Antoni Gaudí

In the past three years, I have ended up in Barcelona three times – twice this summer. You can't be a tourist in this amazing city without becoming aware of the architecture of Antoni Gaudí. The impact that this one man had on the city can't be underestimated.

His huge church Segrada Família was started in 1883 and is projected to be finished in 2026 which gives you an idea of its size. Gaudí dedicated the last 15 years of his life to the project.

I love the Art Nouveau look of the facade of Casa Batlló as well as the amazing chimney sculptures.

Another of my favourite Gaudí works is Parc Guell located toward the north of the city.

I love the fluid forms that Gaudí uses and the effect of the broken ceramic that is often used to clad his work. Gaudi died in 1926 when he was hit by a tram. Barcelona subsequently removed trams from its streets.

Gaudí's work has become a symbol of Barcelona, Catalunya and the whole of Spain.

Nobles Yard

Nobles Yard is a new build project tucked away in a small Derbyshire town designed by The Rennie Partnership Architects.

The building looks strikingly modern to be in a region that's a conservation area. The project was designed to be as eco-friendly as possible in its building and running.

The timber-frame construction uses recycled wood and creates a highly insulated cavity wall filled with recycled newspaper to keep heat in. This cuts down on how much the building needs to be heated, thus saving energy.

Rainwater collected from the roof is recycled, filtered and then used to flush the house's toilets.

The roof is planted with seedum which acts as a good insulator, slows water run off and provides a habitat for insects.

Photovoltaics on the roof generate electricity that powers the building and any excess energy is sold back to the grid.

The fact that this building was completed in 2001, shows the foresight of the architects for using technology that at the time was fledgling, and still isn't used widely enough in construction today.

Bridgewater Place

Bridgewater Place is the tallest building in Leeds. Fact. I assumed that the new Plaza block would have taken this title but apparently not. 

This building holds a little place in my heart. Wether it be driving up on the M1 or coming into Leeds station by train, I still get a little jolt of excitement whenever I see it, especially when it's lit up with purple light at night for some reason.

For me it's like a little beacon that I see from afar that says I'm nearly in Leeds, a city that I'm massively fond of.

Bridgewater Place was designed by Aedas.

QUAD Derby

Derby isn't known for it's architecture so the new £11m film and arts centre 'QUAD' that opened in September 2008 really stands out in the city centre.

Looking into the architectural firm Fielden Clegg Bradley that designed it, I found that they are also responsible for 'Broadcasting Place' on Woodhouse Lane in Leeds. - that's the one we've all walked past saying "is it supposed to be rusty?". (It is).

Back in Derby, I like the way the slanted stone cladding looks like a piece of Derbyshire sedimentary rock. Inside, "QUAD is a gallery, cinema, cafe/bar, and workshop that anyone can use, and aims to be an organisation and building that is of local, national and international significance" as the press release says.

I think this is a great development for Derby, not only because it looks stunning, but also because it provides the area with a centre for the arts. I'll top and tail this post with some photos that I took.

The Pantheon, Rome

Yesterday I got back from Rome. I know the brief for this project specifically states that this blog shouldn’t be ‘a collection of summer holiday snaps’ but in terms of creative and cultural inspiration, Rome just can’t be beaten.

The first thing I want to write about is something that came up in Professor Hann’s architecture lecture in second year Design Theory: The Pantheon. The Pantheon was built in 25AD by the Romans and is famous for its incredible dome. The dome is 43 meters in diameter with a 9 meter wide hole, or oculus, in the centre which is the building’s only source of light. I read that a sphere would fit perfectly inside the dome – the dimensions are accurate to the millimetre.

The reason I find this building so great is thinking about the engineering feat that was achieved over 2000 years ago. The dome is made of concrete (a material that Prof Hann told us the Romans worked out how to make and then mankind forgot how to make) and tapers from 6 meters thick at the base to 1 meter thick at the top. The weight bearing supports are hidden inside the walls. It is still is the largest un-reinforced concrete dome in the world. I think the level of technology achieved so long ago is pretty amazing. When it rains though, the floor under the oculus gets wet. Is that bad planning?