ENG 1101: Composing Abstractions

Hi All —

Because there has been some confusion about this, I wanted to remind you that I asked you at the end of class on Tuesday to post for today a formal critique (based on the discussion in Writing About Architecture of a building. You should write 3-4 paragraphs about a single building based on the examples in WAB.

If you have any questions, please email me or leave a comment.

Times Square has the most colorful texture in New York City. In order to have a clear view of Times Square, go to the Duffy Square which is a stair-shaped structure. The structure is unique because of its color and location. You won’t miss it since it is the center point of Times Square.  Before you get to there, start to walk from 42^nd Street across the Duffy Square to have a more clear picture of the buildings that are in the back of it. As you travel to the square from 42^nd Street and Broadway, you start to see modern advertisements on skyscrapers through the entire Times Square.

On your way to Duffy Square, there is an old tech building to your left hand side at 43^rd Street being part of this very modern area. Look to your right between 45^th and 46^th Streets and you will see the Bertelsmann Building, a glass skyscraper. To your left, you will notice the New York Marriott Marquis, a building whose entrance is a semi cylinder-shaped. As your eyes move up, you will notice a lot of negative spaces. It’s an unusual skyscraper due to the fact that it has different geometric shapes put together.

Finally, you have arrived to Duffy Square and sat there. Look straight and you can see different perspective of Times Square. As you read through the sight, you will realize that the street is close to a triangular shape with two paths (Broadway and 7^th Avenue) splitting up at some point in opposite direction. It is the One Times Square building that divides the street; and its location to the Duffy Square makes it a really outstanding skyscraper for advertisements. If you keep reading through Times Square, you can say that Duffy Square is a key place that really covers the most beautiful sight of the entire Times Square and its colorful texture.

                      The book Writing About Architecture, within the first chapter explains what architect critics will base their criticisims on. It also goes on to tell us the four approaches of writing about architecture. This chapter mostly gives information for architect critics and not architects themselves. However this is usefull because it informs architects about what to watch out for and what they should have in mind when constructing thier ideas. I do not believe in paying close attention to make sure my ideas fit those requirements. I beleive an architect should jsut create what they feel like ignoring any criticisims because not every creation will be perfect. Also I believe that the book is basically advising us to listen to the critics and do what they believe to be correct, and I do not agree with that. Still the information given to architects is still usefull because it can also give ideas to the architects.

According to the article, “Architecture and the Lost Art of Drawing “published in September 1, 2012, in New York Times, by Michael Graves. Graves talks about “the death of drawing”, has it came to an end? Where technology has begun to take over the passion for drawing in art. He talks about architectural drawings in three ways “Referential sketch” “Preparatory study” and “Definitive drawing”.  I agree with Graves, that technology can not define the art behind drawing. Technology doesn’t express the emotion and creativity with in the drawing itself and how much is put in to. Then just using technology to do the work for you.

According to the article, Architecture and the Lost Art of Drawing published by Michael Graves. Grave talks about how current architects; rely mostly on technology to do most of their work. This professor believes that architects’ should not rely on new technology advances to do their work for them but rather should stick to the old fashion hand drawing. He believes that by not working by hand architects are lacking “creative process” and “emotional connection” on their work. Graves encourages architects to hand drawing not only because its how great past architects have created great structures, but because it gives the architect a better sense of creativity and imagination.

In Architecture and the Lost Art of Drawing by Michael Graves, published in september, 1 2012 Graves describes the art of drawing as being lost in the age of technology. Graves feels as though drawing has lost its luster in the eyes of new age using computers instead of   hand drafting. Graves shows this feeling of transfer from the old age of hand drawing to the computerization that even takes over his own work as an architect. It is something that we cannot escape under the technical age.

This is a picture I did not take when I was working as a waiter in Brooklyn. I was heading to the table I was in charge, when I saw one of the waiters carrying luxurious dishes and  cups slipping until he fell harshly on the middle of the stage where people were dancing. People at the party looked at him weirdly. Through his facial expression anyone could easily  notice his embarrassment and guilt for what he did.

In Michael Grave’s “architecture the last Art of Drawing”, which was published in the September 1, 2012 edition of the New Yorker, graves describes who drawing by hand is slowly becoming a lost art due to technology. In his article he talks about how vital drawing is for any architect. Graves states that it “part of the thought process” and it help to express the connection with our “mind, eyes and hands” sketching helps an architect to better remember something or to help study and understand something. Architectural drawing has three types which graves call the “referential sketch” the “preparatory study” and the “definitive drawing” he states that over times and with the help of technology definitive drawing has become the stander and must be computerized. Drawing aids in stimulating the imagination and organize ideas, but it’s also a “sign that we’re truly alive.”

In Michael Graves’s “Architecture and the lost art of drawing,” which was published in September 1,2012 edition of The New York Times, Graves describes how people have lost art of drawing and how the computer is transforming every aspect of how architects work. Graves argued that architect cannot put apart the drawing not matter how impressive the technology gets. Also he divided the architectural drawing into three types “Referential sketch” the “Preparatory study” and the “Definitive sketch”.  The definitive drawing, the final and most developed of the three,produced on the computer nowadays, and that is appropriate And that the other too are the creative process. I’m completely agree with Graves because now a days people are losing their creativity sketching and applying everything to softwares but also he has to understand that the times change and the technology advances more and more.