Copenagen

This past weekend, a group of three of us traveled up to Copenhagen, Denmark to see some AMAZING architecture! We had three days, two countries, and twenty buildings: yet we managed to do it all! The beginning of our trip started with (what else) an 18 hour train ride. Luckily- this time I got a sleeping car so was able to sleep somewhat comfortably the majority of the ride, but still not like sleeping in your own bed. It was a compartment with six beds, separated by a two foot aisle, and each bed separated two feet vertically, needless to say, it was tight. We transferred two times after the overnight train, and the last one to Copenhagen was the smallest train I have ever been on. It was three cars long with an engine and we just figured it was because Copenhagen wasn't a popular city. But we were wrong! Half way through the trip, the train pulls onto a boat- yes, a boat. We were put on a ferry, in the train, forced to the upper decks, and took the ferry from Germany to Denmark! It was one of the craziest things I have ever done- but it was amazing. The ferry was like a cruise ship- there was a mall, shopping, and food court, it was definitely an interesting experience.

We arrived in Copenhagen on Friday afternoon and hit the ground running. My first impression of the city was that it was a mix of Amsterdam and Germany. There were several old brick buildings with copper embellishments, but you could turn the corner and be surrounded by some of the most amazing modern buildings you've seen. It definitely wasn't a rick town, but you could tell they spend their money wisely today. There were windmills all along the coast line, any new building built was designed by a famous architect, and cars were a last priority, bikes were number one. They even designed a new version of a bike for your child to ride in.

Anyways, we had 3 days to see 20 buildings. There were just too many to show you all of them, but here are my favorite. Our first stop on the exploration was to the Black Diamond. I've never heard of the architect, but the building definitely stood out. It was an extension to the public library and designed in two parts separated and put back together by floating walkways. The outside was just ok- I liked how the glossy black facade reflected the passing cars, but the inside was truly spectacular. The views to the harbor were emphasized by a glass wall and long escalators moving slowly towards the window just emphasized the view.

Next we moved on to the Copenhagen University Campus. A new dorm building was just put up a couple years ago in the center of campus. It was a donut shaped building with boxes sticking out here and there. In the center was a large open courtyard surrounded by windows. It looked like such a peaceful place to just sit and work, yet still be in your dorm building. The only downfall was that when you stood in the center of the circular courtyard, there was an echo bouncing off of the walls. I can only imagine at night when there's a couple drunk students walking around- waking up everyone with a courtyard window.

On the same campus was a new music center by Jean Nouvel. He's probably one of France's most famous architects, so it was interesting to see one of his buildings in Denmark. Here in Europe- they design buildings much differently. Instead of using the facade as the water barrier to the interior, they create facades that allow water to fall through. Then, they have a second facade behind this (usually just concrete or sheet metal) that truly blocks out the rain. But this first "rain screen" stops water from hitting the water barrier directly, so it actually decreases the chance for water to enter into the building. Jean Nouvel exaggerated this idea with this concert hall. He created a rain screen in which you can actually walk between the screen and the water barrier facade. This blue "fabric" gave such a dramatic effect and the building just glowed blue from far away at night. The second facade was completely glass and then inside the building he created a third facade with concrete cast in fabric- giving a really interesting texture.

The last part of the day we continued south and found a new area of Copenhagen filling up with residential buildings. There were three buildings in a row all designed by the same architecture firm: BIG, one of my favorite architects. The first of three had dramatic triangular balconies that cantilevered out of the building. It produced a field of balconies and allowed you to connect with several neighbors instead of just 2 on either side. This is the actual building the head architect from BIG lives in! Next to it was a similar building, minus the balconies, that wedged itself next to the previous. Together, these buildings contained over 500 units, of which there are 88 different types of units! He tetris-ed the apartments together to create interesting duplex and tri-plexes- so your apartment consists of several levels to play around with.

The last building was the Mountain Building. In Denmark, there are no mountains, so as BIG says, "If you want to live on a mountain in Denmark, you have to build it yourself." That's exactly what they did. They elevated all of the units gradually and the underneath space becomes all of the parking for the building and a sports center. Unfortunately, they took the mountain too literally and put a picture of Mount Everest covering up the parking- but other than that, this is a completely new way to look at a residential/parking structure.

