WEEK EIGHT

Extended weekend you say? That means it's off to Finland!

"A small group of us decided to go visit one of our classmates whom is studying in Finland this term. He and his class were taking a tour of Helsinki the day we arrived and they invited us to come along to see the city.

Some of the highlights of the entire trip were the new symphony orchestra hall with amazing acoustics. The people of Helsinki are quite happy with the new concert hall as it's asthetically pleasing as well as an enormous leap in sound quality from their previous concert hall.

We also stopped at the National Museum of Finland, a work by Eliel Saarinen. The building is a mixture of pieces of famous Finnish castles and churches all in one. The exterior is designed in national romanticism while the interior is mainly art nouveau. The collections range from art through historic artifacts and even old currency.

Had to stop in one of the churches in the area just to see, so we went to Temppeliaukio Church known as 'Rock church' as it's built into a rock outcropping. When approaching the church it's quite humble and doesn't seem like the impressive churches we're used to throughout Europe. However the building changes from seemingly nothing but a rock to an open beautiful and comfortable church on the inside. Recommended if you're stopping off in Helsinki.

One night we were invited to help cook dinner at the Aalto design factory (school) kitchen by one of the students. Amazing facilities with everything you'd want. If you ever wished you could weave a blanket, blow glass, make electronics and talk to people from Australia via video link all in one place all this and much much more is in this one Aalto design factory. I want to bring this place back with me.

But let's not forget about the beauty of the rest of the city and the landscape. This place is truly gifted with wonderful sights of natural beauty with water, rocks, and forest. The city itself is quite modest but quite refined. Buildings here are plainly made with great care in detail and displaying only enough decoration to give it that 'pop.'

 

After many more adventures we had to leave as the mini-vacation came to an end. Farewell Finland, until next time."  -Thomas Homic

This past week, and the weeks previous, have been very educational. Though this is an academic blog, I must admit that the education that I refer to is not directly concerned with architecture. Instead, I learned more about myself, cultures, people and the world, than I did about buildings or urban design. Then again, I may have learned more than I thought. After all, it would be impossible to say that these experiences will not influence my future designs (and influence them for the better). I think this is the point of studying abroad. 

Europe is exciting. All of it's countries are filled with adventures and journeys. It feels almost against the rules to be having so much fun, but I have come to realize that twenty years from now, I wont remember the buildings. I will remember the people and the experiences. So, it is in these things that I invest my time and money. Is this a waste of an architectural semester abroad? I definitely think not. Buildings, after all, are just tools. They can be profound in their own right, of course, but isn't the experience of a building more important than the concrete, steel, stone or glass that make up its parts? I would like to think so. So, I will continue to educate myself about life and the experiences that abound on this continent filled with great architecture.

Its easy to be consumed by architecture. Especially in a program as rigorous as NDSU's. The deadlines, projects, papers, classes and studios demand so much of our attention that its east to lose sight of a life that exists beyond the world of design. But, for those of you who are reading this in studio right now, there is hope! It DOES exist!

This semester abroad has established in my mind the importance of Architecture as a tool, as a way to facilitate everything else that life has to offer. Simply put, buildings themselves don't make me happy. It takes so much more! It takes weather, culture, companionship, history, desire, humour, grandeur, even danger to create an experience. I am beginning to understand how small a role Architecture actually plays in the grand scheme of life, and how incredibly difficult it is to influence the emotions or experiences of a person through design.

I am hoping that the pictures that I've included with this post will help communicate my experiences and the things that I have learned. Enjoy!  - Dustin Froese

WEEK SEVEN

“For this past weeks adventures, seven of us students hoped on a plane and flew into the wonderful country of Ireland.  Once landed we were welcomed by the wonderful sound of english speaking.  It was a nice change of pace actually being able to understand everyone where ever we traveled.  The trip was based off of one sole event, saturday march 17th, where we and 1.6 million other people celebrated the 23rd birthday of David Patnode.

Our trip started off with two days in Dublin, followed by two days in Bray, one night in Cork, and ended with two nights in Galway.  Although we were traveling all over, I feel we barely tapped into what Ireland had to offer.  We saw as much as we could time permitting. 

