ENG 1101: Composing Abstractions

The Basket Building was created by Dave Longaberger. It is known as the World’s Largest Basket. The building is a replica of Longaberger’s medium Market Basket, it being 160 times larger. This seven story building was built in 1997 and is located in Newark, Ohio. Also known as The Longaberger Home office, it is an extraordinary example of Mimetic Architecture.

The interior of this building is  as breathtaking as the exterior. With a glass ceiling ,this seven floor atrium is always filled with light and beauty. The grand staircase, piano and marble flooring adds to the beauty of the Basket Building. Looking up to the ceiling, you can see the handles of the basket being the roof of this building.

The Basket handles are attached to the building with replica copper and wooden rivets. These handles are heated to prevent ice from forming in the winter. This building was awarded the 1998 Build Ohio Award for its synthetic plaster system. Having only eighty four windows and shaped as a basket makes this structure very unique.

The HSB Turning Torso is a very unique building built in sweden. Officially opening on August 27, 2005 the buildings unique shape showcases an exceptional twisitng motion. The tower reaches a height of 623 feet. In total it has 54 stories. The lower two segements of the building is meant as office space, but the upper segements are 147 luxury apartments.

Located in Malmo, Sweden it is the tallest building in scandinavia. In all it is the second tallest residential building in europe. The design is based on a sculpture by Calatrava called Twisting Torso. The Twisting Torso sculpture is a white marble piece based on the form of a twisting human being. It uses nine segments of five-story pentagons that twist as it rises, the topmost segment is twisted ninety degrees clockwise with respect to the ground floor.

Each floor consists of an irregular pentagonal shape rotating around the vertical core, which is supported by an exterior steel framework. The design of the building is a great feat that took a long time to not only plan out but the execution of the building is something that takes modern art and makes it into a great new thing. This is not only my opinion many other realize this because the building was the Gold Award winner of the 2005 Emporis Skyscraper Award.

The Woolworth building was designed by Cass Gilbert in 1913. The building was one of the first skyscrapers to be built in theUnited States. The building has 57 stories and is still one of the fifty tallest buildings in theUnited States. The building is between park place andBarclay Streetin lowManhattan.  

            The Woolworth building has a neo-gothic style and is 792 feet tall. The building has a similar look to a lot of gothic cathedrals so it got the nickname the cathedral of commerce. The building has a very simple layout to it. The tower portion of the building is flush to the front. It sits on a block base with a narrow court yard that allows light onto the interior parts. The façade of the building is decorated with limestone panels. On top of the tower there is a green gothic pyramid that can be seen hundreds of feet away.

            The main entrance resembles a European cathedral with many symbols like salamanders and owls. The lobby is covered with marbles and has wall curving of the construction of the building. One of the sculptures is of the architect Cass Gilbert holding a model of the building. Another is of the owner Frank Woolworth paying for the building in cash; 13.5million. All of these things make the Woolworth building one of the most recognizable buildings inNew York City.

Ruppert Yorkville Towers is a residential building that has really impressed me. The buildings are located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, on 3rd avenue between 90th st and 92nd st. When you approach 90th st you can already see the beautiful design that the building has and how nice the plants and trees look where they are at. Between the two buildings is a closed off street that is exactly symmetrical. The trees and benches are symmetrical even the entrances to the buildings. As you walk into the building you can see that the lobby is very fancy: the floors and walls are marble and the ceiling above the concierge desk is a double ceiling height.

The lobby has a small waiting area with couches and benches. One thing that was immediately a problem was the way that the columns are placed . It is very intrusive with the vision of the concierge. As you actually enter the building, once you check in with the concierge, the columns are no longer a problem. There are 4 elevators located at the end of the corridor of each building. Whenever i would go to work there i had to do floor checks and when i am on the 43rd floor of the buildings i realize that the placement of the building is just wonderful. Since the hallways of the building have a big window at the end of them you can easily see central park and  the east river which can be really nice and relaxing.

