications and how it can help sustainable development right now once you understand how to build structures for harsh and unforgiving settings of space. In 2014, a new Space Architecture subcommittee (Terrestrial Applications) was established to investigate and promote terrestrial applications of space architecture, with a focus on sustainable development.
How far out in the future?
Space Architecture is still a relatively new field. Employment prospects are dependent on government backing for space exploration missions and few private ventures in the field. The best approach is to be technically prepared and to keep up with news and changes to take advantage of possibilities as they emerge.
Concept art for large-scale space development has been generated by several traditional architectural, engineering, and construction (AEC) organizations. Their dreams may take decades to come true. The growth of human presence in space is critical to the future of space architecture.
Photo from SpaceArchitects
Although aerospace engineers dominate this field, a space architect must have a broad general knowledge of the topic, be prepared to speak ‘their language and be able to contribute to a technical design team.
A space architect must develop an understanding of the space environment and its impact on human health and environmental design in addition to professional education in terrestrial architecture. From conventional terrestrial settings to the harsh extremes of space, the architect must be able to extrapolate technical design expertise. Additional engineering or architectural study devoted to the space environment will aid in career opportunities.
Courses and Education
Sasakawa International Centre for Space Architecture (S.I.C.S.A.) is a unique multidisciplinary research, design, and teaching academic center that supports the world’s only Master of Science (MS) degree in Space Architecture for architects who are also space lovers. SICSA: The University of Houston’s Sasakawa International Centre for Space Architecture (SICSA) is a research and design center. SICSA is a leader in the academic field of space architecture, as well as a planner and designer of facilities for harsh environments on Earth.
Rhode Island School of Design space club projects get NASA backing
Other Courses, Programs, and Syllabi
ISU: International Space University provides graduate-level training to the future leaders of the emerging global space community at its Central Campus in Strasbourg, France, and at locations around the world.
In Europe, The Vienna University of Technology and the International Space University are involved in space architecture research.
Within the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the Space Architecture Technical Committee has been formed.
Conclusion
With industrial ambitions, Architecture Beyond Earth is an unapologetically modern picture of space development. Its ‘values’ allude to new economies, markets, and resource plundering potential. Furthermore, space trash takes on a life of its own. In other words, when we occupy extreme spaces, we are ignoring all of the concerns that we are attempting to alleviate here on Earth through unrestricted global-scale industrialization.
Will there soon be Space Architecture schools and courses popping up as common as M.B.A.’s? Will we have architect astronauts, survey different planets? Only time will tell what great things lie ahead of us. As a space enthusiast, this enthralls me but I guess the real question is if such a thing is even possible for the common man to achieve in one’s lifetime, or are we being promised flying cars by 2020?
October 29, 2024
Important Historians in Italian Architecture: Founding Fathers of Architecture in Italy
Introduction
Italy offers a wide range of architectural styles. The architecture of Italy has had a significant impact on the architecture of the rest of the globe. Italy is known for its significant architectural achievements, including the construction of aqueducts, temples, and similar structures during ancient Rome, the founding of the Renaissance architectural movement in the late-14th to early 16th centuries, and being the birthplace of Palladianism, a style of construction that inspired movements such as Neoclassical architecture and influenced the designs that historians built their country houses all over the world, particularly in the United States.
Trevi Fountain, Rome, Italy
Italy’s architectural style cannot be classified by period or area because of the country’s separation into small states until 1861. As a result, an extremely broad and eclectic range of architectural designs has resulted.
Furthermore, from the 19th century, the term “Italianate architecture” has been used to designate foreign buildings that were erected in an Italian style, particularly modeled on Renaissance architecture.
Built between 1845 and 1851 on the Isle of Wight, England. It has a visibly bracketed cornice, towers modelled on Italian campanili and belvederi, and contiguous arched windows, all of which are classic Italianate elements.
