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Blog 20 - Jan 22

My favorite structure was La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. While climbing the unfinished structure wasn’t as impressive as other structures I climbed on the trip (i.e. Florence Duomo, Pont du Gard, Milan Duomo, etc.) I still enjoyed other parts of the basilica. I loved Gaudi’s style; his designs remind me of nature and his use of vivid colors is beautiful to me. The columns that support the structure look like tall tree trunks and the doors on the facade are covered in vines and leaves, as well as the facade providing images of the mountains and the sea. The emphasis on nature and connecting that to god is a nice change in design, especially for churches. The mosaics in the basilica, especially during golden hour, painted the inside of the structure with gorgeous colors. I think the stained glass windows in the basilica were the most outstanding ones I had seen on the trip, outdoing any other windows we had seen from the many churches I had visited on the trip.

My favorite country was Spain, but this answer may be a little biased. I liked Spain because I (sorta) understood the language and I had a very good understanding of their modern history and the impact the 20th century had on modern Spain. While I did have an understanding of Italy and France’s history, from romans to revolutions, Spain’s modern identity is a direct reaction to a Fascist regime from less than 100 years ago and we can see that they are recovering from that first hand with their pride for Picasso’s Guernica. I also just liked every city we visited in Spain, and Italy and France didn’t have that track record with me.

My favorite city was either Madrid or Seville, and I liked them for different reasons. I liked Madrid because there was an emphasis on environmentally-conscious urban planning, and the people there felt like Spaniards (rather than Barcelona where the identity was very Catalonian,) which made it easier for me to understand their Spanish accent.  I also liked Madrid because it felt very western compared to other cities we had visited, due to it’s wide streets and public transportation (a stark contrast to Rome, Siena, Marseille, etc.) As for Seville, I liked it for it’s more laid-back atmosphere compared to big cities like Madrid, Barcelona, Paris, and Milan. Seville was beautiful because of its many architectural aesthetics, from gothic (the Gothic Cathedral) to islamic influences (Real Alcazar). I also thought the orange trees in the squares and lining the rivers were charming, and the ceramic tilings (and the history of it in the city) were beautiful characteristics that are tied to the identity of the southern city.

Goal 1 - My Spanish started coming back to me when we got to Barcelona, and by the time we left Seville I felt pretty comfortable building sentences in my head. Something I noticed is that while my vocabulary was coming back, my grammar and conjugations were difficult to get right. I’m not surprised though, it has been seven years since I consistently practiced my Spanish. I did notice that when I tried to speak Spanish in Barcelona, many locals wouldn’t really give me a chance to try and would prefer to speak with me in English, which made it difficult to me to want to try speaking Spanish. But, by the time we got to Madrid and Seville, people were more patient with me when I tried to speak Spanish. I think the most useful aspect of knowing Spanish while I was in Spain, was the fact that I could read menus in Spanish, but that often meant I ended up translating an entire tapas menu for Thomas (and tapas menus are long.)

Goal 2 - Trying local food in Italy was relatively easy for me because I love pasta. Some of the best kinds of pasta I’ve ever had were in Rome and Milan. I think that’s because the noodles are hand made and don’t have as many preservatives as the noodles we have in the United States. I thought it was cool that there are different styles of bread depending on the region we were in Europe (i.e., Siena style bread didn’t have any salt and bread in France was more doughy.) I was also fascinated to learn that most olives come from Seville and southern Spain, not Italy and that olives (and olive oil) are essentially the backbone of Seville’s economy. That being said, I never understood why those regions have the types of food that they do (with the exception of Seville), so that part of my goal wasn’t accomplished.

Goal 3 - I didn’t have the time to write any formal essays, but during our transit periods (i.e. bus rides, trains, and planes) I did manage to write some notes or thoughts that came to mind while traveling. Maybe those notes will turn into an essay later, who knows? So this goal was half-accomplished.

