SKETCH BOOK NOTES
UILDING CAPITOL B
Collection of observations.
OF LIBRARY S CONGRES
PHOTO GALLERY CAPITOL BUILDING The ornate detail of the architecture creates layers of design. All the design symbols and elements are symbolic of creating a specific experience. Here, the rotunda and symmetrical room reflects perfection. The center art piece and natural light entering from above emulate the heavens. The painting along the circumference emulates historic stories. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS Motifs in the Library borrow from the design ideas of Greek and Romans but emulate stories about America’s culture and progress. In the photograph, these cherubs reflect common symbols associated to the ancients but have been made anew by reflecting ideas of American culture. The cherubs represent jobs associated to American progression.
SUPREME COURT When journeying to the Supreme Court, the scale of the structure was overwhelming even from a distance. It reminded me of temples associated to the Greek and Romans as a place of power. That feelings is equally pronounced in this structure with the use of exaggerated height and scale of the columns. The repetitive forms made walking through the columns to the entrance an intimate experience. It almost forces you to acknowledge how significant the scale is in comparison to human scale up close.
SUPREME COURT
PORTRAIT GALLERY
ANALYSIS
01
Today, we discussed the theme of founding ideas associated to important landmarks of American culture. Structures such as the Capitol Building, Supreme Court, and Library of Congress reflected Greek
Day 1: September 11, 2019 Nikola Tong, Landscape Architecture, Washington D.C Studio Field Trip
and Roman design ideas of scale, alignment, expression, light, narrative, and form. By borrowing forms from the ancients, these structures reflect symbolism and emulate the power that was associated to Greeks and Romans. The scale of the Supreme Court is exaggerated by placing the structure on a podium and constructing the pillars to be oversized. Visitors experience the feeling of entering a space of power. Using materials that were built to last imply the importance of
the structure as a symbol. Alignment of Washington D.C is intentional with where buildings of government are located in regards to topography and each other. We noticed the extreme attention to sculpted details that are often associated to the masters. Sculptures and motifs use the expressions of the human body as a mode of storytelling.
NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY In relation to our project theme, I associated the design of this space to using familiar forms in an unfamiliar way. The water feature reminds me of natural pools of water during rain. The shallowness of the water creates a reflection pool and questions how we can imagine them. It does not have the typical characteristics of most pools with an obvious physical depth. Instead, the topography is very subtle creating a natural feeling to the water feature.
Bobby Brooks Memorial Interdisciplinary Design Studio , Fall 2019, Irma Ramirex & Andy Wilcox