Barcelona's has a variety of different types of architectural types. From modern to Gothic, it is all wonderful combination of building. In the newer district of area 22, the majority of the buildings is modern. A building that stands out in this district is the Barcelona Forum. The facade is unique with the mirror like windows that are able to reflect one reflection back. This style is completely different to the Torre Agbar. The Torre bring color into the site at night and day. The shapes of the two are also completely different. The Torre is heavily curved based while the forum is linear. The Similarity of the two is that they both use a curtain wall for the facade. The structure of the two are also both using columns. Both do use blue as a color for the facade also. When comparing the geometry of the two, the Forum uses all linear lines while the Torre uses curves. Both work for the function of the building and the setting.  Finally, both are completely different in style but the same in the way it was built.

San Antonio Library

This is the San Antonio Library in Barcelona. On the top is a water color drawing/painting that I created and on the bottom is a photograph taken by the firm RCR.  Comparing the two was a bit difficult due to my favoring of my own work but after a long and extensive comparison of the two, the photo represents the building better. 

I came up with this conclusion by comparing the story the painting/ photo told, the rendering, and the method of rendering. When looking at the watercolor painting, I focused on just the library. To do this, I only painted the library and left the rest in pencil and ink. I also gave importance to the vegetation. When I visited the site, it was felt dark and scary. The rainy weather also added to this affected. My painting is only painted in dark colors to represent the dark metal as well as the dark feeling I felt while experiencing the space. The photo also tells a different story. It represents this black library  as a building that is meant to standout from the standard urban fabric. The inside it lit up and inviting as a library should be. The vegetations is dead but that is due to the time of the photo. Both have stories but the photo tell a better story that I feel the architect was trying to go for. As for the rendering of the two, there is no doubt that the photo is the most realistic. The watercolor on the other would be a great way to illustrate  the building before it is built. 

Finally, the method of rendering is important in two way. The photo is a quick way of capturing the building but can be forgotten after a while. On the other hand Drawing  and water coloring the building allows for me to remember the building better due to the time I had to create the painting as well as the color I had to choose to represent the  building. With all that I have taken out of comparing the two, the photo is a better representation of the building the way the architect wanted to.                                    

Citadel Garden vs Botanical Garden

The Citadel's garden and botanical garden are very similar in several ways. They both create a break in the from the city's grid. They also provide a relaxing space in the city, filled with open spaces, trees, lakes, and sculptures. Citadel's park is a good example of a Picturesque garden. The space is between beautiful around the Gaudi water garden and sublime around the promenade. The botanical garden's is a bit more like a French garden. The paths take command of the landscape. They're very geometrical and cuts through the space. The paths where hard angles compared to the Citadel's smooth rotation paths. There was also a lot more people at the Citadel compared to the botanical garden. This is probably due to the location. Citadel is located right next to the Gothic quarter while the botanical garden is located on top of Montjuic. This location is harder to get to and requires walking or driving up a mountain. Over all they are both beautiful garden that gives Barcelona relaxing area for one to enjoy nature and a peaceful atmosphere.

Southern trip to Spain

Barcelona is a waterfront city that I have started to love to live in. When visiting southern Spain, I started to notice architectural styles/ views and cultural styles that differed between the two. Here in Barcelona I can see that historical ruins and buildings are very important. This doesn’t stop this city from creating wonderful and amazing modern buildings. Whether it’s in the Gothic quarters or in the newer parts of Cerdá plan building seem to be design how every the client please. This creates an amazing city with both old forms and new modern architecture in one place. Southern Spain has some of the like in Madrid and Sevilla. The Reina Sofia Museum is a good example of an older building combining with a new one. Further South I went; the more present Islamic architecture was seen. This type of architecture created some peaceful and tranquil spaces. These space are not as present in Barcelona but can be compared to some of the interior courtyards that Cerdá had planned for in Barcelona. Streets in Madrid, Toledo, and Sevilla were very similar to Barcelona’s gothic quarter. They really didn’t follow a grid and at first were a bit confusing. Barcelona and Sevilla were the most similar in my opinion. Both have gothic architecture present in its city but also have modern architecture with in the old. Sevilla’s people seems more against it then the peoplein Barcelona though.