Goal 4 - I got to see some pretty fantastic artworks in my time in Europe. I was overjoyed to be able to visit the Sofia Reina Museum and see Guernica in person. After learning about the Spanish Civil War in high school and seeing pictures of Guernica in textbooks, I was excited to have the opportunity to see it in Madrid. I also was happy to see works by Donatello in Florence, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as seeing Picasso’s or Dali’s paintings in Madrid or Matisse’s artwork in Vence (classical art, while beautiful, isn’t my favorite art). I did also manage to see some fantastic modern art at the Maeght Foundation and the CaixaForum, and I ended up enjoying the Maeght’s exhibition featuring Ra’anan Levy’s oil paintings and charcoal studies, more than the exhibition in the CaixaForum. Even after the trip had ended, I got the opportunity to visit the Louve, and I probably wouldn’t have seen any of the artworks (i.e. Mona Lisa, the Last Supper, Liberty Leading the People, the Coronation of Napoleon, Venus de Milo, etc.) if I didn’t go on the Great Structures trip. So I’d say that I accomplished my goal.

Goal 5 - I managed to get ramen twice on the trip, once in Rome and once in Barcelona. It was really good! My biggest regret is that I didn’t manage to get ramen in Paris, but that’s ok. What I took away from the experience is that unlike Japan and the US, ramen shops in Europe like to cook with chicken instead of pork. That's a pretty big difference considering that that most popular type of ramen is tonkatsu, which is a pork broth soup. It was easier to find a good miso (soybean broth) or shoyu (soy broth) ramen than tonkatsu ramen because there were more chicken options than pork in the shops that I visited.

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Blog 17 - Jan 19

The Metropol Parasol was constructed in the middle of an economic recession and costed 123,000,000€ (the funding for which came from public funding). It was built in a previously dark area, closed off, and impoverished, and revitalized the surrounding area by creating an open, public space that brought in sunlight and economic development. Since the construction of the Metropol Parasol, new local businesses have emerged near the site, thereby promoting people to gather in the area and spend money at restaurants and shops (and boosting the economy). This structure could have been vital in helping Seville recover from the 2008 global financial crisis. Even after a decade since the great recession, Seville has an unemployment rate of 22% (statistic provided by Jamie) for context, the peak global unemployment rate during the recession was 10%, so it’s safe to say that Seville can use all the help it can get. That being said, using 123,000,000€ of public funding to create a giant wooden waffle seems a bit too excessive to promote economic growth, when that money could have been placed elsewhere to create long-term employment opportunities for locals. But, on the other hand, the Metropol Parasol now operates as a tourist attraction, creating new opportunities in tourism for Seville’s people.

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Blog 14 - Jan 16

Antoni Gaudi’s aesthetic is predominantly influenced by nature and the human body, and as such, he uses more organic shapes in his architectural designs. For example, when our class visited the Casa Batlló, I noticed that the facade of the structure is reminiscent of a skull. Inside the structure, there are other aspects that reminded me of the human body, such as the catenary arches in the loft, which reminded me of white rib bones. Other aspects of the Casa Batlló reminded me of nature, such as the mushroom-shaped entrance to the fireplace, and the internal skylight and stairway reminded me of the ocean because of its blue tiling. Wooden panels that could be used as vents were also in the shape of the gills of a fish, further creating an underwater appearance. Many people argue that the top of the Casa Batlló’s facade is shaped like a dragon as well. It’s also important to notice that Gaudi didn’t seem fond of right angles or straight panels either since most walls and roofs inside the structure are either curved (i.e. the canary arches lining the loft) or have a more organic or flowing shape to the design (the Noble Floor’s windows are all curved and look like they are bent like an untaught string). The “bent” appearance of the chimneys and pillars framing the window further reminds me of nature because it looks like seaweed to me.

Another example of Gaudi’s nature-influenced designs would be the La Sagrada Familia. The facade of the nativity side of the unfinished basilica features sculptural depictions of the mountains and the sea on opposite sides of the main doors, tying in Barcelona’s geographical influences to the structure’s identity. The main doors of La Sagrada Familia are covered in vines and feature little statues of other creatures like lizards. Inside La Sagrada Familia, the pillars of the structure reminded me of trees and made the roof feel like a canopy. The arches of La Sagrada Familia are catenary arches like in the Casa Batlló. Just like the Casa Batlló, there are few to no right angles or straight edges in La Sagrada Familia. The interior of La Sagrada Familia features many beautiful stain-glassed windows, and during golden hour in the afternoon, the inside of the basilica is covered in sunset colors, bringing nature inside the structure and incorporating it into the space rather than excluding it like many other basilicas and cathedrals do.

