garetthozza

[garetthozza]

Blog #17/Jan 21:

My favorite structure in Spain might have been the Mies van der Rohe Pavilion in Barcelona. I remember talking about its significance in class and speaking about things such has how the stone was cute and the Barcelona chairs, but when we came up to the structure, I did not even realize that was what it was, I originally thought the building was some sort of contemporary gift shop. So knowing that this structure was created more than 100 years ago and looks the way our modern structures look, just blows my mind.

I loved the way you could never really be in one room at once and how open the structure felt inside. It made rethink the whole structure of what makes a building a building or a room a room. The way the natural light interacts with all the reflective material including the water inside the structure adds to how much thought and precision was put into the layout.

I was able to complete all my goals I had set for myself. I saw more new art and art I had studied in my classes at the Prado museum in Madrid, including paintings such as the Meninas and Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights. It was cool to see these in person, especially since I was not aware these were where the originals were! I was able to try new food, most notably the sea bass from our group dinner which I thought was really good and I’m really happy I tried it! While in France, I was able to apply my knowledge of the language mostly by ordering food and helping my peers read and order their food as well. I bought some post cards and other souvenirs to remember my time here as well.

The relationships I have formed on this trip have broadened as well as we continued on our travel. We even were able to spot an Elon flag at a bar in Barcelona!

All in all this trip has been an amazing opportunity and I’m glad that I have been able to apply the knowledge we have been learning in class and gain new insight by visiting these cities and structures.

[garetthozza]

Blog #13/Jan 17:

Gaudi’s aesthetic is very unique from a lot of the structures we have seen on this trip so far. He has a strong connection to curves and ornate detail that is colorful and expressed through a natural way that brings movement and organic elements to his work.

This can be seen both through the exterior and interior of La Sagrada Familia. The exterior shows depictions of stories from the bible, one showing the crucification of Jesus. He was able to show the sorrow through his forms by constructing the scene with natural sharp angles and curves that represent death and sadness, evoking such strong emotion to the viewer.

On the interior, the stained glass windows on the east are blue and green, so that when the sun shines through in the morning, it evokes the feeling of the sun shining through the trees. And in the afternoon, the sun shines through the west side which contains red orange and yellow stained glass windows, répares ting the sun setting and the end of the day.

His aesthetic can also be seen at Park Güell, where you can see a lot of this unique natural style take place in the park. The use of natural material creating forms and builds as though they were growing themselves brings an organic atmosphere to the space. It leave the visitor feeling connected to the space, not distracting from the inherit nature and scenery around them.

[garetthozza]

Blog #12/Jan 16:

At the Salvador Dali Museum, many aspects of the building contributed and added to the experience of the surrealist art the Dali creates.

First, the exterior of the building already a adds to the whimsical and surrealist experience that the visitor is about to enter, with large eggs lining the top of the facade and what looks like knots of bread covering the exterior walls. It looks unconventional yet intriguing and thought provoking.

This can also be seen in the courtyard in the middle of the theater/museum. The small windows holding gold statues of forms combined with the pieces in the pieces in the middle, including the car and other statues, add to the extraordinary fashion that Dali presents in his work. this can be matched by viewing the large painting across into the next room through the window, and viewing the large glass dome on the top. Everything about this structure seems unconventional, yet it pops and allows the natural light to enhance the artwork inside.

[garetthozza]

Blog #11/Jan 15th:

In Montpellier, we got to see both the old and new built environments. In the old sections we viewed, there were many shopping districts that sustained the old facades, yet housed new businesses. And sprinkled in between we’re new structures that complimented the old architecture as to not distract from the environment.

In the “new” areas, we are seeing more practice with sustainable architecture, shown in Hotel De Ville which is the city hall, capturing the needs of the city by promoting sustainability. This structure takes from the past of the city and implements it in a new way to support the current needs of the citizens.

Another instance of these two eras blending together are through the use of nature and parks. Where we saw the old aqueduct, the area was surrounded my green space and parks that persevered the past, yet made the area appealing and welcoming to visitors of today.

[garetthozza]

Blog #10/Jan 14:

This moment at Fondation Maeght left a mark on me. The whole process of entering the labyrinth through the entrance of the museum as it begins to climb and guide the visitor up back into the building feels much like a journey through one’s life. The fact that this museum is located at the top of this scenic hill in such a peaceful place eludes to it being almost the pinnacle of art. It felt untouchable in a sense. The stark contrast between the monochromatic sculptures out in the labyrinth to the pop of movement and color inside the museum really changes what the viewer is perceiving. This moment specifically in the labyrinth spoke to me, almost as if it is the spot in my artistic journey that I am currently at, slowly making my way through different pieces waiting to reach the explosive start of my art career. A peacefulness before the chaotic work that my future hopefully consists of. The tour through this museum felt rushed for me since we were in a group, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I could have spent hours there looking at all the pieces and taking in the view.

