San José City hall serves as the seat to the San José municipal government and is located downtown and designed by Richard Meier. This piece of architecture served as the new centerpiece of the redevelopment of San José. Located in the heart of the city, this building serves as a physical symbol of the government. Meier wanted the focal point of City Hall would be the transparent dome, which stands out to anyone who passes by. The dome allows for a central meeting place inside the building, a large rotunda where all areas of the facility may be unified. The depths of this building include a three story council wing, public meeting rooms, retail spaces, and additional department offices. Not only did Meier ensure that this building logistically had everything it needed, but also that the sleek design impresses all who encounter it. The exterior finish is complied of stone, metal, glass, and concrete which provides this modern look. Overall, the building is technically and aesthetically successful.

Richard Meiers architectural masterpiece, On Prospect Park, is located in Brooklyn, New York. Found in Grand Army Plaza, this all-glass building contains 99 private residences. Standing 15 stories high, this building has been referred to as a ‘beached whale’. The construction on this complex began in 2006 and was completed in 2008, at the beginning of an economic downturn. At first, this glamourous modern building was seen as a bust, with units left empty for years.

While the luxury building was seen as a bust at its beginning, it is now a sold-out high-end complex complete with amenities such as doormen. There are many reasons why the building eventually reached its success such as the prime location. But for every occupant, a major factor of their decision was Meier’s design. The design style used in this complex was so different from what was commonly available in New York. In the end, people fell in love with the large windows and natural light which they allowed just like Meier did when designing the place.

The Jubilee Church, formally known as Dio Padre Misericordioso is a Catholic Church and community center located in Rome. Complete in 2003, the church has become notable for its architectural innovations by the building’s architect, Richard Meier. While this church is an interesting building to look at, Meier chose the design of the building with a larger purpose. The three large curved walls of concrete were actually designed in an attempt to minimize thermal peak loads. The idea is that the large concrete walls help to control internal heat gain and help with energy efficiency. To help keep the outside of the building the clean white it started as and prevent plant growth the walls were coated with titanium-dioxide-based cement. It is very clear that Meier thought through every aspect of his design in order to help this church function to the best of its ability. With the church serving more than 8,000 local residents for close to twenty years, this church has stood the test of time.

The Douglass House was constructed for James and Jean Douglas and completed in 1973. World-renowned architect, Richard Meier designed this house located in Harbor Springs, Michigan. This home is located on a steep hill, overlooking Lake Michigan. This house is four stories high and has a clean modern design, especially for the time which it was built. The large windows of this home are not only sleek but allow for maximum views of the lake and foliage around.

Every aspect of this house was meticulously thought out. All the stairways in this four-story home were thoughtfully placed in corners in order to allow for maximum natural sunlight and views. This house is very unique and is able to catch the eye of anyone. Before this course, I had seen images of this house before, but never known the history or thought that went into it. Knowing now what I do, I have a great appreciation for this home that was designed by Richard Meier well before its time.

In my freshman year of college, I was able to get out of my contract in the dorms and move into an apartment. In the fall of 2017 I moved into the newly opened Callaway House Apartment; located on the corner of Brooks and Trout, just west of the stadium. The building looked nice at first glance especially compared to the dorms. But this giant apartment complex was built in about 3 months and had major flaws that came to light during my time living there.

The building is huge and made nearly entirely of concrete, with a little brick, solely to break up the copious amount of concrete- very similar to many apartment complexes built nowadays. Anyone who has entered Callaway has gotten lost at least once, the place is a maze. Walking down the hallways of this complex: everything looks the same, there are dead ends, and having few doors to access outside directly. Throughout my time living there, the maze-like aspects of the building made me feel like I was living in a simulation. The feelings I have towards this building shows me that even though the architecture is becoming more mundane in aspects as I described, it is still able to elicit feelings from people.

Image Retrieved From: https://www.apartments.com/callaway-house-norman-ok/6ks3s1r/

The University of Oklahoma’s Physical Sciences Center is located on the edge of campus at 601 Elm Ave. The Physical Sciences Center contains mostly general education classes along with a variety of math and science courses. This building is made entirely of concrete reaching twelve stories tall, with no windows on the lower half of the structure. Due to the strange architecture of the building, it has been nicknamed ‘The Blender’.

This building elicits many feelings for me, both good and bad. At the beginning of my college experience, it was where many of my classes were held. That being the case, this building has a nostalgic feeling when I do enter it. On the other hand, I absolutely hate this building; the layout is weird, there are no windows, and it usually smells like a room full of 6th-grade students after recess.

Overall, I am fairly intrigued by the history of the Physical Sciences Center. My issues with the functionality of it does not take away from the fact that this building has an interesting story and holds generations of memories.

Image Retrieved From: https://www.sosbrutalism.org/cms/18801332

A few years back I went to Europe, something I noticed was that the architecture there is unlike any other. In Barcelona, I had the opportunity to visit Park Güell, one of the great projects of Antoni Gaudí. Before visiting, I had never heard of Park Güell; all I knew is one of my friends kept saying it was where Cheeta Girls was filmed. When I arrived, I was amazed by the intricate design.

This park is no ordinary park, it is a wonderland full of bright colors with a stunning view of Barcelona. The first thing I thought of when I saw Park Güell was that it was real-life candy land. With the bright mosaic glass colors accompanied by the unique little homes that resembled gingerbread houses.

I remember walking down a trail flush with trees, expecting that I was going to see a regular park. When I made it to Park Güell and stood at the top I was flabbergasted. As I made my way down through the park, there were beautiful stairs that lead me to a maze of giant pillars. This is a piece of architecture that fulfilled my childhood imagination and I will never forget it.

Images 1 Retrieved From: https://www.apartments.com/callaway-house-norman-ok/6ks3s1r/

Images 2 Retrieved From: https://www.viator.com/en-CA/tours/Barcelona/Park-Guell-Exclusive-Admission-Ticket/d562-31070P36

When visiting Spain, I saw many buildings that stood out to me and made me realize the true beauty that can be architecture. On my first day in Barcelona, I was exhausted and it was a blur. I truly just wanted to be in bed, sleeping off my jetlag; but of course, my mother drug me out to explore the city.

I was brought out of the funk I was in when I got to the heart of Barcelona and saw La Sagrada Familia- one of the buildings that Gaudì helped to design. This building was unlike anything I had ever seen. Being more than one hundred years old, and still not complete, it had more detail than any building I had ever seen in The United States.

La Sagrada Familia is a building that attracts people from all over the world. When visiting Barcelona, I only was able to see this piece of architecture from the outside; the lines for a glimpse of the inside were hours long. Though I was just able to view this building from the outside, it had clear gothic architecture styles present.