The following day, we took a 30 minutes train ride over to Sweden- not bad, two countries in one trip! Malmo, Sweden is just across from Copenhagen and has one of Calatrava's best known structures, the Turning Torso. This 50-some story residential structure is the tallest building in all of Malmo- in fact it is so tall you can see it as a blur all the way from Denmark. As we approached the building- it wasn't the greatest of neighborhoods, however you could tell that there were several developments popping up around the Calatrava building. It was just a great view to see this brand new building behind barbed wire.

The design is taken from the human body- there is a spine and the building is cantilevered off of the turn spine into the sky. There are six sections, facing the harbor, that all cantilever individually. And the intricacy, yet delicacy, of the spine gives great elegance to the structure. I was always taught that you can tell a great building by the way it hits the ground- and this is one of the best I've seen. The entire building sits on a glass lobby- inset so the building appears to be floating all around. Then, on top of that, there is a pond surrounding the entire lobby- and one must cross a bridge to enter the building. It is just so pristine and gentle- yet strong at the same time!

We walked along the coastline of Malmo where several more residential buildings have recently been built. None of them were extraordinary, but it was a beautiful, suburban feel- peaceful and full of gossip! You could also see the bridge our train took across from Denmark.

On our trip back to Denmark, we stopped along the east coast of Denmark to see one of the buildings I've been studying for the past year. It is another building by BIG, a marine youth house and has a very similar roof structure to my fire station I designed first semester of third year. I had written down the instructions on the map- but it was located off the actual map- so we weren't necessarily sure where we were going. We walked to the coast and the area was not one of the best. We saw shacks, boats, and a ended up in an open park. We had no idea where this building was- but- luckily, we had just bought a book of BIG's architecture earlier that day and in that book were pictures of this building. We looked in the background and this building had to be right next to us. We looked through the fence, and sure enough, there it was. But the only way to get there was to climb onto the fence, swing over the cantilever over the ocean, and climb the fence on the other side to land- TWICE. Me- being afraid of heights, was basically crying and I swung across the fence- but- I made it and it was so worth it! We were the only people there- running up and down the roof that reaches all the way from the ground to the top of the building. The city was able to call the building a landscape instead of a building- allowing for the steep accessible roof- and also the reason why it is the only building so close to the water. Definitely, one of the best experiences of my life! I will never forget this building.

The following day was the last- and the least impressive, in all honestly. We walked along the coast in downtown Copenhagen and saw another new residential area. On the way- we ran into BIG's harbor bath- a pool within the harbor. It was one of their first projects- but is an interesting thought of how to bring people into the water.

A little further south were a series of residential buildings- nothing spectacular- at least for Copenhagen that is.

And last but not least- we saw the Litte Mermaid. For a normal tourist, this is the one thing you have to see while in Copenhagen. If you haven't guessed, I'm probably not the normal tourist.

And that was Copenhagen! It was a quick, long, fulfilled, needed trip, and I am so fortunate to be able to go! I miss you all so much back at home- it's been a little lonely over here, but I hope you're all doing good back there. Keep in touch- and thank you for reading!

End of Week 3...

Well, I have just about reached the end of week three here in school. It's hard to believe I've already been in Paris for just about five weeks! It's been a great experience so far, and I'm truly enjoying every second. Tomorrow morning we have our second presentation in studio, and my restaurant has come pretty far since I last posted sketches. I have been able to take a 16'8" by 83' barge, double its size, and create a design that allows the user to rearrange the program and continuously change how to restaurant looks and acts. It's somewhat of a new type of architecture- to create something that allows the user control over how the building comes together, looks, and functions. Here are some pictures of what it looks like as of now.

We have also had our second Urban Exploration class. Our professor took us through Paris by means of "passages" or arcades, basically enclosed alley ways filled with shops. There are several arcades throughout Paris, each one different depending on it's location and the culture in that neighborhood. The first arcade was built back in the mid-1800s. It was a mix between what would be a mall and a plaza. Woman would get all dressed up to go to the arcades and socialize with friends while walking through. Passages were a means of "strolling", it was said that they were designed as a place to walk your turtle. Arcades are something unique to Paris that have started to spread- I saw one in Munich too! They are beautiful areas in Paris, something that makes this city what it is.