Gaudi’s use of vivid colors and organic, flowing shapes creates an atmosphere that blends the lines between outside and inside in a way that is different from Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s interpretation of the concept. While Ludwig Mies van der Rohe uses minimalism (subdued color pallets and simple materials) to blur the lines of nature and architecture, Antoni Gaudi uses ornate designs and intense colors to incorporate nature through architecture. Gaudi’s design, therefore, creates an atmosphere of grandiosity rather than simplicity.

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Blog 13 - Jan 15

(It’s a pun (sangria/sagrada))

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Blog 12 - Jan 14

After visiting Mies Van der Rohe’s Barcelona Pavilion, I noticed some aspects of the structure’s design that could be considered main points of Miesien architecture. My initial reaction to the structure was how modernist it felt for a building constructed in 1929, had I not been told the age of the structure, I would have thought that it was built sometime from the 1950s to the 1970s because the structure’s atmosphere and aesthetic felt contemporary. While the statue, Daybreak, was beautiful to view, my favorite detail of the structure was how the black and yellow stones along with the red curtain creates the german flag on the facade. It was a very simplistic yet chic way to display the german identity associated with the pavilion. Anyway, here is a list of “Miesien” points that I gathered from my time at the Barcelona Pavilion:

1. Less is More: this quote is commonly associated with Mies Van der Rohe and is used as a slogan at the Barcelona Pavilion gift shop. I think the reason this phrase epitomizes Mies’s aesthetic is because the Barcelona Pavilion is a structure with open space and minimal furniture and objects occupying the area of the structure. The structure also displays this concept with it’s minimal use in diverse materials, as the majority of the structure’s components are glass and ornate marble. This is a major shift in the usage of materials, since up until this point, many structures I had seen with onyx, marble, and travertine stone were all intricately carved and placed in a design to make a structure flashy and noticeable (i.e. Siena Duomo, Florence Duomo, Pantheon, etc.), while the use of the same materials at the Pavilion were left as free standing center pieces to operate as the main focal point of the facade of the structure.

1. Reflection: as in seeing reflections, and providing a space to reflect. Many of the surfaces of the pavilion are reflective and create the illusion of more space, as seen with the still pool in the main part of the pavilion and the pool behind the foyer of the structure. The glass walls of the structure also provide reflective surfaces as well, but their translucency opens up the space of the pavilion, dissolving the idea of inside and outside being two separate spaces and merging them into one. While I was experiencing the space of the structure, the reflective aspects of the materials made me think about the absence of clear boundaries between inside and outside the structure. This is a rather transformative aspect to this structure that made me consider how architecture has been altered by the idea of experiencing an enclosed space without feeling confined.

3. Puzzle-like Grid: as previously stated, the stone walls in the center of the pavilion are free standing, meaning they can be removed from the structure without the structure collapsing or other walls or surfaces needing to be shifted. It’s like removing a piece from a puzzle, the other pieces can remain connected even if only one piece is removed. This is revolutionary for it’s time, since many structures, even ones built after the Barcelona Pavilion, are not easily built with this aspect. The other part of this Miesien point is the grid. Every panel or wall in the structure is lined up on a grid and each panel creates strictly right angles.

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Blog 11 - Jan 13

My favorite structure we saw in France was the Chapelle du Rosaire in Vence, because of it’s simple and humble atmosphere. It was designed by the famous French artist, Henri Matisse, in the 1950s. It was my favorite structure to visit because it was a stark construct to the other Cathedrals and Basilicas we’d seen in the trip. I appreciated the Chapelle du Rosaire for it’s beautiful art (Matisse’s drawings of the station of the cross were refreshing renditions to see) and it’s lovely use of blues (both from the stain glass windows and the tiling of the roof). I also love that Matisse didn’t do the project for vanity, he simply wanted to give the local community a place to gather. Matisse ended up visiting the chapel once in his life after the completion of the chapel. For whatever the reason, I felt more at peace at Matisse’s chapel than the large Duomos in Florence or Milan. I think it’s because his church is like a flower: soft and humble.

