Leoh Ming Pei & Eero Saarinen
The architects that I am comparing came from two different parts of the world and yet, in some ways the message(s) behind their work and the incorporation of engineering, geometrical and sculptural elements into their designs and their new identity as “Americans” brings them closer together.
Leoh Ming Pei was born in Canton, China in 1917 and came to the United States for his further education. Because of his fathers influence on him, who always encouraged Pei in designing, he attended MIT and it was finally in Harvard that he got his architectural degree. Being brought up in a different culture also had an impact in his design for his approach towards it was different from most of his American classmates whose approaches towards design were mostly very traditional. At Harvard, Le Corbussier’s “Expressive Modernism” influenced him in his use of simple geometric shapes and forms. Gropius also had a great deal of influence on Pei for he developed a reliance on abstract form and materials such as stone, concrete, glass and steel and later developed his own approach to design in which he exhibits interest in the Avant Garde. My next architect is (1910- 1961) who was born in Finland, a son of an architect father and a sculptor and architectural model-maker mother. His parents’ professions influenced him very much into being an architect and he enrolled in Cranbrok Institute of Architecture and also Yale University after his family moved to the United States. He also went to Europe for a year to study sculpture and over there, he was greatly influenced by the sculptors there of that time and this sculptural influence is seen in almost every one of his designs.
Like Pei, he was also a first generation American and having being brought up in a different country also had a great impact on the way he looked at design and his concepts towards it. After he finished his architectural degree, he developed a theory of treating architecture as sculpture, an engineering monument and three-dimensional geometry.
I have to say Pei’s Grand Louvre Pyramid In France and Saarinen’s TWA terminal in New York have both been figures of splendor, admiration, and equally-- controversy. Both structures have sculptural and engineering elements in them and both incorporate modern materials into their design. Even the concepts as to why they look the way they are just as intriguing.
Peter’s international traveling experiences are what I believe to have carried him through his career. Though he attended two great Universities, he got his best education from the real world experiences he obtained through travel. Peter grew up as a small town boy who had a passion for outdoors. By traveling, he was able to find his true style and colors; those aspects are what guided him through his 40 year career as an impactful and memorable architect. At age 67, he tragically passed away from a heart attack while cross country skiing in January of 2009. Though he left the earth that day, he left doing something he loved. And what he left behind was far more vast than any of his monumental creations.
Wal-Mart has been of a great advantage to the US economy, being the world’s largest private employer thus providing more jobs. Wal-Mart is currently employing 1.5 million which equals to the population of 12 states. In addition, Wal-Mart has caused the lowering of prices of competitors known as the ‘Wal-Mart effect’, this saved Americans approximately $100 billion in 2002. (Hansen) On a smaller degree, this caused an individual American to save 15 to 20 percent of their income on necessities, allowing the surplus to be utilized in a fashion that allows an expenditure which fulfills a specific luxury to the individual, for example a car etc.. From my point of view, this allows the less advantaged to be able to purchase beyond necessities, and causing more money to spread through the market rather than the recycl...
Gehry draws his inspiration from famous paintings such as the Madonna and Child which he qualifies as a “strategy for architecture” (Friedman M. , 2003, p. 42) and which he used as an inspiration for a project in Mexico . Through his interpretation of the paintings and artwork, Gehry looked for a new kind of architecture. His search for a new type of architecture culminated in 1978 with his own house in Santa Monica. What was once a traditional Californian house would be redesigned to become one of the most important and revolutionary designs of the 20th century, giving Gehry international prestige and fame. Frank Gehry’s “Own House” uses a mixture of corrugated metal, plywood, chain link and asphalt to construct a new envelope for an existing typical Californian house. This house has been inspired by Joseph Cornell, Ed Moses and Bob Rauschenberg. Gehry comments on his house by saying that there was something “magical” (Friedman M. , 2003, p. 54) about it. He admits having “followed the end of his [my] nose” (Friedman M. , 2003, p. 54) when it came to constructing the “new” house, which led Arthur Drexler, former Director...
Antoni Gaudi was born June 25th 1852 and lived until 1926. His name is Catalan with Gaudi being the family name and Cornet being the second. Gaudi was best known for being a practitioner of Catalan Modernism. The style of Gaudi was individualism and distinctive. Architecture, nature, and religion were Gaudi’s passion in life, which influenced a lot of his work. Gaudi liked to interpret his creations into his architecture for many to see the unique ceramics, stained glass, wrought ironwork and carpentry. What’s interesting about Gaudi is that he did not like to plan his work out but liked to make three-dimensional scale models. Many people liked his architecture because of the organic and natural styles conceived. Gaudi’s work became interesting around 1984 because he interpret religious imagines into his work and earned himself the name “God’s Architect”. His work deserves to be globally popular and
Dell Upton is a historian and renowned professor of architecture and Urbanism at the University of California. He has published several books on architecture; one of them is “Architecture in the United States”, published in 1998. In this book, Upton analyzes the architecture of the United States in different aspects, such as nature, money and art, thus depicting the great variety in architectural forms, and how throughout the decades, different interests have lead communities to different ways of building, different purposes and materials, thus reflecting their way of thinking and their relationship with the environment. By exploring so many different architectural styles, Upton reveals the great diversity and richness that has always, and continues to characterize American architecture.