Many important Italian architects, such as Andrea Palladio, Giacomo Vignola, Filippo Brunelleschi, Michelangelo Buonarotti, and Raphael Sanzio, have been recognised throughout history for their work.
Giuseppe Mazzini attempted to unite Italy in the 1830s. He was a founder member of the Young Italy secret organization. The Austrians were defeated by the French and Piedmontese at Magenta and Solferino, and therefore lost Lombardy. By the end of the year, Lombardy had been introduced to Sardinia’s Piedmont-holdings.
Italy became a part of the French Empire and so absorbed the French Revolution’s principles of liberty, equality, and fraternity, as well as a stronger citizen participation in the political process.
The Franco-Austrian War of 1859 was the catalyst for the physical phase of Italian unification. The architects of Italy’s unification were Giuseppe Mazzini, Count Cavour, and Giuseppe Garibaldi.
Notable Historians Who Laid the Foundation for The Country of Italy
Leonardo Da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci’s Presumed Self-Portrait
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 1452–2 May 1519) was an Italian polymath who worked as a painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect during the High Renaissance. Leonardo da Vinci is regarded as one of the finest painters in history and is often regarded as the originator of the High Renaissance. His greatest masterpiece, the Mona Lisa, is often recognized as the most renowned painting in the world. The Last Supper is the most widely reproduced religious picture in history, and his Vitruvian Man sketch is a cultural symbol.
He invented flying machines, a form of armored war vehicle, concentrated solar power, the additional machine, and the double hull, and was revered for his scientific genius. Because current scientific techniques in metallurgy and engineering were just in their infancy during the Renaissance, few of his plans were built or even possible during his lifetime. He made significant contributions to anatomy, civil engineering, hydrodynamics, geology, optics, and tribology, but he never published his results, and they had little to no impact on later research.
Leonardo’s touch, his large production of sketches, immersive and comprehensive drawings represent this great Architect as a visionary across the architectural community. Da Vinci’s work encompassed an incredible range of topics, with architectural concepts that would be realized centuries later contributing to his legacy, among many other mediums. Leonardo da Vinci shines beyond all others, as a Master Architect who transcends time.
Leonardo’s touch, his large production of sketches, immersive and comprehensive drawings represent this great Architect as a visionary across the architectural community. Da Vinci’s work encompassed an incredible range of topics, with architectural concepts that would be realized centuries later contributing to his legacy, among many other mediums. Leonardo da Vinci shines beyond all others, as a Master Architect who transcends time.
Gian Lorenzo Bernini
Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s Self-Portrait
Gian Lorenzo Bernini was an architect and sculptor from Italy. He was a key player in architecture, but he was best known as the preeminent sculptor of his day, and is credited with inventing the Baroque style of art. He designed secular buildings, churches, chapels, and public squares, as well as massive works combining architecture and sculpture, particularly elaborate public fountains and funerary monuments, and a whole series of temporary structures (in stucco and wood) for funerals and festivals, as an architect and city planner.
He would be regarded as a fitting successor to Michelangelo, considerably outshining other sculptors of his period, due to his vast technical diversity, unlimited compositional inventiveness, and sheer virtuosity in manipulating marble. His ability to combine sculpture, painting, and architecture into a cohesive conceptual and aesthetic whole has been dubbed the “union of the visual arts” by the late art historian Irving Lavin.
He also designed a broad range of ornamental art pieces, such as lamps, tables, mirrors, and even carriages.
Bernini did not construct many churches from the ground up; instead, he focused his efforts on restoring existing structures, such as the restored church of Santa Bibiana and, especially, St. Peter’s. He completed three orders for new churches in Rome and the surrounding villages. Bernini’s son, Domenico, reports that his father was truly and very pleased with the small but richly ornamented oval church of Sant’Andrea al Quirinale, which was completed (beginning in 1658) for the Jesuit novitiate and represents one of the rare works of his hand with which Bernini’s son, Domenico, reports that his father was truly and very pleased.