Ok- so this really has nothing to do with anything, but as I was walking around Paris today- I came across these two images. The first is a child's outfit- dressed in a real, pink fur coat and Spiderman patched jeans. I'm sorry- but if this is a girl's outfit, I don't think she'd be wearing Spiderman on her pants- and if this is for a boy- he should not be wearing that coat.

The second is just a play on reality. Dogs have become an accessory- you pick out the cutest dog and carry it around wherever you go. Funny enough, you do the same thing with your purse. So- here is the two put together.

Anyways, it is almost the weekend and I will be staying in Paris and hopefully exploring more. I will let you know what I see and what I do. I hope all of you back at home are having a great end to your week. I miss you all tons and can't wait to hear from you! Thank you for reading!

Berlin

Well- I have finally made it back to Paris. First of all, I've got to say that my train ride back from Berlin was definitely one of those "never going to forget" moments. The rest of my group got on a two hour plane ride to Paris, but I was already had a train ticket- for 13 hours, by myself. The train itself dated back at least 40 years; stains were all over the floors, chairs, and the walls were painted hospital yellow. My seat was in a compartment with 6 chairs, three facing three, with just enough leg room for my own legs, let alone the person sitting across from me. So I arrive in my compartment with four other strangers, already sitting, in the most awkward and uncomfortable setting. I just put my IPod on and tried to drown everything out when out of nowhere, two of my friends from class just walk by my door. They were on their way to Luxemberg and happened to be in the compartment right next to mine. I truly lucked out, now having travel buddies, and moved into their compartment. For a while, we walked around the train and saw the sleeping cars and first class (it looked just like a hotel). We came back to the compartment, where I finally fell asleep, but my one friend decided to try and sneek into one of the beds. Eight hours later, the other guy and I wake up just 15 minutes before their stop, and the other guy was nowhere to be found. We called, but his phone and all of his belongings were in the compartment with us. We walked up and down the train cars, but it was pretty much impossible to find him anywhere. The train stopped at their destination, with the one still not to be found, and the other deciding just to take the train the rest of the way back to Paris. An hour later, we finally recieved a call from our friend- how, I still don't know. But somehow, the train car he had fallen asleep on got detached between Berlin and Paris and he woke up in the middle of Zurich, Switzerland! Long story short- we had to carry all of his belongings home with us in Paris.

Anways, Berlin itself was amazing. The city is even more modern than Munich- due to the fact that even more of the city was destroyed during the war than had been in Munich. We had class Tuesday through Thursday and each day took a different walk through the city. The last day, Friday, was considered a travel day, but we took it as an opportunity to go on our own trip out to Dessau, Germany (a little less than 2 hours south of Berlin) to see the orgins of IIT at the Bauhaus. The Bauhaus started in the late 20s as a design school- it was where everything from teapots to chairs to windows to buildings were designed by famous architects, artists, and students. Walter Gropius was the head of the school until WWII when the Nazis began saying the school was a threat. Mies Van der Rohe was the last head of the architecture department before the Nazis completely dismantled the school and took over the buildings. Mies flew to Chicago when the Nazis kicked him out- and it was in Chicago that he attempted to continue the Bauhaus in the form of IIT. Because we did see a lot of buildings, monuments, and culture; to make this easiest; I'll give you a brief rundown of each day of the trip.

TUESDAY:

We started the day at the Memorial for Mudered Jews in the heart of the city where hundreds of tomb looking structures sit on a sloping site to produce an aura of grief and unease.

Next we took a walk to the Topography of Terrors where a piece of the Berlin wall still sits. There is a museum designed by Walter Gropius's nephew that was happened to have a display of the history of the Bauhaus. Bullet holes covered the exterior of the building- this was the central location of the Nazi underground prisons. There is a construction site there today that will house a museum for the Topography of Terrors giving a history of the war and of Berlin.

Check Point Charlie. This was one of four checkpoints in Berlin until 1989. It is where the American sector faced the Soviet- today its one of the biggest tourist sites with everything "Charlie"; including 'Snack Point Charlie'.

We passed by the GSW Headquarters designed by English architects. This building has been published numerous times for its energy efficient double skin facade designed back in '99. The architects were given the site with the bottom buildings at awkward angles, the slight curve in this building tied everything together.