My favorite city in France was Marseille, but it feels like a default answer. This is because our group was in Nice for only a night (and it was dark when we arrived there) so it was hard to really experience the area. Our group was in Arles and Vence for only a couple hours each, so again, it was difficult to get to know the area well enough to make any judgements on whether or not I enjoyed it. As for Nimes, I was too sick to go our to walk around the city, so I have no idea what my opinions on it are. That being said, I did like Marseille for its nautical aspects. The harbor was beautiful and the city was fun to explore at night.

The only goal I worked towards during my time in France was seeing artwork. During our visit to the Chapelle du Rosaire I got the opportunity to view beautiful charcoal studies by Matisse, and during our visit to the Fondation Maeght I had the wonderful opportunity to see French Modern art. I particularly enjoyed the exhibition by Ra’anan Levy, because I thought his charcoal self portraits were impressive. I also enjoyed walking the outdoor labyrinth and seeing the beautiful fountains around the building. My favorite aspect of the Maeght was the purple stained glass window in the chapel because I had never seen a stained glass window with a modernist style.

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Blog 9 - Jan 11

At our visit to Le Corbusier’s Les Habitations Marseille, I noticed that some of his innovations were effective and stood the test of time, while other aspects of his urban dwelling designs fell flat. His idea of using the Fibonacci sequence or golden ratio to inspire the dimensions of the structure was particularly innovate for his time. For example, the idea of using a “modular man” to base the dimensions of a structure off of is fascinating, since it means that the design is creating an ideal living spaces for the standard height of a person. There are, however, a few flaws with this concept. Men on average, are six feet tall (the height of the modular man Le Corbusier used in his designs), but that’s an average, meaning that some people would be too tall to be comfortable in the structure. This is particularly problematic in the indoor hallways of the apartment complex, as it would be difficult for taller people to move through the building without some discomfort.

A design aspect that did seem to age well was how the structure created an underpass by elevating the bottom floor of structure. By doing this, Le Corbusier opens up the area and promotes foot-traffic, creating a more communal space. Le Corbusier’s design of the area around the structure also promoted community by creating a park-like area as a safe space for children and pets to play in and creating a small gated communal garden for the apartment residents to share. All of these aspects can be seen in other modern apartments in the United States. Many apartments and even college dorms have either a courtyard, patio, quad, or another open and safe communal space for people to gather outside of the apartment.

A major aspect of Le Corbusier’s design that failed was the floor numbering system. Depending on if someone took the elevator or the stairs, there are either nine or eighteen floors to the building. This is confusing and disorienting to visitors and has not been implemented into other urban dwellings because of the fact that it is confusing. Another aspect that wasn’t successful was the low-lit internal corridors lining the residential apartments. I imagine that Le Corbusier was well meaning with his idea — he believed the low-lighting would promote silence and create a peaceful environment — but the reality is that it’s creepy to walk down a dark hallway, just like it would be scary to walk down a dark street.

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Blog 8 - Jan 10

I liked Milan the best compared to Rome, Siena, and Florence primarily because of the climate. Milan is the furthest north city out of the Italian cities we visited and is close to the Alps, so the city is naturally colder than the others. I particularly liked how fresh the air was from the mild rain. Roman and Florentine air was notoriously filthy in my opinion, and Milan (while it did have its flaws) was much easier to breathe in. I also appreciated Milan because the streets were wide, unlike in Rome, Siena, and Florence. This made me feel like I wasn’t confined or squished between buildings while walking down the street, and I felt like I had room enjoy the city. I also really appreciate the fact that Milan has a metro system, since cities like Rome and Florence can’t build one efficiency because as Anthony said it, every time they dig underground in those cities, they usually find historical ruins, that might need to be preserved.

While I really liked Milan and the Milan Duomo, my favorite structure was in Florence. I liked the Palazzo Vecchio out of all the structures in Italy because of its political and historical significance. I also thought that it was incredible that we got to climb up to the base of the tower and look down at the Piazza della Signoria and get a bird’s eye view of the (copy of the) statue of David and the Fountain of Neptune, as well as a fantastic view of the Florence Duomo. My favorite part of the inside of the Palazzo Vecchio was the apartments for Eleonora of Toledo, they were beautifully painted and lovely to see in person, despite their deterioration. I also liked the map room and seeing one of the many hidden doorways the Medici used during their political reign over Florence.