One of the highlighted buildings we were able to tour was the Aviva Stadium.  This stadium is home to Ireland’s rugby and futbol team.  The building itself was thought to have the appearance of a bedpan according to a local Irishman.  After given a personal tour of just us seven students we learned there are around thirty games played there a year and there is seating for 51,000 fans.  The main attraction to the building to me personally was the heating and cooling polycarbonate panels all around the exterior of the building.  They were also designed in a way were if it were to rain the angles of the panels allowed the outer skin to be self-cleaning.  Once entering the stadium though the first thing you notice is the exposed structural truss beams which varied in size holding the curvature of the open roof.  The pitch, or field, was not typical to what we see in the states.  It was 100% seeded grass that was pushed mowed every two days.  There was also heat lamps on certain areas that had more damage than others.  In other words it was safe to say the grass was treated like royalty.

The second most memorable tour we took was a bus trip through the southwestern part of the country.  The attractions of this tour was seeing many old castles that were once owned by the O’Brien and McLaughlin, two of the more wealthy families in this region.  One thing I found to be interesting about these aged buildings were that some were still serving a purpose to the locals in the area.  One of the castles was still be used as a center for a renaissance festival every year.  After the castles the tour ended with a stop at the Cliffs of Moher, probably the most visually moving sites of the whole trip.  Once standing and looking over the edge, it is a shear drop of between 400-700 feet to Atlantic waves smashing into the lower portion of the cliffs.  Conveniently for me, my camera battery decided this was the perfect moment to die and I was forced to videotape the event.  Our group also thought in order to get the full experience we would jump over the fence and go right up to the edge of the cliff with no safety rails whatsoever.  I am deathly afraid of heights, it took some coaxing to get me to the edge which involved a stomach crawl from about 20 feet back.  The rest of the group was a little braver and were sitting right on the edge with their feet hanging down.  We were soon kicked out of the area by security but luckily we got a bunch of group pictures.

The overall experience in Ireland was all positives.  We definitely made some memories that will never be forgotten.  I would absolutely suggest a trip to Ireland to anyone who has any interest at all.”  - Drew Kierzek

           

Note: I have five cameras to document this momentous event.

"Spring time?

It is kind of a joke when you think about it that twenty-some students in anticipation of a nice European spring time would be greeted with one of the strangest snow and rain storms and coldest long lasting temperatures in the last three decades in Europe . And most ironically, the weather in one of the most miserable winter areas in the continental United States would see the sunshine and weather that they anticipated!

Well, at least spring has sprung. The fountains are babbling, people are sitting outside the cafés, and plazas are busting with people.

After arriving in Lille, I have to say that I was experiencing a strange kind of "culture shock." After flying into Brussels Belgium and taking the TGV to Lille [about a 30 minute ride] I was not sure that we had even crossed into France. The buildings still looked like those of the Flemish brick flats of Brussels. After arriving in the city's TGV station Gare Lille Europe, and stepping outside, I wondered, am I in the right place? Where are all the old buildings?

Lille is a really nice French city.

It is a blend of the very Flemish architecture of Belgium and regions North as well as that of Paris and the Beaux Arts style. They are on a connecting TGV [which translation mean very fast train] route between Paris, Brussels, and London. The city is a blend of an old fortified city, a former textile and mining industrial center, and a modern service industry city.

I have enjoyed my weekends with being able to travel and experience many different cultures. The first weekend a few of us went to the Louvre Museum because on Sundays it is free to anyone. After spending the day there, I could honestly say that I thought my feet might be numb from walking because of the sheer size and vastness of the art collection. 

France is such a diverse nation in a relatively small area.

 That diversity is in the landscape, the architecture of regions, and the people themselves. In the south, when we went to Marseille and had a nice time on the coast of the Mediterranean sea. With its white clad buildings and large high rises  it is a beautiful city nestled between the mountains and the sea. The city was a Greek and then Roman city and is known as taking the claim to being the oldest 'city' in France. The church and crypt of the Abbey St. Victor in Marseille is an old repurposed Roman building with crypts that are decorated with their former pagan motifs and early Christian burial grounds as well. We also went by the famous Chateau d'Iff where the idea of the story of the count of Montecristo was based off.