The façade and repair of the church of Santa Bibiana (1624–26) and the St. Peter’s baldachin (1624–33), the bronze columned canopy over the high altar of St. Peter’s Basilica, were his earliest architectural undertakings.
Sacred and secular structures, as well as their urban contexts and interiors, are among Bernini’s architectural masterpieces. He made modifications to old structures and planned new ones. The Plaza San Pietro (1656–67), the piazza and colonnades in front of St. Peter’s Basilica, and the Basilica’s interior design are among his most well-known works. Several Roman palaces are among his secular works: after Carlo Maderno’s death, he took over the management of the building works at the Palazzo Barberini from 1630, on which he collaborated with Borromini; the Palazzo Ludovisi (now Palazzo Montecitorio, begun 1650); and the Palazzo Chigi.
Leon Batista Alberti
Leon Battista Alberti
Leon Battista Alberti was an Italian Renaissance humanism author, artist, architect, poet, priest, linguist, philosopher, and cryptographer who embodied the polymath character. “To select out one of Leon Battista’s ‘fields’ above others as being operationally autonomous and self-sufficient is of no use at all to any effort to define Alberti’s broad investigations in the fine arts,” as James Beck has remarked.
Alberti was unconcerned with the difficulties of construction, and just a few of his large works were completed. He understood the nature of column and lintel architecture from a visual rather than structural standpoint as a designer and student of Vitruvius and ancient Roman remains, and correctly employed the Classical orders, unlike his contemporary, Brunelleschi, who used the Classical column and pilaster in a free interpretation. Alberti was concerned about the social impact of architecture, and he was well aware of the cityscape to this end.
In Rome, he was hired by Pope Nicholas V to restore the Roman aqueduct of Acqua Vergine, which had deteriorated into a simple basin planned by Alberti and was eventually swept away by the Baroque Trevi Fountain.
Filippo Brunelleschi
Filippo Brunelleschi
Filippo Brunelleschi was an Italian architect, designer, and sculptor who is today acknowledged as the first modern engineer, planner, and single construction supervisor. He is considered a founding father of Renaissance architecture. Bernini was a brilliant architect who planned and erected gorgeous tombs, altars, and chapels in addition to sculpture.
Brunelleschi was the first person in the Western world to be granted a patent in 1421. He is best known for designing the dome of the Florence Cathedral, an engineering feat not seen since antiquity, as well as the development of the mathematical technique of linear perspective in art, which governed pictorial depictions of space until the late 19th century and influenced the rise of modern science.His principal surviving works can be found in Florence, Italy.
Bernini is credited with popularizing the Baroque period. Bernini was a brilliant sculptor who created some of his most famous works of art using bronze and marble.
Under the command of Urban VIII, Gian Lorenzo Bernini was commissioned to construct the building. Between 1624 and 1633, he constructed the baldachin.
Raphael Sanzio
Portrait of Guidobaldo da Montefeltro, Duke of Urbino from 1482 to 1508, c. 1507
Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, better known by his mononym Raphael, was an Italian High Renaissance painter and architect. His paintings are acclaimed for their purity of form, ease of arrangement, and visual realization of the Neoplatonic ideal of human grandeur.
He is one of the classic trio of great masters of the era, together with Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci.
Raphael was the chosen architect of the new St Peter’s when Bramante died in 1514. After his death and the adoption of Michelangelo’s plan, much of his work there was altered or demolished, although a few sketches have remained. According to a critical postmortem study by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger, his ideas would have rendered the cathedral much darker than the final design, with enormous piers all the way down the nave, “like an alley.”
He was the most significant architect in Rome for a brief period, working for a narrow circle around the Papacy. Julius had altered the layout of Rome’s streets, constructing numerous new thoroughfares, which he intended to be lined with magnificent palaces.
Raphael commissioned Marco Fabio Calvo to translate Vitruvius’ Four Books of Architecture into Italian, which he received in August 1514. Raphael handwrote margin annotations on it, which are conserved in the Library of Munich.