Another cool feature is the fact that on the 3rd floor of the building it has a laundry room that connects 2 buildings together through a nice patio that has a cool view of the street and you can see the people as they walk through. All in all the buildings are different from any residential building that i have ever been in. Whenever i am around it i just feel relaxed because it is really calm and refreshing .

The building that truly excites my wonders is the Taj Mahal. The Taj Mahal is the truly at the top of the mountain in architecture. It was created in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India and crafted threw Mughal Architecture. The construction of the building started 1632 and wasn’t completed till 1653. In order to create this structure there were about a thousand artisans and craftsmen. This building is said to the most extraordinary example of craftsmanship that Mughal Architecture has to offer. This piece is about 561 feet tall and is over 350 years old. I think that the Taj Mahal took flamboyant architects to create.

What stands out to me about the Taj Mahal is the fact it is completely different from other structures. It also is a perfect complement of Michael Groves’s “Architecture and the Lost Art of Drawing;” the century that this building was created had absolutely no technology. It took true and talented architects, craftsman, and artisans to construct this building. They didn’t have computers that were able to stabilize, measure, and shape this building; this was done all by hand. What also makes this building significant is the feeling I get as I look at this building. I get numerous sensations when I gaze at this masterful piece such: omniscience, proficiency, gorgeousness, craftsmanship, eccentricity, mathematical, divinity, skillfulness, preparation, historical, religion. My thoughts on how this building was created really made me realize why it was constructed in India; it wasn’t just for religious purposes but to give an example of how Indians have great nationalism for their country. I think the community that surrounds this beautiful building is very thankful and ambitious. In the present some building have been created without any purpose and have been placed in the wrong areas for the wrong reasons but the Taj Mahal has plenty of purpose and I personally believe that this structure fits in perfectly. The Taj Mahal may be old but compared to building today that are being “digitally” created its certainly is superior because any architect can create a building the way technology is today. In the 17^th century when this building was hand crafted it took pure brilliance and precision to construct this.

In conclusion, the building that I found to be most impressive is the Taj Mahal. The Taj Mahal is one of the most beautiful and historic buildings ever hand crafted in the world. What makes it stand out from the building today is the fact that technology wasn’t a factor in constructing this piece. Instead of one computer, it took thousands of architects, artisans, and craftsman to create this piece. Although it is old, it has one of the most prestigious types of architecture that architects study today. Therefore, the Taj Mahal is my favorite buildings because it took skilled architects to construct.

The Voorhees building of City Tech is a building that is in the state of renovation located on 186 Jay Street, Brooklyn. It can be described as a semi-glassed building. Negative spaces are very relevant in this building because they complement the glass structure. . If you look at this building in different perspectives, you can notice similarities to Lever House because of the glasses. The building’s shape is composed of basic geometric forms. Visually, it has been improved and renovated to the extent that you can’t tell that it was a renovation.

When you walk in to the main entrance, you will see negative spaces as well because of the wall panels. Looking through the lobby, it’s confusing to know which way to go since there are a staircase and a corridor for newcomers. As you go further into the building, it can be a bit disappointing due to the fact that the exterior look of it is more beautiful and modern. If you visit the classrooms, you will realize that some wall materials look rough, huge, and thick. By this you can tell how it is contradicting the design of this building which is light and negative space.

Since the renovation isn’t finished yet, you will find it unpleasant in the interior. Hallways and rooms don’t look renovated. However, the connection and interaction between floors and rooms are greatly separated. If you visit every floor, there is a sign telling you which department you are at. Overall, this building looks great exteriorly. Hallways and rooms should also be renovated as the lobby to greatly match the design of the building.

The Sydney Opera house located in Sydney, Australia on the Bennelong Point Harbor. This beautiful structure was designed by Jorn Utzon and completed in 1973. the opera house is very big with its several theaters suitable to hold many people for its many venues and performances.

