Löbau-Haus Schminke

Haus Schminke by Hans Scharoun. Really great building, everyone loved it!

Slovenia-Plecnik Three Bridges

Slovenia was a really charming place. I didn't know what to expect, and it ended up surprising me. A good deal of the architecture in Ljubljana was designed by Joze Plecnik. The focal point of town being this area near the central plaza and the Three Bridges. As we walked near, a brass band began to play and people gathered around to listen to the music as they went about their errands. Having a stroll through town set to music really lifted my spirits and made the jaunt quite enjoyable. I feel like this town is a hidden gem, it was refreshing after the crowded streets of Venice.

Veneto-Palladio Villas

A reoccurring theme in our travels through the Veneto and Italy was the Palladio Villa. We examined eight different villas and noted the similarities and differences between the facades and plan of the buildings. By the time we were done, I had a great collection of these simple drawings that look impressive when compared side-by-side. It is interesting to see how Palladio warped his nine square plan in each instance. Here we have Villa Malcontenta, San Giorgio Maggiore (not really a villa, but still designed by Palladio), Villa Cornaro, and Villa Rotunda.

Berlin-Jewish Museum

The Jewish Museum in Berlin by Daniel Libeskind is an interesting place. It seems to be less a museum about Judaism and more about a memorial of the events of the holocaust. It treads a fine line between a tomb-like reverence and theme park exploration. One of the rooms was the "Face Room." It is a tall, empty chamber with light streaming down from above. On the ground were over 10,000 rough-cut iron faces. The faces appear to be locked in an expression of screaming or suffering. One had to walk on the faces in order to cross the room. When you step on the faces it creates a load metallic banging sound that reverberates throughout the chamber. It really gave me a feeling of anxiety and shame. This installation is an art piece called "Shalechet" or "Fallen Leaves" by Menashe Kadishman. Of the many set pieces, this room was probably my favorite, just for the emotions it was able to command. A powerful reminder of the sorrow and pain of the Holocaust.

Vienna-Schloss Belvedere

A spread from my architecture sketch book. Drawings of several Atlas statues at Schloss Belvedere in Vienna, Austria. The columns are named after Atlas because they hold up the building. It was a really hot day in Vienna, and the museum inside the Belvedere was nice and cool, so I spent a good deal of time in there sitting and sketching. On the right is a (sideways) view of the skyline from the top of the Belvedere. The quote in German at the top left is from the outside of the Secession Building. It says "DER ZEIT IHRE KUNST, DER KUNST IHRE FREIHEIT," or "To every age its art, to art its freedom."

Venice-View from Il Redentore

Here is a quick sketch from my architecture study abroad sketchbook. A view of beautiful Venice from Il Redentore. It was fun trying to get a general sense of the skyline in the least amount of time, using a minimal amount of lines.

Berlin Philharmonie (instruments)

From my architecture sketch book, even though it's not a building... In Berlin our group had the fantastic opportunity to visit the Berlin Philharmonie and watch a live performance. It was incredible. The space is arranged in such a way that there is no real focal point. The orchestra is situated in the middle with haphazard seating placed in tiers around the pit. Some seats don't even directly face the center, the audience members would have to physically turn slightly to face the show. I tried to sketch the space, but I became frustrated by my results and turned instead to drawing instruments. The harp is an elegant and mysterious (to me) instrument, and it happened to catch my eye. The cellos on the other hand, I've had a bit of an obsession with cellos lately. I love how they look, sound, everything! I'd love to learn to play, but I'm afraid I couldn't possibly afford a cello. It might be worth it to pick up a junker for a couple hundred bucks on eBay just to tinker around with.

Kunsthalle Wien

From my study abroad sketchbook; The Kunsthalle Wien. On our free day in Vienna, I had some extra time to sit down and get some good solid sketching in while I waited for a friend. This building is in the Museum Quarter of Vienna. It's a great public space with several art museums, cafes, and these strange, large, yellow sculptures that act as seating. Vienna was a really great city, probably my most favorite on the trip.

Certosa di Pavia

Another sketch from my architecture study abroad. This is the Certosa di Pavia, a Carthusian Order monastery. An incredibly detailed building, even with a very simplified sketch I didn't have time to finish while we were there. We were able to walk through the cloister and see the dining hall as well as a courtyard with hermit monk housing. The hermit monks had lazy susans built into the exterior walls of their houses. With this, food could be delivered and dirty dishes taken out with zero human contact. They lived a peaceful and extremely simple life with sparse rooms and a small garden. We learned that the monastery had be running at full capacity as late as the fifties.

Il Campanile

Il Campanile di Piazza San Marco. From my architecture study abroad sketchbook.