There have been many criticisms and outrages about Wal-Mart and its growing presence, as many people who oppose the company believe it brings nothing but negative outcomes to communities and economies around the United States. This claim is not true as Wal-Mart may have some downfalls and unintended negative effects but overall proves to have a positive affect on the economy of the United States as a whole. Wal-Mart pays its employees comparable rates, gives them comparable benefits, has little to no effect on surrounding small businesses (often times even having positive effects), does not play a negative role in the unemployment problem in the U.S., and provides communities with employment, access to cheap goods, and provides low income consumers with the opportunity to increase their quality of life.
It appears that from the very beginning, Frank Lloyd Wright was destined by fate or determination to be one of the most celebrated architects of the twentieth century. Not only did Wright possess genius skills in the spatial cognition, his approach to architecture through geometric manipulation demonstrates one aspect of his creativeness. Forever a great businessman, Wright seemed to know how to please his clients and still produce some of the most innovative and ridiculed buildings of the early century. While the United States appeared to be caught up in the Victorian style, Frank Lloyd Wright stepped out in front to face the challenge of creating "American architecture" which would reflect the lives of the rapidly growing population of the Midwest United States. Howard Gardner in his book "Creating Minds" does not make any mention of Frank Lloyd Wright, an innovator who drastically influenced architecture of the twentieth century around the world.
According to Discourse and Society “Cosmetic surgery needs to be seen as an important social practice because it merges the attention given to the body by an individual person with the values and priorities of the consumer society.” Younger generations are easily drawn to the hype that is presented by the media, and in turn look at themselves as imperfect, and seek to make changes to their body as a result.
In conclusion, the benefits of cosmetic surgery differ between people and situations; any negative thoughts of others may have an effect on a person’s decision to have a procedure done, but it is for the patient to decide if changing their body is the right decision for them. Regardless of the influences on the younger generation, unrealistic ideologies of patients, and moral issues others may have, plastic surgery will continue to be a huge part of society. However, society should be focusing on how to encourage others to seek happiness in whatever they seem fit, rather than choose to destroy the aspirations of others who choose to build a perfect body for
...hese days and is no longer accessible only to the rich and famous. Any person in the world can have the procedure they want done. Men, women and parents of small children are making the decision things about their bodies and looks each day. Plastic surgery can improve a person’s self esteem or can drastically change the life of a child or adult with deformities. No matter what the reason may be, plastic surgery is not something that is to be entered into lightly. It requires a long thought process, a search for a good and credible practitioner, support from loved ones, possible therapy and of course, a lot of money. The decision to undergo cosmetic or reconstructive surgery is intensely personal. People, for reasons as simple as a crooked nose, to the lessening of a serious scar, to those deformed by birth, accidents or injury have options available to them.
His works were totally reflected and enhanced the environment of nature on the site, the whole idea of a house could be were forever changing when it is his design. Wright’s architectural achievements in simplicity and unity were possible to be build supported by the method of the construction and materials like; Reinforced concrete, steel, metal sheet, glass plate and plastics. This genius architect offered a building with a relationship of Architecture and landscape, with community as well. Many projects nowadays have influenced from Wright’s modern styles, this well-known architect has many influences that became his principles. First is his exemplary teacher...
Shigeru Ban, an internationally recognized Japanese architect, stated that he was highly influenced by the humanity and regionalism approach of Alvar Aalto. He was at first interested in International style, but received huge impacts after visiting Alvar Aalto’s Paimio Tuberculosis Sanitorium, which had led him to the realization that the context and experiences within an architecture piece are very important to understand. As a result, Shigeru Ban architecture thoughts move from International style to regionalism and humanity approach.
Abstract: Contemporary architects have a wide variety of sources to gain inspiration from, but this has not always been the case. How did modernism effect sources of inspiration? What did post-modernism do to liberate the choice of influences? Now that Contemporary architects have the freedom of choice, how are they using “traditional” styles and materials to inspire them? Even after modernism why are traditional styles still around?
On the same note, the prohibition of abortion often results in deaths of women. Scholars have noted that the prohibition of abortion would not essentially stop women from undergoing the procedures. In instances where they feel that it is imperative that they go through the procedure, they always undertake it albeit in secret and dangerous circumstances where they cannot access medical care (Boonin, 20...
In the human society the physical is very important. More, it is based on the appearances. The cult of the beauty and the physical perfection is very attended. Women and men always try to change or cover their faces with make up or even wear oversized clothes to hide their bodies because they feel uncomfortable showing it, and due the development of medicines, it gave people the hope and the opportunity to change what they don not like about themselves. Plastic surgery has first shown up in the 20th century, and since then the use of these surgeries has been evolving and progressing. At the very beginning, plastic surgery was for people who had been disfigured, for instance during the First World War or for serious motivation cases. Nowadays,