Despite the fact that Michelangelo was still his hero, Vasari began to consider Michelangelo’s influence as destructive in certain aspects, and added sections to the second edition of the Lives expressing similar sentiments.
Michelangelo
Michelangelo Daniele da Volterra
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni was a High Renaissance Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet. His work had a great effect on the evolution of Western art, particularly in regard to Renaissance concepts of humanism and naturalism. He was born in the Republic of Florence. Along with his opponent and elder contemporary, Leonardo da Vinci, he is frequently seen as a candidate for the title of prototypical Renaissance man.
He replaced Antonio da Sangallo the Younger as the architect of St. Peter’s Basilica at the age of 74. After his death, he changed the plan such that the western end, as well as the dome, were completed to his specifications.
A number of Michelangelo’s architectural assignments were never completed, including the façade for Brunelleschi’s Church of San Lorenzo in Florence, for which Michelangelo had a wooden model built but which is still unfinished, rough brick to this day.
In 1546, Michelangelo completed the exceedingly intricate ovoid design for the Campidoglio’s pavement and began work on the Farnese Palace’s top floor. In 1547, he began work on St Peter’s Basilica, beginning with a design by Bramante and many intermediary designs by various architects. Michelangelo returned to Bramante’s design, simplifying and reinforcing the design to produce a more dynamic and cohesive whole while keeping the essential form and principles.
Filippo Buonarroti
Filippo Buonarroti
Filippo Buonarroti, Michelangelo Buonarroti’s great-grandnephew, was a Florentine official at the court of Cosimo III, Grand Duke of Tuscany, and an archaeologist whose Etruscan studies were among the first in the area, inspiring Antonio Francesco Gori. Filippo Buonarroti studied law and had a natural enthusiasm for science from an early age.
He is well known for his groundbreaking research on the usage of gold glass vessel bottoms as burial markers in the Catacombs of Rome. Cosimo III summoned him to Tuscany in 1699 and appointed him Auditore delle Riformagioni, minister of the Pratica of Pistoia, secretary of the Florentine Pratica, and member of a newly formed a council for jurisdictional matters. In the Medici Grand Duchy, he was named a senator in 1700, which was a strictly honorary position.
Andrea Palladio
Andrea Palladio
Andrea Palladio was an architect in the Venetian Republic during the Renaissance. Palladio is widely regarded as one of the most significant men in the history of architecture, having been influenced by Roman and Greek architecture, particularly Vitruvius. He was most renowned for his rural residences and villas, though he also created cathedrals and palaces. His theories, which were encapsulated in the architectural book The Four Books of Architecture, brought him widespread acclaim.
The city of Vicenza and the Palladian Villas of the Veneto are part of a World Heritage Site entitled City of Vicenza and the Palladian Villas of the Veneto, which includes 23 structures created by Palladio and 24 Palladian villas in the Veneto.
Giacomo Barozzi da Vignola
Giacomo Barozzi da Vignola
In the Mannerist era, he is often regarded as Rome’s most influential architect. Giacomo Barozzi, often known as Vignola, was a prominent Italian architect of the 16th century Mannerism period. The Villa Farnese in Caprarola and the Jesuits’ Church of the Gesù in Rome are two of his greatest works. Vignola, Serlio, and Palladio are the three architects that popularised the Italian Renaissance style in Western Europe. In the Mannerist era, he is often regarded as Rome’s most influential architect.
Giacomo Barozzi was born near Modena in the town of Vignola (Emilia-Romagna).
In Bologna, he began his architectural career by painting and creating perspective templates for inlay artists to support himself. In 1536, he went to Rome for the first time to create measured drawings of Roman temples with the intention of publishing an illustrated Vitruvius.
In Bologna, he designed the Palazzo Bocchi. He afterward relocated to Rome. He worked for Pope Julius III here, and after his death, he was adopted by the Farnese papal family, where he worked with Michelangelo, who greatly affected his style.
