Sunday, February 20, 2011

Istanbul, Constantinople

Ciao,

Well we've been back in Roma for two weeks since I last wrote and its been hecktic yet not stressful. I suppose the monotany of a schedule is starting to settle in and I've just started losing track of time. We've been to some really interesting sites within these past weeks. We visited Renzo Piano's Parca della Musica, the Musei Vaticani, and San Clemente Basilica. We have also taken advantage of the " down time" to go out and bond as a group alittle.

First off let me start by saying I'm a fan of Piano. Also, the reaccuring feeling of understanding a building that we had previously studied when you actually visit it continues to pop up in my adventures in Rome. When we toured the complex I became much more aware of the subtleties that make it a great piece of Architecture. Our group was also treated to a performance by our very own Claire A. and we  got to experience the amazing acoustics of the main theatre. Great Job Claire way to freestyle.
We also swung by the MAXXI Museum, and I really liked the building, its actually an influence for my current studio project which an urban fabric analysis.

The trip to the Musei Vaticani was my first time in to Vatican City since being in Rome. Some of the artwork that is housed in the Museum was just unbelievable, artists and architects such as Rafael and Michelangelo were asked to create some of the most beautiful and notable pieces of art in the world. Our tour ended in the Sistine Chapel. Here is where I have felt most connected to my faith; standing in the very room, with the ceiling frescoed by Michelangelo, where the Popes have been elected for centuries was truely a powerful moment. I cant wait or imagine what St. Peter's will be like when we visit this week.

This weekend, we depart for our next tour in Istanbul. I'm really excited for this trip. I have always wanted to visit the Hagia Sophia, and after a few lectures that Eric has given to us on Turkey, I can't wait to get there and open up my sketchbook. I'm also extremely interested in the culture of the area. It is influenced by both European culture and by Islamic culture. I am looking forward to experiencing the Muslim religion and seeing how it compares to what I am used to, I feel like this trip may change my mind set on the world in a good way, guess we'll see. Our itinerary looks like we will get a good mix of both. We've been told to embrace the differences and make the most of the trip. I intend to and that means doing some shopping, which i neglected during our first trip up north. Because when you think about it, when will I ever be back in Turkey lol?

Keep ya posted ;-)

Arrividerci

Monday, February 7, 2011

To The North

Ciao,

Well we are back from our trip up north and It was amazing, really cold, but oh so much fun. We started in Florence where we climbed the dome of the Duomo, went to the Uffici Museum, and walked up to Michelangelo's Piazza where you can see the entire city. It was a great opportunity to work on my sketching when I was up on the piazza. It was quiet and I could reallly focus on the city and all the pieces of it. We also got a chance to see the David statue, by Michelangelo. It really was a masterpiece; I didnt think that was possible from a block of marble. Florence was also great for shopping. Their claim to fame is their leather and there was tons of it. I didn't buy anything but I plan on going back when my family comes to visit :-).
 

Our next stop was Venice. It was much colder there which made sketching pretty difficult. We visited several churches and palazzi by Palladio and I now understand more why he can and is considered the person who revolutionized architecture. The amount of layers that he uses and with the skill at which he does was inspiring to analyze. We also went to see San Marco Basilica and Murono, the island where all the Venician glass is made; thats what they are famous for.


The next destination was Verona, where we saw a couple pieces of work by Carlo Scarpa. We were introduced to Scarpa in Venice, but these works were later in his career. The way in which he uses patterns and rythms then selects the perfect point at which to break that order was also extremely interesting. I started to see similarities when we were asked to sketch a facade and then analyze a remodel he did in a castle. The attention to connections and materials were so integrated and subtle that one may not notice them unless you were looking for them, or if Scarpa intended for that element to be a focal point.


We moved on to Vicenza next. This town was all about Palladio. We spent the entire day mozying around the city looking at and experiencing buildings that Palladio had designed. We say 3 to 4 examples of palazzi and the Teatro Olympico. That night we had our second group dinner, the first being in Florence where we had Florentine steak again a famous part of the city. It was great to sit down together and get to know people a little better. One interesting aspect was that Horse steaks were available, it was pretty good.

Finally from Vicenza we moved on to Milano. Milan had a different feeling from the previous cities. It first had a lot more modern architecture, and that was a real exciting part for me to experience. It also felt more like a western city. It had large department stores and tall skyscrapers. The first day, we climbed the Duomo. It is a very ornate late Italian gothic cathedral. The interior was the real heart stopper; It was so beautiful with the giant pilars and the elaborate stained glass. A really cool fact that Eric filled me in on was that there was a sundial of sorts in this church. Eventually we spotted it and tracked it across the wall. Apprently, during different dates the ray of light will hit key positions within the church. I thought that was interesting in that you have this really detailed cathedral then this tiny percise aspect to it; not that the entire structure wasn't percise lol. 

On Friday we headed back to Rome, or rHome as we've come to refer to it. Our train ride was pretty interesting. It was only supposed to be a 3hr ride however we had some technical difficulties and it became a 7hr ride. It was fun though because we played cards, mostly Rummy, and we did a couple of architecture games; Parti games that is :-). It became an interesting exercise in working together and reacting to what others had done. Similar to our new studio project.


Well, It was a fun, enlightening, stimulating, and tiring week but now its back to the grind for another 3 wks until Istanbul, Turkey and then spring break with the family.

Arivederci