This week I spent an abundance of time working on my projects, but I made sure to spend some time exploring too. I travelled to different sites in order to complete my projects and to enjoy a Shakespeare play. When the cluster groups met at the Barbican center for the first time I wondered why we were meeting there. I walked 45 minutes from the gym to the Barbican Center and my main thought was why are we meeting so far away and inside? Once I arrived at the Barbican Center I understood the choice. The modern building I learned is Brutalist architecture. Sam Grillo told me as she is doing one of her projects on Brutalist architecture, and I had the opportunity to hear more about her project and Brutalist architecture. After further research, I discovered that Brutalist architecture is one of the most modern architecture types. This type of architecture is supposed to look uneasy and out of place. It is also made out of concrete. Out of all of the architecture I have viewed throughout this trip Brutalist architecture is my least favorite because it is not proportionate. Parts of the building appear as if they could fall off at any second and pieces of the building are poking out. I am surprised that such a modern building would be made out of concrete. After visiting I researched Brutalist architecture and I found out that another theme of Brutalist architecture is making necessities of the building easily seen from the outside such as objects like a water tank or an elevator. In one of the attached images the windows are popping out of the building. This type of architecture is unlike any other architecture that I have viewed so far in London. It is so modern looking both outside and inside. Even the couches are unusual as they have room for one person on one side, and room for two on the other side. I am curious what the ideal way to sit on this couch is. After visiting for the first time I knew I desired to go back because it was a comfortable place to complete work and I wanted to take more pictures of the architecture. I travelled back on Monday for about five hours to do some work on my ISPs and I completed more work on Tuesday before my meetings began. I wonder why people enjoy building and viewing this architecture. It seems like it would be incredibly difficult to build.
I was eager to visit the Globe Theatre and see a play by Shakespeare. In middle school and high school my English curriculum included reading many Shakespeare plays and I remember hearing my teachers say how they were performed at the Globe Theatre. I was surprised to find out that the cost of a groundling ticket is only 5 pounds because I had the opportunity to be inches away from the actors, but I paid so little. I purposely did not work out in the morning because I did not want my legs to be too tired to stand for the performance. I brought my camera because I wanted to take pictures of the exterior Globe Theatre, but unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity to take photographs during the play because there is a no photography rule. Originally, I went back and forth in my head of whether or not to bring my camera, but ultimately decided that I wanted to be able to capture at least part of the experience through my lens. Through research I discovered that the Globe Theatre was Elizabethan architecture when it was first built. As the Globe Theatre was rebuilt relatively recently the theme of Elizabethan architecture is somewhat followed today through the white coloring and lines of wood on the exterior of the building. This design reminds me of a fantasy land like where Snow White lives in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. I thought the play, Hamlet, was unusual because of the role changes. I remember learning in high school that men used to play every single role in the Globe Theatre, but I was surprised to see Hamlet and Laertes played by females, and Ophelia played by a male. I do not understand why the casting director made this choice. The play seemed very modern, but I would have rather seen the play more similar to how Shakespeare originally meant it to be. Overall, it was fascinating to have the experience to view a Shakespeare play in the Globe Theatre, and I am glad I decided to attend the play. I attached photographs of the Brutalist architecture in and around the Barbican Center to show how unproportionate it is and how it contrasts from other architecture pieces I have submitted previously. In the photographs of the Globe Theatre I brightened the white color and darkened the wooden lines to emphasize the Elizabethan theme. Works Cited “Brutalist Architecture.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 28 May 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brutalist_architecture. “Elizabethan Architecture.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 21 May 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabethan_architecture. |