I said no matter where I studied abroad that I had to go skiing, so I went to Chamonix Mt. Blanc in the French Alps and just had to make a weekend out of it to enjoy the landscape. It really was not like skiing in the US, they don’t groom the slopes at all, and by the way, you can ski on the Glacier as well!  Just make sure you bring a harness, because if you fall in a crevasse, you will need to be taken in a helicopter off the mountain as the ski patrol will not risk their safety to come to your aide.

Spain…

After an 18 hour train ride all night, a few of us went to 'calatrava world' aka the Arts and Sciences Complex of Valencia. When we were in Valencia it was a holiday time known as las Fallas. There were explosions and fireworks around the eventual source of the flames. Large Paper Mache statues are a product of neighborhood group known as a casal fallero. The statues are anything from political figures, social critiques, and cartoons. After the weeklong celebration with parades, dancing, and religious processionals [and more fireworks than the 4th of July] all the statues are lit on fire at once. 

Unfortunately/Fortunately we were heading to Barcelona the day before the fires. It was probably a good thing considering as we were leaving, they were covering buildings in fire-retardant screening…

 In Barcelona, I went to the Gothic Quarter with its still existent Roman fortified walls and of course had to see the works of Gaudi. In Sagrada Familia, the sheer scale and detail of every element is really quite remarkable, yet still controversial and polarizing to Barcelonans today.  I was not aware that many of the plans and models of Gaudi were destroyed after his death during the Spanish Civil war, as well as many works on the building. Anarchists were cited as sacking the model room and almost all of the plans. Gaudi's designs that are still in place are based off remnant plan, his built dwellings, and his studio work. Work is steadily going on the building all day every day, and it is estimated to be semi-completed in 2026 for the 100th anniversary of Gaudi's Death… I am going to venture out on a limb and say hopefully it will be done in my lifetime.

A few of us are taking an additional studio with the French students focusing on Materials and approaching architecture as they would. It is an interesting and discussion worthy approach to an architectural education as they never fully complete a project, but rather they do iterations of sketches and models and then detail out their changes.

 In addition to these places, I have been to Paris quite a few times, to Brussels, Amsterdam, Chateau Versailles, Luxembourg… and am hoping to travel to many other places before I return home!"  - Kevin Gamelin

WEEK SIX

European

Experience

of Architecture

By Jeremiah Johnson

Europe—a place of wondrous bustle and grey weather—delivers an air of respect. Europe arises from the caldron of time rivaling a vast history of architectural achievements. The eclectic yet contextual city of Lille France sits nestled deep within the border between Flemish and French life. This contrast bears name in design. The influence of this architecture through France or greater Europe is simple. Instituted by some meandering colonist experience becomes significant. From the grand Cathedrals to the tiny hovels, each holds dear a meaning. This meaning speaks to the audience. This experience is desirable and lovely. All structures speak profoundly.

European Architecture is excessively lively when it comes to experience. I find it hard to grasp the experience with a camera even though I have photographed most my life. The buildings ask for touch, feeling and a physical presence to bring me to life. There is no common way to separate the building and the experience; you must be present. Only mere thoughts can begin to allow others to see my connection with the architecture.

Try now to immerge with the structures: listen to the words and focus on the photos. Try to bring the experience to life.

1

The Cathedral is a vision of the greatest efficacy. It stands looming above the diminutive organism faithfully prostrate below. Light enters plucking the crowd towards the heavens. The filtering stain glass windows elucidate each icon. The stone stays permanent. The texture cradles hands softly contacting the material. All is in harmony and rhythm. This experience is unobtainable apart from the event. Being physically present allows a mental presence to originate a memory.

2

The detail beacons the audience to notice

Colour stands out longingly for one to enjoy

The material breaths deeply

The texture grasps heavily

Each experience is defined by minute details

3

I feel however, that we architects have a special duty and mission... (to contribute) to the socio-cultural development of architecture and urban planning.

Kenzo Tange

Europe is vast and heavily laden with architecture. To be apart from it delivers little to the mind and body. Trying to build upon knowledge only found through books is difficult and abstracting. An experience in studying architecture is a grand fostering of the greatest knowledge to be obtained. Only through a European experience may one find themselves ripe for the taking.

