My Favorite … (revised)

One of my favorite buildings in New York City is the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art.  I’ve never gone inside the building but I’ve seen it from the outside.  What catches me about this building is the exterior envelope it has.  It has all these different curves that make it stand out from its surrounding buildings.  This building is also very energy efficient which is also another quality that I like.

Even in my own designs for school, I like exploring different shapes, and forms, because it gives me more to work with.  Not only that but it also makes the design “yours”, recognizable to others as your own.

New York City is not only very diverse in the different cultures from around the world but it is also diverse in its buildings.  What is interesting about New York is the variety it has in the different types of forms that exist in the buildings.  Every turn you make in the city, you are going to see a different form or style of building.

I like contemporary architecture because it gives freedom to design.  I am not crazy about the “square” or “rectangular” shaped buildings because I feel that they didn’t put that much into the creativity.  I think squares and rectangles are very static whereas a made-up shape allows for movement whether it is on a building’s façade or the interior spaces.  I am drawn to things or in this case structures that are different shapes other than that of rectangles and squares.  I’m not saying I entirely dislike those buildings, certain things I do like.

Buildings, such as the Chrysler Building, which are mostly rectangular in shape is one of the few buildings that I like.  Its style is art deco and what I like about it is the stainless steel crown at the very top.  If you look closely at the detailing of the crown, you can notice that it looks like layering of buttresses from the Greek revival style.