I did accomplish one personal goal: I got ramen in Rome! It was delicious and tasted nice and spicy. I will admit, I think the meal was a bit overpriced for what I received, but I’m not too upset because the price was probably elevated due to the location of the restaurant (a block from the Pantheon). As for my other goals: I did get pasta three times (outside of group meals) while in Italy, and each time the noodles were fantastic! I loved that the noodles were soft and al dente in Italy, it was truly an experience I could never replicate at home.

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Blog 7 - Jan 9

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Blog 6 - Jan 8

Florence has many public spaces where people can gather. Two that come to mind for me is the Palazzo Vecchio and the Duomo de Firenze. Both areas are prominently known for their cultural background and their history during the Medici rule of Florence, and have similar uses as tourist destinations in Florence.

The Palazzo Vecchio is known primarily as the political center of Florence, as it is the town hall of Florence and has served as one for hundreds of years. Outside the building there is a plaza called the Piazza della Signoria, it is a wide open area (probably the size of a city block in Florence) where people gather to see the Statue of David (now a replica stands where the original once stood) and the Fontana del Nettuno. There is plenty of space for people to gather in the plaza, compared to the Duomo.

The Duomo is arguably the cultural and religious center of Florence. It is the city’s tallest standing structure (no other structures are permitted to be taller than the pinnacle of the dome). The Duomo is massive, occupying three to five city blocks in length and at least two to three city blocks in width. Next to the facade of the cathedral there stands a bell tower and across from the facade stands a baptistery. The area between the cathedral and the baptistery is roughly the side of a six to eight car lane street, and the area between the Duomo and the surrounding city blocks is also noticeably larger than the other streets of Florence. The area around the Duomo feels more like a street than a plaza, because the open area is essentially a perimeter around the Duomo and doesnt feel as open as the Piazza della Signoria.

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Blog 4 - Jan 6

Rome vs Siena

1 ) Siena and Rome have different types of bread. In Rome the bread has more flavor, while in Siena, the bread is unsalted. This was notable at our first lunch in Siena when we ate bread. It was an interesting experience to learn that bread could vary by region in Italy.

2 ) Rome had a lot more graffiti in the streets than Siena. I mentioned this observation I had to Anthony and he explained to me that outside of Rome, there is a regional sense of loyalty and pride. He said that in Siena, there is a distinct “Siena” or even “Tuscan” sense of identity that citizens have and they carry that with pride. This can be seen firsthand with how people clean and maintain their businesses and property, and how there is a significantly less amount of graffiti on street walls and cultural sites (i.e. people carve their names into the Colosseum in Rome, but there’s practically no scratches on the Siena Duomo.)

3 ) The layout and time period of each city is different. Rome is an amalgamation of many eras, there are ancient ruins (i.e. the Forum, the Colosseum), but there’s also Renaissance architecture (countless churches) and many modern structures (i.e. the Parco della Musica and the Maxxi.) Rome’s streets also reflect this mix, with dome streets being narrow and others being wide, which reflects modern and older times. Siena doesn’t seem to have as much of a mix of time periods, with many of the streets being narrow throughout the city (reflecting that it was built in older times and chooses to preserve that aesthetic rather than create wide streets to reflect modern needs). Siena also felt like its was built from Medieval times to the Renaissance, with many of the structures in the city having the qualities of a these time periods (i.e. tall and narrow, and odd or mismatched dimensions.)

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Blog 3 - Jan 5

The Pantheon should be considered the 8th Wonder of the World for a number of reasons. First, the Pantheon survived nearly 2000 years of history. That alone is a feat that many structures do not accomplish, but it is more impressive when the history of Rome is considered. Rome has had a long battle history, and considering the Pantheon has survive 2000 years of wars and destruction is impressive.

Another reason why the Pantheon should be the 8th Wonder of the World is that the Pantheon is a mathematical marvel. It’s dome is essentially symmetrical and operates as a sundial (the light from the hole in the top of the dome shines through to the entrance of the Pantheon on the new year of the ancient Roman calendar.) The Pantheon is also the largest standing dome in history, not even the Duomos of Siena or Firenze could outdo the size of the Pantheon.