[garetthozza]

Blog #9/Jan 13:

The Nice Merida district contained a lot of sustainable functions that could better serve more areas to promote the use of sustainability.

One of those being the small park in the middle that acted as a water basin for flood control. This multi-purpose area makes the district aesthetically pleasing with a splash of nature, as well as being working to hold water when it rains.

The fins on the one building also helped control sunlight intake into the building. This function serves to protect the inside of the building from heat and brightness, while also making it energy-efficient and a more comfortable space.

The last thing I found sustainable about this community are the zoning aspects and how everything can be included in this walkable community. Building the buildings so that they have an open floor plan with no weight bearing walls in the middle open up the opportunity for many different things for the buildings in the future, making them less likely to have to tear down and building new things. It was also mentioned how everything one would need will be built into this community (such as health care and groceries) so there is less need to use transportation. However, if there is a need for transportation, the trams are a very sustainable way to do so and seem to be the primary mode of transportation in this city.

[garetthozza]

Blog #8/Jan 12

I really enjoyed Italy. This was the first country I visited outside of America and I think it was the perfect first country to visit. Being able to compare the cities to what I’m familiar with in America was so cool to see and picking up on the different cultural elements.

My favorite structure was by far St. Peter’s Basilica. The enormous scale and historical significance of this structure really struck me with awe. Climbing up to the dome and seeing the view of the city was also a very big highlight of my time in Italy, being able to get an overall view of the streets we have been passing through really put into perspective the amount of amazing structures and architecture these places have.

Building off this, I think my favorite city so far was Rome. We got to see a lot of well known structures that really gratifying to experience. I think it was an amazing first city to visit and really got me excited to visit more of the other structures we have outlined on this trip.

I was able to meet a good amount of my goals while in Italy. I was able to see a lot of new art that I have not seen before, including at the Maxxi and at the Acadamia in Florence. I got to see Michelangelo’s David which has been a big bucket list item for me so that was one of my favorite pieces from Italy.

I tried soo much new and good food. I went in knowing I wanted to be more open with my food choices and it really paid off. My favorite dish may have been a pesto pasta I got in Florence.

I also was able to connect with and have an amazing time with all my classmates on this trip. I’ve begun to form good bonds with people and have enjoyed spending my free time with them to get to know them all better! Italy Overall has been such an amazing experience and I cannot wait to return one day!

[garetthozza]

Blog #7/Jan 11

From viewing the Porto Nuevo in Milan and seeing structures such as the vertical forest, there were many aspects of urban design that I absorbed.

First, the interventions of parks helps overall quality of life and is important for our environment. With all the buildings and lack of green spaces in a city, you can run into some problems with pollution. With an integration of parks, you provide wide open spaces with greenery and cancels out some noise and air pollution.

Second, the urban design spaces were pushed away from the city center. The city center had more persevered historical architectural features that eventually spill into new modern architecture on the outside. These buildings then had a focus on sustainable and green technology in response to the clutter of the city. More parks and big buildings creates places to bring people in.

Third, the vertical forest integrates sustainability and innovation through the architecture. It creates a new environment for wildlife. It is curated and kept up by the maintenance of the building to ensure its purpose is always fulfilled in an effective and aesthetically way

[garetthozza]

Blog #5/Jan 9th

Alberti’s Harmony of Proportions can be described as “nothing could be added, diminished, or altered except for the worse.” Any system of proportions should be flexible enough to express the individual creativity of the artist.

In Florence, there were two buildings I found that could fit this description.

The first image is located in the Piazzale degli uffizi. Here, you can see the repeating aspects of the windows and columns, as well as how the elements get smaller as it grows to the top. The proportion can be shown across, with the 3-4 columns and 6 windows of each section, or with the 4 sections the span vertically, the columns, architrave, and the 2 rows of windows.

In the second image, we see proportions more uniformly in both vertical and horizontal directions. Similar to the other picture, the proportions shrink as it goes towards the top. They also show repetition between the windows.

[garetthozza]

Blog #4 Jan 8th:

Rome is inside the region of Lazio while Florence is inside the region of Tuscany. Tuscany is known to have more rolling hills, vineyards, and countryside. Rome is the capital of Italy, so more city-like and larger in scale, while Florence is smaller and more self-contained than Rome.

