Juliet asked, “What’s in a name?” While she’s figuring that one out, I’ll ask my question – “What’s in a building?”.
Obviously, when you look at a building, there are a few things that you will notice firsthand, like the size. If you drive through a suburban neighborhood, you will not find much above 2 stories, but if you take a quick flight out to Dubai, you will find the Burj Khalifa has a little bit more than that – 161 more to be exact. The shape of a building is also important to catch a viewer’s eye. The simplest buildings are rectangular prisms with evenly spaced windows, but those structures are the kind your eyes will gloss over. Others use the shape of the building to guide your eyes and draw you in. Take, for example, the world-famous Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao.
As a current student in Ceramics 1, I can confidently say that I’ve seen about 5 iterations of this shape, in clay, among my classmates when the objective was a square. Regardless of how bizarre this building may be, it is certainly an eye catcher. With the aforementioned box building, the only thing your eyes can trace are the edges – but even that’s a stretch because box buildings are painfully boring, at least for me, and the last thing I want to do is let my eyes linger on those when there are certainly more beautiful things to be found. With the Guggenheim though, there is so much your eyes can trace – the different shaped volumes and how the walls curve, bend, and dip is just a start.
Beyond the shape of a building, the materials and how they work together is also an integral part of how a building is perceived. Going back to the Guggenheim example, the exterior of the building is covered in metal paneling. Combined with the odd shape of the museum, the material choice for the exterior creates a futuristic look that definitely draws in a viewer. I wouldn’t be surprised if I was walking through the building and accidentally passed into the Matrix (sorry if that’s not how it works, I never watched the movie). You can see how the sunlight reflects off the paneling and accentuates its curves and sharp angles.
The Guggenheim (which, in my opinion, would be the ideal setting for an Ocean’s 11-esque art heist movie), was designed by Frank Gehry, an architect famous for work exactly like this – metallic, serpentine, and experimental. I had the opportunity to visit one of his buildings – the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle, while I was visiting a few years ago. This museum also includes the warped walls and reflective materials that 
we can see in the Guggenheim. Seeing the continuity between Gehry’s designs, even while crossing country borders, was eye-opening. If you have a minute, maybe you can do a quick Google search of Frank Gehry. Click on the “Images” tab, and just scroll for a minute. Look at how so many of his designs are incredibly unique, yet share so many of the same characteristics. Being able to identify the architect of a building solely by looking at it is another reason I ask “What’s in a building?” There are an infinite number of little quirks and details that an architect may include in a building, and looking for clues to who the architect is is intriguing. So next time you go downtown, you might be able to spot some of Chicago’s very own Frank Gehry work (Hint: even though it’s not a building, the structure is beautiful, but maybe not as beautiful as the music coming out of it).
Architecture is honestly an endless field. What I have described here is barely scratching the surface of everything you might see when you look at a building. Every brick, every window, every door knob – the details are truly infinite, and you could spend hours just searching for them in one building. Next time you walk down the street, I say pop in your headphones, put on your favorite playlist, and just look.
¡Hola Anjana!
And I quote Ferris Bueller: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
I’ve been so busy lately that I haven’t had any time to stop and smell those famously metaphorical roses – or admire any architecture either. Now that I’m thinking about it, even when I have had the time to stop and look around, I haven’t. When my family and I visited the Museum of Metropolitan Art in New York, we didn’t even stop to look at the architecture of the museum itself. We forgot that the building is just as much of a piece of art as the works it houses.
As high school slowly draws to a close, it’s pretty sobering to think that I’m spending more time staring at a computer screen rather than spending time among the neighborhood I grew up in. To that end, I’ve made it my goal for October, or at least as long as the weather permits, to try and spend some time outside, admiring nature and all the local landmarks (even if it’s just the strip mall across the street). On today’s bike ride, I watched the sun set.
Listening to you talk about buildings, I can feel your passion through your depth of content.
I have a more lighthearted appreciation of architecture- I admire the quaint cottage, victorian, and tudor style houses I see while driving. However, you approach architecture from a more critical artistic perspective. For example, looking at an individual artist’s style and analyzing their works as a whole rather than out of context. Sometimes I see strange shaped buildings that don’t appeal to me, but I don’t consider all the minute factors that a more critical lens might: the way the light reflects, the subtle details and themes, etc.
Love for 3D art (do architects consider themselves artists?) seems to be underrepresented. I remember taking art classes with you and it’s really cool that you found your passion here. Part of what I admire about architecture is how challenging it is. It’s impossible for me to imagine the detail and effort that goes into the buildings I see; weather, weight, material, safety, and more must be considered. Despite this, the architect leaves their mark on the world in a way that often directly impacts the lives of many: the houses they live in, the buildings they work in, etc. It is a permanent part of them that they impart to everyone else.
Very interesting- if you end up designing buildings like this day, I’m excited for what you’ll make.
Anjana, I loved your post. Truly. I have a deep appreciation for art, or at least I’d like to think I do. Recently, I visited downtown Chicago with my family and we walked around thee riverwalk simply to observe the architecture (along with the assortment of people too).
I think architecture is underappreciated across the board. I hadn’t heard of most of the structures you talked about in your post, except the Burj Khalifa. The Burj Khalifa is once piece of architecture almost universally known simply because it is the tallest. There are a couple other structures like the Taj Mahal and the Sydney Opera House that people recognize for their architectural beauty, but I think your post does a great job shining a light on the lack of appreciation most architecture gets.
Coincidentally, I can relate to your ceramics story because I am taking Ceramics 1 this semester and Ceramis 2 next. Additionally, last night I went out to dinner with my mother to a thai restaurant. Nearby the building was the most boring office building you have ever seen. It was completely rectangular, gray walls, grey everything, and nothing distinct that would differentiate itself from any other office building in existence, so I can totally see where you’re coming from when you say that box buildings are painfully boring.
I thought this blog post was intriguing, and I really hope you continue it.
Hey Anjana! Let me tell you, I’ve never really had a huge eye for architecture, but reading your blog made me appreciate it so much more. I think sometimes when I see cool buildings in different cities, my mind doesn’t really know where to start. But you gave me ideas for qualities for me to look out for the next time I see a building that piques my interest. I’ve never been to the Museum of Pop Culture, but it looks so unique. It’s amazing how all three buildings you wrote about look so completely different in material and shaping, yet all are eye-catching. Something new I hadn’t thought about was the sun’s role and how its light can reflect off of buildings. I’d never considered looking out for that until you mentioned it. I think you’ve inspired me to look at buildings as a piece of art. Next time I walk the streets of a foreign city, I’ll make sure to ask “What’s in a building?”
Hi Anjana!
I was immediately hooked by your introduction. Initially, I was intrigued by your connection to Romeo and Juliet and excited to figure out how you would relate it to buildings. Once I read the second sentence, I had to set down my computer as tears began to form in my eyes. I would not consider myself someone who knows a great deal about architecture, I tend to just admire how structures look without understanding much of the specifics. Your post was extremely engaging, giving me a lot to look forward to next time I leave my house, and really displayed your love for architecture. I really liked your constant reference to the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao because I don’t think I have ever seen a building quite like it. I also liked how you would constantly refer to what the viewer would notice and your explanation of how your eyes trace the shapes and curves of the building. I don’t think I have really stopped to consider the individual little components of each building and how much thought is put into every seemingly small decision until this post. I find it fascinating to think about how architecture isn’t just about making the structure visually appealing, but also about keeping the structure stable and sound, sometimes fighting against and sometimes working with gravity. I am excited to potentially learn more about architecture in your future blog posts!