It was incredible to view some of the most famous buildings in England within our first week of arrival. As my focus is architecture photography, I was able to capture the buildings from different angles and with different focuses. I enjoyed viewing such extraordinary buildings. As Westminster Abbey and St. Paul’s Cathedral are churches I was unable to take pictures inside because it may disrupt people praying, however, the exterior structures of these buildings are beautiful, and I was able to photograph that in detail. Westminster Abbey was particularly amazing to view from the outside as the building took five hundred years to construct. I loved how much detail was on the outside of the building. I wonder what part of the building was the most difficult to construct and how many people in London over the five hundred years were part of the construction team.
While viewing Westminster Abbey I learned a lot about the significance of certain people and the importance of structures. Westminster Abbey represents one tenth of all the wealth in London, yet as the tour guide said, it is considered a random building. This building is distinct because it reacts to world events. It is a church that has Kings and Queens buried in it, tributes to famous scientists, and it is home to the coronation chair. The unknown warrior is the most significant grave because the soldiers that risk their lives hold a significant place of valor to the people of England. The value of the unknown warrior surpasses that of the past Kings as you were never allowed to stand on the grave of the unknown warrior, but you could stand on the grave of the King. This means that the UK cherish their soldiers, and a hero in the UK is the most valued type of person. I wonder how it was decided that the unknown warriors would be surrounded by flowers and have a larger grave than the past Kings. The front of the building is inlaid with ten figures from around the world who all died in support of Christian faith. Another four figures displayed on the façade represent mercy, truth, justice, and peace. Although it is regarded as a random building, I found it interesting that all of the external architecture is meaningful. The building incorporates representation of important people and events in society from around the world. For example, Martin Luther King Junior is from America, but is one of the figures carved on the front of the building. Additionally, I learned that the ceiling of Westminster Abbey is so tall because that means it is closer to heaven, and as a church it is significant to be as close to heaven as possible. I did not realize that the height of a ceiling would have architectural significance. I thought the gothic architecture of Westminster Abbey was very beautiful with the tall arches, vaulting, and windows. I learned that only some of the ceiling is decorated because it was becoming too expensive to continue the designs. As one of the most significant structures in England, I believe Westminster Abbey has beautiful architecture and represents many different parts of England. Through touring Westminster Abbey, I have discovered the importance of architectural elements like high ceilings, but I have also learned that patience is essential because beautiful buildings can take a long time to be built. St. Paul’s Cathedral was stunning and full of history. The shape of the building is a cross with the dome in the middle to represent Jesus. This was not always seen as a beautiful building. Queen Elizabeth I believed the building looked boring, so mosaics were added. St. Paul’s Cathedral also has interesting acoustics because of how the dome is built. One fact about the architecture that I learned while visiting is if you stand on one side of the dome and whisper to the wall, someone of the other side of the dome should be able to hear what you are saying. I wonder if the acoustics were created intentionally when the church was built. Additionally, this is a very tall building as it is 528 steps to climb to the top of the dome. When climbing to the top of the cathedral, I hit my head and I noticed that the walls were narrow, so I believe people were much smaller during the era in which St. Paul’s Cathedral was built. I did not realize that a building that is this old could have so many interesting architectural facts. Visiting Westminster Abbey and St. Paul’s Cathedral allowed me to experience beautiful and well-known architecture around London. I have never seen such high ceilings on buildings. I enjoyed that there is reasoning for every part of the building of both Westminster Abbey and St. Paul’s Cathedral. Already I have discovered how London values certain people, and it is not necessarily based on social status. For example, the King’s grave can be stepped on, but the unknown warrior is surrounded by flowers. I am privileged to continue to have the opportunity to photograph this beautiful architecture and learn about the people and culture of London. Attached are some of my favorite photographs I have taken this week. I have tried to capture the most attractive and intriguing parts of each building whether it be Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral, or a building I see while exploring London. I chose statues because as soon as I saw Westminster Abbey my eyes were drawn to them, and they intrigued me to learn more about what they stood for. The gothic styled architecture on Westminster Abbey, and dome on St. Paul’s Cathedral emphasize the beauty of these buildings. I chose the building that has little significance because of its unusual deep red coloring and semi-circle shape. I feel that the architecture in London is remarkable, but I cannot believe how long it takes to be built. The next time I view significant buildings in England I will ask questions such as how long did it take to build? Are there any special acoustics in this building? What type of architecture is this? And who had the idea to first construct this building? |