From what I have viewed the two cities have some factors in common, while both providing unique experiences. Some of the streets have a common look and feel, being narrow with shops on a cobblestone street. However, Rome seemed more busking, with a metro station and feeling more like a big city. Florence’s shopping scene seemed to be more of a prevalent factor, mixed with its many churches and its art.

[garetthozza]

Blog #3 Jan 7th:

I will compare the Trevi Fountain and St Peter’s Basilica in relation to their piazzas. The Trevi Fountain acts as a landmark for the area, being grand in nature and having a fountain feature that attracts people. the space is on the smaller size for a piazza, though can attract many people. For St. Peter’s Basilica, it is more open and acts as it is welcoming those who pass by into the basilica. The space naturally draws you in with the open piazza matched with the large and overlooking basilica as the main focus. This compared to the trevi fountain draws and attracts people to it, but in much different ways and for different reasons. St. Peter’s Basicllica could draw people in to act on their faith or to respect the space, while the Trevi fountain seems to attract people more for the artistry and the novelty of making a wish with a coin in the fountain. Though both having different reasons, they both serve to attract guests.

[garetthozza]

Blog #2/Jan 6.

Palimpsest means something reused or altered but still bearing visible traces of its earlier form. From what we viewed today, Renzo Piano’s Auditorium Parco della Musica can reflect this. The complex featuring 3 music halls and an outdoor theatre also included a small museum featuring artifacts that were discovered as construction was taking place. It was revealed there was a villa dating back to 6th century BC ik the site of the music halls. These ruins can be seen out the back window of the halls, where the museum is showing off the artifacts. It was really cool to see how Piano altered his design to help include and show off this history, dedicating it to this feature.

[garetthozza]

Blog #1/Jan 5. My first impressions of Italy was the drastic change in the lifestyle. Down to the small things like reading all the billboards in a different language on the bus ride from the airport or the different license plates on the cars, it fully set in that I was in a different country, which I have never been to. Some of the cultural differences of the built environment I noticed between Italy and the US were how walkable the city is, the older style of architecture, and how colorful the buildings are.

It really struck me how walkable Italy is, you would see people walking in between and right next to cars on the cobblestone streets, both things I am not used to in america. I think it’s cool having the thin cobblestone streets for pedestrians to walk from shop to shop on, while also having access to cars and motorcycles.

The architecture of most of the buildings also seem generally older. It is cool to see how italy remains to preserve their old and unique style of architecture. It brings character and a unique style to the city that we no longer see in America.

The way the buildings have more color to them is also something that differs from America. The pink and yellow stone buildings was one of the first things that caught my eye. When we have stone buildings in america, they are usually never colored like they are where in Italy, which i think brings a pop of energy and life when walking through the city.

[garetthozza]

Favroite Elon Structure: The Snow Family Atrium in the School of Communications

This is my favorite structure because of how open the space is and how its main feature is the floor to ceiling windows that allow for a lot of natural light to come in. The space acts as a gathering space through triangulation and being a focus point as the two wings of the building connect. It stand out from the rest of historic due to its more contentious looking nature, straying away from all the brick. The cantilever awning at the top of the exterior makes it stand out and attracts the attention of passerby’s on campus. Not only does it have an effect of those on campus, but it also connects the separation between campus and the opposite side, being downtown Elon. It is both inviting from both sides and acts as a liminal space for some who want to enter or leave main campus or downtown Elon.

[garetthozza]

My 5 personal objectives for my time in Europe include:

1. Seeing/experiencing new art pieces and landmarks. I am a Communication Design major and Art minor so I am very looking forward to seeing some famous pieces while in Europe. I’m excited to sketch a lot and enhance my knowledge of art history through learning about all the structures we are going to and being able to see its physical influence in the environment it lives in.

2. Apply some knowledge of the French language while in France. I took French for one year here at Elon and have never been able to apply what I have learned in a real world scenario. Although a bit rusty, I hope to brush up and at least be able to point out directions or certain words as we navigate our way around France.

3. Try new food. This will be my first time ever going to Europe so I am very excited to step out of my comfort zone and try some new and exciting food. I’m particularly interested in comparing how much better (or worse) the food will taste.

4. Connect and get to know better the other students on this trip. I am going into this trip with no close connections to anyone in this class, so I’m excited to get to know everyone better once we hit the ground running in Italy.

5. Buy a nice souvenir for my family. My parents haven’t been to any of the places we will be going on this trip so one of my biggest goals is to buy a nice trinket or article of clothing for my family members while we are out and experiencing the wonders of Europe.