Finally, the Pantheon has a large cultural impact on architecture and has inspired many other structures, even ones built in the modern day. Thomas Jefferson was fascinated with the Pantheon and modeled many buildings at the University of Virginia (which he founded) and Monticello (his home in Virginia) after the Pantheon. The Pantheon also inspired other structures in the United States such as the Thomas Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C. and the Rogers Building at MIT. These are all American examples of structures the Pantheon inspired, but it is also important to remember that many architects that designed domes often studied the Pantheon.

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Blog 2 - Jan 4

Palimpsest is the concept of reusing an old object or structure and altering it with a modern approach. This idea was shown at the Parco della Musica and it’s location. During the Parco’s construction, ruins of a Roman villa were found, and the architect, Renzo Piano, altered his design for the Parco to excevate the ruins and include a small exhibit on the ancient treasures. This shows the merging and repurposing the old with the new. The Maxxi also has aspects of palimpsest in it’s design. The building across from the Maxxi used to be barracks during World War II, but instead of being torn down, they have been repurposed for public use (i.e. cafes, shops, etc.) Sometimes, when constructing great structures, it’s better to repurpose rather than destroy, as seen with these two Roman sites.

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Blog 1 - Jan 3

Here’s a list of initial impressions I have on Italian culture based off of my first day here, and some differences from the United States I noticed:

- Italians love to eat and are especially welcoming and hospitable around food (i.e. even though we didn’t enter some restaurants, waiters/hosts still said hello and good day, unlike other locals that we passed on the street who paid us no mind. This is unlike many American restaurants that I’ve seen, where they wait for customers to acknowledge them before greeting them. That being said, the behavior of being friendly to a potential customer is common in USA retail businesses, so maybe it’s not a major cultural difference, just a small one.

-In America, the philosophy is usually “bigger is better.” It’s seen in food portions (i.e. king size candy bars and big gulp cups,) but in Italy things come in smaller sizes such as dinner sizes (the portion of pasta served at dinner was a good example of this — in America the pasta serving for an appetizer would be roughly the same as the portion size of an Italian dinner entre. The idea of things being “smaller” in Italy is also true for other consumer products. Cars are typically more compact in size in Italy compared to the average car in the United States. Kinda drives home the point that Italians don’t necessarily think “bigger is better.”

- In America we often complain that drivers from other states are crazy (i.e a person from Baltimore, Maryland, will often complain that Northern Virginian drivers are terrible and vice versa.) Something that I noticed in Italy is that driving is much more lawless than in the USA, with many cars cutting off pedestrians and moving lanes and turning without much universal order to them like in the USA. If anything, American drivers (as a whole) seem much safer than the drivers I’ve seen in Rome the past few days. I’d dare to say that even the DMV (D.C., Maryland, and Virginia) rivalry on which state has worst drivers ever, would still agree that Italian drivers are far more dangerous.

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I’m an art minor so I have experience with drawing techniques, however, most of my experiences are with sketching still-lifes and human portraiture. I have a pretty basic understanding of how to convey a one-point and two-point perspective by focusing on the boldness of linework (i.e. lines should be finer the further away an object is, and bolder if an object is closer to the frame.) I look forward to the challenge of focusing on architectural sketches while in Europe. I notice that in the sketch below I focused primarily on shadows and outlines of the pillars and arches, rather than the overall textures of the surfaces.

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5 Personal Objectives

1) I want to brush up on my Spanish comprehension since I used to be fluent in the language but haven’t spoken Spanish in six years.

2) I want to try as many local foods as possible while I am in Spain, Italy, and France and understand why these cultures have the flavor profiles that they do. I want to understand how food is impacted by cultures. 

3) I want to do my best to document my experiences and reflect on them through the form of the essay, or at least brainstorm potential travel essays (I’m a creative writer and I’m always thinking and searching for things to write about).

4) I want to see as much art as possible, because I am fascinated by art preservation and deterioration, and these countries have a rich, fascinating history when it comes to that. (I’m also an Art minor so I’m sorta a nerd about this). 

5) If there are any ramen shops in the cities that we visit, I want to try a bowl of ramen at least once from each region we visit. This is because I have a personal hobby and fascination with comparing ramen. I.e., I’ve tasted ramen from Japan to Fargo, and I will continue to taste the regional variations on my favorite food.