The main courtyard of the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Angelicum, which was previously the monastery of the Church of Santi Domenico e Sisto, is generally assigned to Vignola but was completed after his death. Pilasters with Tuscan style decoration that rise from high plinths support ten arches on the long sides and seven on the short sides. The lower and higher levels are separated by a simple frieze with smooth triglyphs and metopes.
His ideas for completing the front of San Petronio, Bologna, are among his unbuilt architectural works. Vignola’s designs, together with those of Baldassare Peruzzi, Giulio Romano, Andrea Palladio, and others, provided material for a 2001 exhibition.
October 29, 2024
European Cities: Architecturally Significant and Beautiful Cities of Europe
Paris, France
Between 1853 and 1870, Baron Georges-Eugene Haussmann reconstructed Paris, making it one of the best-planned cities in the world. New building facades, public parks, sewers and waterworks, city services, and public monuments, among other urban planning elements, were inserted into the existing European cities.
It is the birthplace of the Gothic style and contains significant monuments from the French Renaissance, classical revival, Napoleon III’s Flamboyant style, the Belle époque, and the Art nouveau periods. It is one of the best-preserved cities in the world, displaying many of history’s most beautiful spiritual artifacts, such as cathedrals and churches, dating from the fall of the Roman Empire to the French Revolution.
Parisian Architecture
Must Visits: Versailles Palace, Eiffel Tower, Louvre Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral, Centre Georges Pompidou, Fondation Louis Vuitton Paris, Palais de Tokyo Expansion, Palais-Royal, Bibliothèque Nationale de France.
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Amsterdam’s architecture is a fascinating mix of UNESCO-listed 17th-century canals, works by Dutch architect Berlage, the architectural movement of Amsterdam School, and cutting-edge modern developments in the commercial sector. Amsterdam has become one of Europe’s architectural treasure troves, with more historic structures and sites than any other city in the world, as well as international significance in terms of modern design.
Canal houses and boat houses are well known in Amsterdam. Amsterdam boasts one of Europe’s largest ancient city centers, with 90 islands connected by 400 bridges. Because there was no severe bombing in the city during World War II, most of its historic buildings and streets have remained untouched since the 19th century.
Dutch Baroque Architecture Royal Palace: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Must Visits: Royal Palace, NEMO Science Center, Oude Kerk, Van Gogh Museum, Borneo + Sporenburg Bridges, RAI Car park, Rijksmuseum.
Rome, Italy
The arch, the dome, and the vault were all developed in Rome, which was once the world’s main epicenter of classical architecture. From Ancient Roman architecture to Italian modern and contemporary architecture, Rome’s architecture has evolved dramatically over the years. Every stone and aging frescoes is alive with history. The old St. Peter’s Basilica, the first medieval basilica and the building in which Bramante and Michelangelo established the High Renaissance, may be found in Rome. Bernini and Borromini, whose rich and vivid spatial shapes impacted Baroque as far as Vienna, are also represented. Architects and artists have accurately recognized Rome as an immortal city throughout the years. Roman structures set the precedent for how the Western world will grow.
Colosseum: Rome, Italy
Must Visit: St. Peter’s Basilica, Roman Forum, Trevi Fountain, The Coliseum, The Pantheon.
Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona’s most captivating feature has to be the city’s diverse architectural styles. There are Baroque buildings, a Gothic area, and, of course, modernist Antoni Gaud’s magnificent creations.
Barcelona, as the birthplace of Antoni Gaud, attracts throngs of visitors each year who come to admire his spectacular architecture. Many Antoni Gaudi structures, including the famed and yet unfinished Sagrada Familia, may be found in Barcelona. Barcelona features a well-balanced mix of ancient and modern architecture, with the former centered around the Barri Gotic (old city) and the latter created during and after the city’s expansion.
Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain
Must Visit: La Sagrada Familia, Casa Battló, Barcelona Pavilion, Barcelona’s opera house.
Berlin, Germany
Germany’s architecture has a long, rich, and varied history. Every major European architectural style is represented, from Roman to Postmodern, including notable examples of Carolingian, Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Modern, and International Style architecture.
Because there is no definite center to the city and attractions are scattered across the urban fabric, arrange your day properly. It’s an architectural utopia for anyone who appreciates a fine architectural blend of old and new, as well as a fascinating but complicated history. It’s also fascinating to witness how Berlin has changed dramatically over the last 100 years, a period during which the city has seen Imperial architecture, Nazi and WWII-era architecture, communist architecture, and modern architecture.
Bank in Berlin designed by Frank Gehry
Must Visit: Berlin Philharmonic, Reichstag, Brandenburg Gate, German Historical Museum, Jewish Museum.
London, England
The Romanesque, Christopher Wren’s Baroque masterpiece St Paul’s Cathedral, the High Victorian Gothic of The Palace of Westminster, the Art déco, and so much more can be found in London’s architecture.
The palaces of London have played a significant role in the formation of British history. There is no single architectural style that defines London. Instead, it has a jumble of styles that it has amassed over time. With the exception of notable sites such as the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, and Banqueting House, only a few constructions predate the Great Fire of 1666. The late Middle Ages Perpendicular Gothic, High Victorian Gothic, and Queen Anne styles are the most distinctive forms that originated in England.
Spencer House, London, England
Must Visit: Westminster Palace, Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Saint Paul’s Cathedral, The Gherkin.
Prague, Czech Republic
The majority of Prague’s buildings have been repaired and preserved in their original architecture, giving the city’s landscape the appearance of being from another age. Architectural styles such as Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, and Rococo may be seen throughout the city. Prague, often known as the “golden city of spires,” has thousand-year-old architectural splendor, including Medieval, Baroque, and Renaissance structures. The city is known for its spectacular castles, palaces, and Gothic churches, which contribute to its appeal to historians, tourists, and architecture fans.
Dancing House, Prague, Czech Republic
Must Visit: St. Vitus Cathedral, St George’s Basilica, Prague Castle, Charles Bridge, Old Town Square.
Toledo, Spain
Toledo, located just south of Madrid, is a picture-perfect city with easy navigation and some of Europe’s most intriguing specimens of classic architecture. The Cathedral, properly known as the Catedral Primada Santa Maria de Toledo, is one of Toledo’s most important and renowned structures from this period.
Toledo is a UNESCO world historic site with more than 2,000 years of history. Its architecture reflects the city’s long history. With three major world religions claiming the city, it’s not one to be missed if you’re interested in religious architecture.
Toledo Cathedral, from Plaza del Ayuntamiento
Must Visit: Plaza del Zocodover.
Stockholm, Sweden
Stockholm’s historic structures have been preserved to a considerable extent because of the city’s lack of war destruction, which was typical throughout Europe at the time. Stockholm is home to some of the world’s earliest twisting skyscrapers and is surrounded by water, making it one of Europe’s most diversified architectural environments. Unlike many other European towns, Sweden’s architecture has been maintained in large part due to the city’s survival from conflict. Neoclassicism was renamed Swedish Gustavian, and the classicism of the 1920s, which included Art déco, formed a distinct style known as Swedish Grace.
Stockholm is full of historically painted residences and businesses, in addition to the grandiose Gripsholm fortress and Drottningholm Palace.
View of Gamla stan in Stockholm with the tower of Tyska kyrkan
Must-Visit: City Hall, Vasa Museum, Djurgården.
Bordeaux, France
Bordeaux, France’s largest city and capital of the Aquitaine region, is one of Europe’s most popular vacation spots. Bordeaux Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church erected in the 14th century in Gothic and Romanesque architectural styles. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a national monument of France.