Viewing Obtuse Art in Architecture and Photography http://somethingobtuse.blogspot.com/

"Since arriving in Europe, almost a month and a half ago now, I feel as if I now have a new home here in Lille as well as a new addiction to travel. Thanks to Ryanair, and the Eurail system I have been able to visit Barcelona, Amsterdam, Bruge, Brussels, Budapest, Paris, Stockholm, and Helsinki thus far. Although the locations of these cities vary greatly within the European Union I have seen strong similarities in urban design characteristics, culture and architectural features.

My trip last weekend took me to the beautiful cities of Brussels, Stockholm and Helsinki, and it may have been my best trip to date. Six of us decided to make the trek north and we were lucky enough to fit Brussels into the mix before flying out of Belgium the following morning. Brussels is an incredibly lively and vibrant city with the smell of waffles around almost every corner along with a plethora of some of the best beer I have ever tasted. Besides the food and beer the urban context of Brussels is one of the main features I admired most. The city offered an incredible main square as well as a hilltop vantage point with some of the best views of the city.

We flew out of Brussels early Friday morning arriving in Stockholm only two hours later. Stockholm was much colder than Belgium but when riding the bus through the city it had a striking resemblance to one of my favorite Minnesota cities, Duluth. We only had a short amount of time to explore the city before leaving for Helsinki but thankfully we got to stop and eat one of my dream foods, Swedish meatballs…which were in fact the most delicious meatballs I have ever tasted. With full stomachs we made our journey to the port of Stockholm and boarded a cruise ship that took us through the night to Helsinki. The cruise ship itself was a city all on its own with a vast age range as well as some truly interesting people but that’s a whole other blog post.

Arriving in Helsinki on Saturday morning was similar to waking up in Fargo after a night long blizzard. The port where our ship was docked was completely filled with ice and very little water could be seen. We snapped a couple pictures, put our hats on and hoped on a tour bus that took us through the snow covered city. The only unfortunate part of the bus tour was the heavily overcast sky making visibility in the distance difficult. We got to visit the one of the main churches in Helsinki which was a Lutheran church overlooking the port and on a clear day to the islands across the bay. We then made our way to an attraction we were all ecstatic to see Temppeliaukio Kirkko or as we knew it ‘Rock Church’. From the outside there was basically nothing to see but two copper doors. As soon as the doors opened the main sanctuary was visible and it was an incredible sight to see. We all quickly went in and after about 50 pictures and sermon by Dustin we had to head back to the bus to continue our tour. Overall Helsinki had an incredible amount to offer for being so small and it is a place I would love to visit again especially during the summer months.

Overall the trip was one I will certainly never forget and I would head back to either city in a heartbeat. I am so thankful for the opportunities that this European adventure has given me and I can’t wait to see what’s to come!"  - Grant Koenig

WEEK FIVE

From Fargo to Korea to Paris:

"It has been one month since I arrived in Lille and nearly two months since I left the States and looking back, I can say that my travels that brought me here to Lille have been the best part of my journey so far. Many of my classmates flew from Fargo to Paris or Brussels on their way to our new home here in France. I, however, decided to take advantage of some downtime at the start of the semester and do a bit of solo travel before arriving in Lille. I chose South Korea, a country not to remote, not to dangerous, but still far enough off the beaten track to warrant a look. I spent 2.5 weeks traveling there alone and I met great people, and had amazing experiences that I hope I’ll never forget. While in Korea I spent my time in two wonderful cities: Seoul (the capital) and Busan (South Korea’s Second largest city).

Thirty-three hours after take-off from Fargo I landed in Seoul, South Korea. Tired, dirty, and smelly I wanted nothing more than to sleep but first I had to make my way to the home of Josh and Mellissa (the strangers I was staying with). The train into town was easy enough to find and the directions Josh had given me to his house were very helpful. It was times like this that I really appreciate speaking English because every street sign and train time table is in English (thank god!).

