Wednesday, February 20, 2008

panoramas



When I look at the Panorama of Chicago it gives off a very cold corporate feel, now of course any major city these days will, but Chicago does it to me even more so. I think it has to do with the blandness of mid western culture when compared to places like the northeast and California. None of the buildings looks like its older than the 1930's, not to mention they don't look to have many decorative elements to them.




When compared to Chicago the panorama of London has a sense of regalness given off by structures such as the westminister palace which glows with Englands past imperial wealth.

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Creedence Classical Revival

Unfortunately I'm the guy in the class without a camera so I'm going to take you on a photo tour of a few classical revival structures right here in the good ol' U.S. of A.

Ah Soldier Field, one of the most hallowed sites of the football world. This is one of the oldest and most storied stadiums in the country a place where grid iron greats such as Walter Peyton, Gale Sayers, and Dick Butkis played. Say, here comes Dick now, "Mr. Butkis, you played most of your career in Soldier field what's your favorite aspect of the stadium?"

"Well thats a good question Tom, there are many factors to consider but I'd have to say I'm quite the fan of Greek Revival Archetecture, I just got finished getting a paper published for a reputable historical journal, so I would have to say the colonnades are my favorite structure."

Though Dick may have had one too many concussions in his hall of fame career and now believes he is a history buff he does know his a classical revival architecture when he sees it. On one of the sides of Soldier field there is a parthenonesque structure. The columns and triangular shaped roof are dead give aways.

As we are whisked away from Chicago we find ourselves back at good ol' UB where Baird point stands to show the link between the Greek traditions of education and people ripping off their architecture. I'll bet the Greeks wish they had cranes to assemble their columns like these guys did in '78.













This beauty on the right here is Thomas Jefferson's Monticello near Charlottesville, Virginia. The enlightenment and classical revival were definitely on his mind (amidst promiscuous thoughts about his slaves) when he had this home designed. It probably impressed European dignitaries who looked down upon wealthy Americans as wannabe Aristocracy.