Architecture

[AmRivlin]

I am studying Architecture at the 8th ranked architecture university in the nation, recently we have been discussing things as art or architecture... I am curious to see what people think of buildings such as the Arch or any of the Guggenheim Museums.

Post pictures as necessary:

Airplane House

Guggenhiem Spain

Luxor

[coleslaw]

The Guggenheims are like my favorite buildings of all time. The one in New York is cool. Part of it looks like a huge ceramic plant pot. Frank Gehry, who designed the Guggenheim in Spain, designed the Vontz Center for Molecular Studies, which sits on the medical campus at the University of Cincinnati. I go running by it all the time!

[spigidygak]

Interesting stuff. I like the more contemporary modern look of Spanish exteriors, with a simple interior. Arches are nice too.

[AmRivlin]

Ghery is more artistic to me, thinking in this sense... Architecture follows its function. Perhaps in the 21st century humans have a desire and function to show off money, but which here has a better function A or B?

A

B

[AmRivlin]

I know I am in here just thought I'd put more stuff
Get this book @ amazon ISBN:0966709845 it is incredible.

This is the library on my campus: Hale Library AD 1996

[renots]

...in silicon valley

;0)

[att]

yeah, as far as art goes in silicon valley, its a nice place to check out functional designs. space is at such a premium around here that design has really suffered over the last 5-10 years. a few really nice buildings have popped up in san francisco though. as far as a personal favorite, wembly stadium is up there for me. i know it was designed by someone famous but the person escapes my memory right now.

[att]

gotta throw in that pac bell park and the new houston astros park are excellent. anyone else like what they are seeing in stadium design lately?

[pennypinch]

Originally posted by att
gotta throw in that pac bell park and the new houston astros park are excellent. anyone else like what they are seeing in stadium design lately?

Stadium design, yes. Sports center design, BLECH! I recently went to the Staples center, and it is, possible, the worst building out there, with only the United Center giving it a run for its money. Who decided these behemoths were a good idea? A seat in the nosebleeds requires an oxygen tank, and luxury boxes in the middle of the stands is just awful, it really stratifies the crowd.
Maybe its a question of execution, because the Shark Tank up in SJ and GM Place in Vancouver are based on the same principle, and are much, much better. Further, before any of you make the point that any of these are better than the buildings the replace, I readily concede that.
As far as best outdoor stadiums, I'm not really a big baseball fan, so I don't know what a "good" stadium is, but as a big football fan, I maintain there is no better stadium than Huskie Stadium up in Seattle. Not only are the sightlines good at every angle, but the view into Puget Sound is breathtaking, not something you can say about many venues.

[ArkiStan]

I think once the goal of creating beauty takes over the design process enough to the point that the functionality is hindered, then it is no longer architecture. Then it becomes art (or maybe just simply "bad" architecture).

Then how about good architecture? First of all, I think there are some aspects that should be considered mandatory qualifications in the design of architecture. Safety and functionality for example. Most anybody can build a hut that will withstand the test of time. Whether it is good architecture or not, I think, depends on how far one can take the aesthetics without falling short on these "qualifications." Of course, the term "aesthetics" is a purely subjective word and is most times a matter of personal taste. So many times it is can be dangerous to judge a building without a thourough evaluation of its many aspects. And anyway, it would not be doing the architect's effort justice if one would judge simply on beauty and function. There are other endless categories by which one may judge the successfulness of architecture, such as sustainability or how well a structure fits in (or even stands out) with it's surrounding environment. And due to the neverending nature of design itself, there can never be anything that is designed well enough. So I guess in my humble opinion I can only say that architecure should be admired with care and appreciation and most importantly with an open mind.

by the way, what university do you attend AmRivlin?

[Edited by ucbstan on 09-13-2000 at 04:44 AM]

[ArkiStan]

Hale Library....Kansas State University?

[coleslaw]

The Universtity of Cincinnati Design, Art, Architecture and Planning program is one of the best in the nation. The Departments of Architecture and Interior Design ranked number 3 and 1 (respectively) in the nation by the Almanac of Architecture and Design 2000. Here are some shots of the DAAP building (funky man!):

[AmRivlin]

Here is the facility @ Seaton:

We don't have as much money as other schools, but we are ranked 8th in the nation for architecture and I believe 1st for Landscape Architecture.

[AmRivlin]

Any Guesses?

[coleslaw]

It must be a broken link because I am not seeing anything...

[Nanotech9]

how about a monolithic dome home...?

[coleslaw]

...or geodesic dome home?



What I wouldn't give to live in a Buckyball!!

[renots]

Originally posted by AmRivlin

Any Guesses?

"The construction of the dome of Florence Cathedral (was) one of the germinal events of Renaissance architecture...The problem had been posed in the middle of the fourteenth century when the definitive plan for the octagonal crossing had been laid down. The diameter of the dome at 39.5 metres (130 feet) precluded the traditional use of wooden structuring to support the construction of the vault, while the use of buttresses as in northern Gothic cathedrals was ruled out by the building's design." —Michael Raeburn, ed. Architecture of the Western World. p130.

~~~

I remember visiting in the early '90s

;0)

[renots]

more pics please!

;0)

[AmRivlin]

Nice job on the Florence Cathedral. I shifted to picture of the day. Since this is getting large for those modemers...