Seoul is the Capital of South Korea and the largest metropolitan area in Korea, with 25 million people, so naturally there is never a shortage of things to do and see. The city is filled with ancient temples and palaces, museums of all kinds, and shopping that is second to none. The different neighborhoods of the city are large enough and interesting enough to spend a whole day exploring. My favorite area of the city was Myeongdong. It is here that I had some of the best street cart food ever (pictured below). Seoul is also home to some of the best hiking trails this North Dakota farm boy has ever seen. Near and around the city lie 6 mountains each with dozens of trails and always packed with Korean hikers decked out in full hiking gear; walking stick and canteen included.

After a week in Seoul I arrived in Busan, a quiet seaside town of around 4million people.  The feeling in Busan was very different from that of Seoul. The people were nicer, more laid back, and the overall attitude was more pleasant. The city offers a lot to a foreign traveller. It has world-class architecture, a strong connection to nature, and some of the most active night districts I’ve seen anywhere outside Tokyo. The city is growing with sky scrapers and new “shiny” buildings being built all over the city in hopes of hosting the 2020 Olympic Games. The most enjoyable thing I did in Busan was not something that was new and modern but something that is rooted in tradition and Korean culture.  A jjimjilbong, or bath house was the perfect way to relax. There were 4 pools, each one hotter than the next, and you move between these pools in whatever order you want and for however long you want. After that you move to the Sauna and sweat it out. I had to “bare it all” but I am glad I did because for just $4 there is no better way to relax after a long hike.   

My time in Korea was coming to an end quickly. I traveled back to Seoul a few days before I was scheduled to leave and spent a few days in Hongdae (a university area with a lot of art students and bars, very similar to the feel of downtown Fargo, but much larger). I met some great people at the hostel I was staying at and enjoyed the night life that Seoul had to offer. I also had my last Korean meal which consisted of a seafood pancake, with octopus, shrimp, shelled creatures, and peppers and a delicious spicy chicken stew.

With one week until classes began in Lille I boarded my plane and headed to Paris. My first impressions of Paris was how dirty and worn out everything was in comparison to Korea. The streets were littered with dog poop and the subways looked as though you might catch a disease just by sitting down. It also didn’t take me long to realize that the Euro is worth a lot more than the Won… In France I spent 3 or 4 times what I would have spent in Korea. It took me the whole week to adjust to France and I cannot say that I am completely used to it yet. That being said I did have some excellent times in Paris. My first meal was amazingly good (chicken stuffed with froi gras and figs) I visited Versailles (a life goal) and I met up with my friends whom I had not seen since before leaving for Korea.

Although I did not take to France as quickly as I thought I would have, it is beginning to grow on me."   - Elliott Klinger 

A Dam Good Trip

"A city filled with miles of canals and crooked, brick, row houses Amsterdam was unexpectedly filled with countless gems hidden around every corner. Whether it was the ornate details garnishing a random hotel on the corner, or the scenic view down one of the many canals, or the interesting modern structures clashing with the rest of the city yet somehow feeling as though it belonged, the city held plenty of little surprises to continuously impress. Before arriving I was under the impression Amsterdam was a city known for it’s wild side and nothing more, however upon arriving I was thoroughly impressed by how calm the majority of the city felt. This is not to say the nightlife was not spectacular with the clubs, seemingly endless crowds of people, and an interesting array of shops, but there was much more to the city beyond the hours of the night. Once a group of us walked through part of the city to find our hostel I was struck by how quaint the city was in comparison to my expectations. Parts of the city seemed as though they were almost stuck in the past with the many old shops, bikers traveling to and fro, and the endless rows of weathered boats lining every canal. I am interested to see how the city continues to develop with it’s current turn towards a more modern feeling of architecture in comparison to the feeling of the past with the many row houses. In visiting Amsterdam I was pleasantly surprised by the overall unique feeling of the city. 

On a separate note, this last Thursday five of us joined the French students in Vincent’s studio class. The method in which they were approaching their current project was very interesting in comparison to how we normally go about our projects being that it is more focused how the project would be constructed and less on the finished project itself. The five of us are really excited to collaborate with the French students and see how we can use different aspects and methods from their studio and apply them to our current project in our own studio class."  - Josh Litwiller