The New Familiar

The vast majority of my knowledge of architecture is based on pictures, written accounts, and diagrams o f buildings.  Understanding through representation is really the norm for me.  

The last few days I have seen several buildings that I have previously studied, and actually experiencing the building first hand is so different from experiencing it through a book.  It is surreal to walk through an entry, or look through a window, or open a door that I have looked at so many times but never seen before.   In a way all of this de-mystifies the building; it makes it more real, and makes really cool architecture more attainable.  At the same time, seeing all of the details and good or bad choices that go into a building is extremely daunting.

Peter Zumthor - Kunsthaus Bregenz 

We weren't able to go inside this building because it was closed on the day we were passing through town, but that wasn't so bad because the really cool part about it (in my opinion) is the outside.  The facade that is directly visible is composed of a series of glass panels that are slightly angled and overlapping.  Instead of using these panels as a barrier to the weather Zumthor causes them to respond the weather.  On the day we visited we had the good fortune to see this building in the rain.  The entire facade was dripping water and completely fogged up (exactly the way Zumthor wanted it to be).

Zaha Hadid - Vitra Fire Station

When ever I am looking for a dynamic architectural precedent Zaha is at the top of the list, and this was her first project to really get across how dynamic her architecture could be. There is no telling how many times I have looked at this building from the same angle I took this picture from.  

Herzog and De Meruron - Vitrahaus

Hohenzollern Castle

The Hohenzollern family ruled Prussia/Germany for ten generations prior to WWI.