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Charles de Wailly Charles de Wailly was a french architect and urbanist. Born in November 1730, he was one of the key players in Neoclassical revival. He proposed "Gout grec" which was the earliest version of neoclassicism. A "..very noble style, far removed from the frippery manner which has reigned so long in our furnishings." was his explanation. He was accepted as first member of the Royal Academy of Architecture in 1771 and continued his focus on his engravings. His work then spread interest throughout Russia but he kept his loyalty to France. In 1772, he was the architect on site for the Chateau de Fontainebleau and worked on the Chateau de Menars. His works continued to be characterized by his growing passion for gout grec and later became the fabric that was Neoclassicism. The Chateau de Montsumard was a fusion of Greek and French style. It was a divided estate located in Dijon, Cote-d'Or. On a plot size of 3 hectares, it was a privately owned es...

CROWN HALL (1956) " Less is more " S.R. Crown Hall Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe was born in Aachen, Germany in 1886. Growing up, he was brought into his father's stone carving business and eventually started to work at local design firms. Exploring other firms and practices, he eventually crossed paths with greats like Le Corbusier and Walter Gropius. After World War I, he fled to the United States and began practicing his architecture in a different tone. Mies originally was interested in Traditionalism and ornament. His early projects conveyed historical styles and classic facades, but his shift in interest then steered him towards a more modernist approach. Eventually, Mies started to get recognition for his work and was involved in projects like the Barcelona Pavilion which was a part of the Weissenhofsiedlung, Bauhaus, IIT Masterplan and more. The project that really started to showcase Mies' understanding of structure and grid was S.R. Crown Hall, a facil...

Snowdon Aviary The Snowdon Aviary was a first of its kind. This pavilion space was inspired by birds and their "graceful" movements. At a time of British Architectural innovation and vision, the idea of the aviary came along during the Festival of Britain. Located along the Regent's Canal, it is basically an aluminum cage with netting to keep the birds from flying away. It was gauged as a pavilion style establishment and an architectural experiment. Designed by Cedric Price, Frank Newby and Anthony Armstrong-Jones, it was built in 1962 and was dedicated to Lord Snowdon. It was one of the earlier explorations into tensile frame construction. Nothing had ever been experimented with steel frame like the Aviary. The idea was to establish enclosure by not enclosing. This was a challenge for the designers as the idea of preserving a fragile space while being able to contain, immediately resulted in a building that left a footprint. In order to combat the idea of ...

Center reading space of the Bibliotheque Nationale The Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris, France, is known for its grand collection of international printed material. Founded by Charles V (1368), the building underwent multiple revisions and renovations throughout history. With over ten million titles, the collection contains a variety of prints from arts, law, economics, language, literature, science, technology, humanities, philosophy and more. The library also contains over 5,000 Greek manuscripts. The 19,000 square-foot library is constructed with several materials. Masonry, iron, terra-cotta and steel create the composition of the building. Its neoclassical exterior impression emphasizes order, and a sense of government power. The heavy horizontal cladding axes are complimented by the vertical nature of the arcade. With a play of depth on the facade, the skin is further defined by the writing on the walls. All these elements contribute to the envelope system which ...

Perspective shot of St.Peter's Basilica Located in the Vatican City of Rome, St. Peter’s Basilica symbolizes the power of the Church. Dedicated to Peter [the apostle] the first pope, the Basilica houses St.Peter’s tomb along with many other popes. The basilica in the first century AD was used for civic events and as a cemetary. Originally, the basilica was founded by Emperor Constantine (324) but was eventually rebuilt in the 16th Century. Planned by Pope Nicholas V, the Basilica’s construction plan, Fabbrica di San Pietro was operated by several people throughout history, all under supervision of the Church or the current ruler at the time. Bernardo Rossellino (1452), Giuliano da Sangallo (1470), Julius II & Donato Bramante (1506), Fra Giovanni Giocondo (1514), Antonio da Sangallo the Elder , Baldassarre Peruzzi & Andrea Sansovino (1520), Paul III & Antonio da Sangallo the Younger (1534-49), Michelangelo (1546), Pirro Ligorio & Giacomo da Vignola (...