Utzon entered this rare design into a competition,he won, and the Sydney Opera House was on its way.  This structure takes on these tough geometric arches that mainly define the building.  These arches are also called shells that are shaped as sections of a sphere. They are arranged in a way pointing in two different directions. The Opera house also is equipped with great exterior lights ranging in many colors. this allows the structure to relate to venues or events and work with the nearest bridge lighting up the harbor.

Utzons takes on this geometrically different shape and incorporates it into the roof making a beautiful structure. Over the construction time there were some changes also that had to be made for structural purposes. It was oringinally estimated to cost about 7 million dollars. Instead the project was completed 10 years late and the price rose to 102 million dollars.

Apple stores are one of the most famous stores in the world, besides its technology and all the electronic products that they sell; Apple is also very well recognized because of the perfect design and the elegance that their stores possess structurally. A good example is the apple store located at 59th and 5av in Manhattan; the store that in the last few years has become the most visited store in New York because of the magnificent design that catches the attention of many people that visit this beautiful city daily.

Its structure made of glass that forms a cube which imposes respect and in the center an exquisite emblem, the apple that looks as though it were hovering in the air. This design makes a perfect combination with the Central Park diagonally and the buildings around this place because in the day the glasses always project remarkable views, while at nights the apple in the center shines radiantly that in fact makes this structure unique and much more spectacular.

I addition to this, I have found a strong connection between the structure made of glass at the entry, with the interior of the store in the lower level. Once you decide to enter the store you will pass through the glass spiral staircase, which I definitely admire because the way that the staircase encloses the elevator in the center is fantastic, but what I have noticed is that the width of the staircase is too short and it has been one of the weak points of this place and discomforts for people as well. Nevertheless, in the store you will be able to see what Apple is about and how all the spaces and sections in the store are measured perfectly and very well organized, even though the traffic that people make to see the great electronic devices.

A long time ago during, “Bring your child to work day”, I visited my father’s job at the Citigroup building, located on 601 Lexington Avenue. I was very young but, prior to walking in the building, I first noticed a large, red umbrella made out of metal, which is the symbol of the Citigroup corporation.  As we walked I walked toward the entrance, I looked up to the peak of the building and noticed the large amount of windows and how the windows took up most of the structure. I walked into the building and the Lobby was huge. I’ve never been in a building that size to this day.

My father took me on a mini tour of the building and we went toward the top of it. We were in an office with many of his co-workers. I remember running to the windows and staring outside of them. It nearly scared me to notice how high we were by just looking at some of the smaller structures of NYC. I was slightly able to notice the small sway of the building as I looked to structures of similar height. This view that I was witnessing was the perfect time to take a picture, if only I was older. Sadly, we couldn’t take a full tour of the building, but the small walk through was worth it.

The building is very interactive. It had a beautiful auditorium for children and adults to go to for entertainment. The building had many floors for food and lounges. Although it may sound like just a business building, It really serves the people who attend the building on a daily basis very well for the simple fact that almost everything they may want is merely there at the building.  It really changed my view on skyscrapers because I never realized how much character they had to them other than a bunch of offices put together into a huge building.

Brooklyn is one of the borough of New York City that has a splendid Greek architecture. In order to appreciate it you must go to downtown Brooklyn. The Dime Savings Bank of New York, originally Dime Savings Bank of Brooklyn operated from 1859 to the late 20th century. It is not to be confused with Dime Saving Bank of Williamsburgh, also in Brooklyn. The bank’s former building Downtown Brooklyn , now owned by Chase, is a New York City Landmark.

To a demonstration of the Dime saving Bank of New York, walk to Downtown Brooklyn between Bridge St and Fulton Mall and face west.  You will be standing between Gap store and  Armani Building. Keep walking straight to the front until you get at Albee Square west and Fulton Mall. There you will see a wonderful structure of revive greek architecture.

Take a seat in front to analyze more deeply the building , the ionic columns, the pediment, cornice, the domed and frieze, just like greek architecture. Once you’ll be sitting take a look around to a mini park (open space) that makes the space expand from the street. Then go to inside the Dime Saving Bank, as you look around you’ll se the elegantly roof and all those slender columns.