Last stop was the Jewish History Museum. Designed by Libeskind in '07, this modern building housed some really creep exhibits. One space contained over 10,000 iron disks, all with faces, in which you walk across and feel how little power and massive amounts of power there were during the war. One space contained absolutely nothing in a three story room, all there was was a small light from outside- otherwise pitch dark. There was also a garden in which the ground was sloped, but the 20-14 foot tall planters were positioned completely verticle. While walking through, you become sick just with your brain trying to wrap itself around the imperfect perfection.

WEDNESDAY:
In east central Berlin, where bombs completely destroyed everything in the area, competitons were held for architects in the early 90s. Each architect was given an area do design a group of buildings. We started in Helmut Jahn's Sony Center. The buildings comprise offices, shops, hotel, and residential. He designed a courtyard in the center of all the buildings and built a massive sunscreen covering the entire courtyard. It is all designed with suspension cables, glass, and canvas. Just amazing architecture.

Next was Renzo Piano's buildings. Again, mostly offices within a theater district. We were lucky enough to get a tour of one of the main theaters. They took us backstage, on the stage, and all throughout the building. The entire structure was based on floating- everything from the seats in the auditorium, to the stairs leading to it, to the roof structure apear to be floating. The details were superb.

Then there was a little bit of home. Mies designed an art gallery in central Berlin very similar to Crown Hall. Small differences include a cantelivered roof over all four sides and crusified columns. Other than that- it was Crown. The best part about this building was that Mies thought the building itself was the piece of art and expected visitors to come see his building first, and the art second. So the entire first floor is completely open with nothing inside- the basement is where the gallery is.

THURSDAY:

We started the day at the Reichstag- the parliament building. Before the war, there was a massive dome in the center of the building, but the majority of the Reichstag was destroyed during the war. Foster desgined the addition with a massive glass, inhabitable dome in which visitors can walk through and up to the top of the dome and look straight down into parliament taking place below. They are very much about open goverment today. There is a large mirrored structure in the center which brings light all the way from the top into the parliament below.

Next we walked by the train station. This was the biggest undertaking of all buildings in Berlin. It is all glass with a glass tube protruding through. There are light trusses that go from the outside, to inside, to outside again supporting the tube allowing for more interior space and make the tube appear floating with grace.

Hotel Adlon. This is the hotel Michael Jackson held his son, Blanket, out of the balcony from.

Frank Gerhy- before he was really Gehry. This is a bank that looks completely normal on the outside. It is very minimal and clean, but when we enter, the lobby of the bank is filled with Gehry as a sculpture. I always thought of Gehry first as an artist, and second as an architect- and because of this, I think this is the best building I have seen designed by him. The entire structure wasn't a piece of art, instead it was controlled and he was able to create sculpture and program together. Inside that massive piece of art are conference rooms and cafeteria.

I.M. Pei's museum. Very simple, low budget building. It had a beautiful exterior staircase, but the interior concrete was amazing. The formwork was hardwood flooring- giving the concrete a clean and expensive look.

Rem Koolhaas's Dutch Embassy. This building's just ok. There was a lot of un-inhabitable spaces that were basically just wastes of money. But the facade was made of punched aluminum with a concrete struction behind- it gave it a very light and airy feeling I haven't seen before in a facade.

FRIDAY:

Bauhaus day. We saw took a train out to Dessau and saw the original building designed by Walter Gropius. During the war the Nazi's had taken over the building, and in the height of the war, the building was attacked and in bad condition in teh 50's. Today, it is all fixed up and appears just as it did when it was first built. Much different from Crown Hall, yet similar ideas and similar academic intentions. It was just amazing to be at the birthplace of my school and know that so many amazing architects had worked here, such as Mies, Le Corbusier, Gropius, Meyers, and more. It's a very important building in terms of modern architecture- and it was just an experience to see it in person.

1946

And that's about it! We saw and did A LOT in Berlin- and overall it was a great time. I was able to see a lot of architecture and see a different culture. But, I must say, it's nice to be back in Paris. We all grabbed a bottle of wine and bread and cheese and headed over to the Eiffel Tower tonight just to hang out. It's weird to say, but it almost felt like home- a home away from home. But, of course, nothing is more home than Chicago. I miss all of you sooo much! I hope you're all doing well- keep me posted with what's going on in your life too. Miss you tons!