The spacious Place de la Bourse, which served Louis XV and is today ideal for taking in all of Bordeaux’s splendor, is not to be missed.
Palais Rohan, Bordeaux, France
Must Visit: Grand Theatre and the Cathedral Saint Andre, Pont de Pierre, Palais Gallien, Place de la Bourse, Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux.
Budapest, Hungary
The architecture of Hungarian Baroque churches is distinguished by conspicuous towers and gateways, as well as windows lit by side naves. The architecture of the castle was inspired by the traditions of the previous century. Budapest dubbed the “Paris of Eastern Europe,” is one of Europe’s most beautiful towns for architecture. Art Nouveau architectural styles may be seen all across Budapest, a mix of styles that reflect Hungary’s eastern past. Budapest’s urban landscape is dominated by a kaleidoscope of Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque Revival styles and combinations thereof. Budapest’s ancient Jewish Quarter is also home to Europe’s largest synagogue, which is on Dohány Street.
Pesti Vigadó, Budapest, Hungary
Must Visit: Parliament, Hungarian State Opera House, Dohány utca Synagogue, Fisherman’s Bastion.
Athens, Greece
Athens, Greece’s capital, is the birthplace of democracy and home to some of the world’s most spectacular specimens of ancient Greek architecture. Significant archaeological temples from the city’s lengthy history, neoclassical mansions, and vast concrete residential towers combine to form a chaotic but fascinating metropolis.
The wonderful ancient Greek architecture seen throughout the city speaks to the city’s rich heritage. The Parthenon on Acropolis Hill is a must-see in Athens; constructed in 448 BC, the Parthenon embodies the lasting essence of Athens’s culture and society.
The Parthenon in Athens
Must Visit: Ancient Greek theater, Parthenon.
Strasbourg, France
Pink sandstone is used in Gothic buildings and some Romanesque architecture. Strasburg, as one of the European Union’s seats, is a multi-faceted city with gothic-style bridges and modern and post-modern architecture. Strasbourg serves as a major business, commercial, and cultural hub. Strasbourg is home to a variety of European institutions and agencies, including the European Parliament, the Council of Europe, and the European Court of Human Rights, in addition to its traditional role as Alsace’s capital.
Strasbourg Palais Rohan depuis le quai des Bateliers
Must-Visit: Strasbourg Cathedral, Musee Historique de Strasbourg, Barrage Vauban.
Venice, Italy
Venetian Gothic is the name given to a specific type of Italian Gothic architecture found in Venice. It evolved from local building requirements, with some influences from Byzantine and Islamic architecture, and reflects Venice’s commercial network. Take a gondola ride around the city’s narrow canals to get a close look at Venetian Gothic architecture. Venice is a cultural and tourism hotspot known for its museums, architecture, urban landscape, and art world.
Venezia Palazzo Ducale
Must-Visit: Mark’s Basilica, Palazzo Ducale, Torre dell’ Orologio, Basilica Santi Giovanni e Paolo.
Vienna, Austria
The Harach and Kinsky palaces, as well as Prince Eugene of Savoy’s winter house, are all in the Baroque style, which was Vienna’s dominant architectural style in the 17th and 18th centuries. By the Danube River, Vienna, Austria, features a mix of architecture from several periods and styles, ranging from lavish Baroque-era monuments to a rejection of high embellishment in the twentieth century. Vienna’s history, or Wien as it is known, is as rich and complex as the architecture that depicts it. The magnificence of the country’s baroque and rococo castles and churches is legendary. It also has a diverse collection of internationally acclaimed Gothic and modern architecture.
Wiener Staatsoper abend
Must-Visit: The Imperial Palace of Schonbrunn, Austrian Parliament Building, Stephanskirche.
Dubrovnik, Croatia
The Architecture of Dubrovnik, Croatia includes Gothic, Renaissance, and late Romanesque. The walls of Dubrovnik are made of limestone dating back as far as the early 1300s. The architectural styles include a blend of Romanesque, Renaissance, and Baroque. Along the Adriatic coast, there are many less glamorous traditional stone buildings with red-tiled roofs, which coexist with historical architectural gems and late-twentieth-century hotel complexes.
Medieval Fort Dubrovnik, Croatia
Must-Visit: Minceta Fortress, Sponza Palace, Prijeko street, Franjevacki Crkva Male Brace, City Guard Building
Florence, Italy
Florence’s architecture is dominated by a single art movement, the Renaissance. Florence was the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance and one of the most influential towns in European history. Florence, the capital of Tuscany, boasts masterpieces of ancient Greek and Roman architecture, Gothic architecture, and Renaissance architecture.
Travel back in time to this culturally and historically rich Italian city that exemplifies European architecture at its best.
Restaurant in the Piazza del Duomo, Florence, Italy
Must-Visit: Santa Maria del Fiore, Pallazo Vecchio, Basilica di San Lorenzo.
Madrid, Spain
Madrid is one of Spain’s most famous tourist destinations, with a large number of culturally connected attractions and landmarks.
Many of Madrid’s ancient neighborhoods and streets have been preserved thanks to the city’s architecture. One of the most distinguishing characteristics of Madrid’s architecture is that the major styles that shaped each period moved as Spain’s monarchical monarchy shifted from Flanders to Austria to France. Finally, rather than inventing an independent style, Madrid’s architecture combined the inspirations.
Royal Palace of Madrid built in the 18th century
Must Visit: El Escorial, Plaza Mayor, Gran Via, The Carrión.
Copenhagen, Denmark
From Christian IV’s early 17th-century landmarks to the magnificent 17th-century mansions and palaces of Frederiksstaden, to late 19th-century residential boroughs and cultural institutions, Copenhagen’s architecture is characterized by a wide variety of styles. Copenhagen is the capital of Nordic cool thanks to its developing beer culture, some of the world’s top restaurants, royal history, and dedicated pedestrian- and cycle-friendly zones. Danish architecture can be traced back to Viking war encampments and the Roman, Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque periods. Danish architecture has been popular all around the world since the twenty-first century.
Amalienborg Palace, Copenhagen, Denmark
Must Visit: Royal Danish Opera House, Superkilen Park, Cirkelbroen, National Aquarium Denmark, Copenhill.
Edinburgh, Scotland
From the medieval qualities of the Old Town to the elegant Georgian New Town and more modern constructions like the Quartermile and New Waverly Arches, Edinburgh is known around the world for its gorgeous architecture. In Western Europe, Edinburgh is a one-of-a-kind capital. Scotland is known for its architecture. From crofts, castles, Victorian tenements, and Georgian country homes to cutting-edge designs of today, Scotland’s landscapes are home to unique constructed heritage and architecture.
Edinburgh
Edinburgh, showing Arthur’s Seat, one of the earliest known sites of human habitation in the area
Must-Visit: Edinburgh Castle, Calton Hill, The Scottish National Monument, Nelson’s Monument.
Zurich, Switzerland
Zurich’s central location in Western Europe makes it an ideal starting place for an Alsatian wine tour or a quick journey to Venice. Buildings in all major architectural styles, such as Roman, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Modern, and Postmodern architecture, may be found in Switzerland. The cathedrals of Basel, Geneva, Chur, Sion, and Lausanne all feature the twelfth-century Romanesque style. The city has become a mecca for young artistic and culinary creatives in recent years, and the city’s major river is so clean that you may swim in it. Ninety-nine percent of the city’s residents say they are completely content with their lives in the economic powerhouse—and they’re clearly on to something.
Münsterbrücke and Fraumünster- Zürich, Switzerland
Must-Visit: Grossmünster Church, Fraumünster Church, Lindt Home of Chocolate, Europaallee, Swiss National Museum Extension, Toni Campus, K.I.S.S., Freitag Tower.
October 29, 2024