Kolumba is a building in Cologne, Germany by Peter Zumthor that was built in 2003. It is an art museum that was founded in the 1800’s. The interesting thing about this building is that it is on the site of an old Gothic Church and a chapel from the 1950’s. The Gothic church was destroyed in World War 2 and the newer chapel built on its the ruins. It is called the Kolumba building for the Kolumba stones, which are the light grey stones that you see in the picture. There are a bunch of holes in the walls that allow different levels of light into the museum throughout different times of the day. The interior is very open and sometimes even roofless like a courtyard. The big grey walls make it seem more like a fort holding some treasure than an art museum. At first glance I thought it was ugly, but I grow to appreciate its simplicity the more that I look at it. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kolumba

https://www.inessabinenbaum.com/kolumba

My favorite work by Peter Zumthor is the Saint Benedict Chapel in Sumvitg Switzerland, which was built in 1988. This chapel looks like a Viking longhouse. The building is made from wood. It’s a very thin building and the interior is pretty small. The building is built into the side of a hill along in the Swiss Alps. There is nothing fancy about this chapel, it’s quaint yet elegant. At first glance, the outside walls look like they’re made out of bricks but it’s actually shingles. This is apparently a traditional thing in some Swiss villages, so Zumthor did that to allow the building to fit in with its village. It’s not a grand cathedral, there’s only room for a few people inside. But that is fitting because it’s for a small village not a huge urban area. I just like the simplicity and elegance of this building quite a bit. 

https://www.archdaily.com/418996/ad-classics-saint-benedict-chapel-peter-zumthor

https://www.archdaily.com/418996/ad-classics-saint-benedict-chapel-peter-zumthor

The 7132 Hotel, designed by Peter Zumthor, is in Vals, Switzerland. This hotel looks like something straight out of a James Bond movie. The building is in a gorgeous valley in the Alps, right by a little village. There’s a green roof made of the grass that grows naturally in the valley. This gives the building the effect of blending into its surroundings. The darker-greyish wood used in the building makes it looks sleek and modern but not too cold or uninviting. This building does a great job of blending in with the landscape. I wouldn’t want to stay at this hotel though. I’m not really into the modern type of design, so this building isn’t my favorite. I can see how many people think it’s awesome and would want to spend some time there. I like the way that the hotel incorporates with the landscape, but that’s pretty much the only thing I like about it. 

7132 Hotel

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g954021-d582835-Reviews-7132_Hotel-Vals_Canton_of_Graubunden_Swiss_Alps.html

Designed by I.M Pei, the Museum of Islamic Art located in Doha, Qatar started construction in late 2003 and finished in 2008. As one of the most famous museums in the world it holds many ancient treasures and art pieces from all around the world. At the age of 91, This was the last cultural building designed by I.M Pei’s with his death in 2019. The Museum stands alone and draws influence from ancient Islamic architecture such as the Grand Mosque in Cordoba, Spain, Fatepur Sikri in India, and notably, the Ibn Tulun Mosque in Cairo, Egypt. The Museum of Islamic Art is comprised of a main building with an adjacent education wing connected by a large central courtyard. Inside the Museum are five different levels with a high domed atrium located within the central tower.

The building was influenced by the geometric patterns found in Islamic architecture and is made from octagonal shaped blocks of cream-covered (sandy looking) limestone to blend into the natural surroundings. I.M Pei at the age of 91 had to learn about Muslim architecture and history in order to draw inspiration for his design. The museum cost over 800 million dollars to build and covers more than 376,740 square feet and overlooks the South end of Doha Bay.

Designed by I.M Pei, the Bank of China Tower located in Hong Kong, China was completed in 1989. Pei had many other buildings completed in the same year such as the glass pyramid of the Grand Louvre. The Bank of China commissioned Pei to design the Bank in 1982 but the construction did not start until 1985. The building costs were around 668 million (in 1985) and became the most iconic building in the Hong Kong skyline. The construction site was located near busy streets, railway stations, and other towers which caused many problems. Some of the problems included the blocking the view of the HSBC tower and other construction related problems.

Due to diverse weather and conditions, the Bank of China had to be built to withstand typhoons, wind, and other natural weather. The tower uses a steel-framed structure reinforced with concrete. This unique design was resistant to wind, used less building material(steel), and allowed for faster construction.

The tower has a base of 52m on each side and was split into four different quadrants during construction. Pei decided that he wanted his design of the tower to resemble bamboo because when bamboo grows together it becomes more stable and stronger. Pei divided the square plan into 4 different quadrants with each quadrant of the tower reaching different heights creating a tapered look. This unique design used less than half the steel than its neighboring towers.

Located on the shore of Lake Eerie in Cleveland, Ohio, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was designed by architect I.M Pei and broke ground in 1993 and finished construction in 1995. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is one of the most iconic buildings in Cleveland as Pei’s signature glass pyramid is built into Lake Eerie. Cleveland out-bid other cities in the U.S and pledged to spend sixty-five million dollars in public funding to spend on and create the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame reaches a height of 162 feet (tower) and composed of many different structures (twin glass pyramid-like structure, circular structures built into Lake Eerie). Pei used his style and design combined with other architectural elements to resemble the arm of a record player. The front of the museum opens into the circular plaza which tries to reference a record. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has eight different levels and includes an exhibition hall, two movie theaters, and a stage on the entrance level.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a combination of different geometric forms that houses more than 55,000 square feet of exhibition space. Pei tried to design the building using musical influence, For example, Pei tried to resonate and reverberate voices/sounds from the center of the building to sound like a musical chord. This building has won numerous awards such as the Engineering Excellence Award (1998) from the New York Association of Consulting Engineers and the Award for Innovative Design and Excellence in Architecture Using Structural Steel (1998) from the American Institute of Architects and the American Institute of Steel Construction.

Architect Ieoh Ming Pei (I.M Pei) started designing the Louvre Pyramid in 1983 and finished construction in 1989. I.M Pei designed the Pyramid in order to expand and modernize the historic Louvre. Although the expansion and modernization of the Grand Louvre was quite controversial, The Grand Louvre is currently one of the most visited museums located in Paris, France.

The Louvre Pyramid is a centrally located glass pyramid in the middle of the Louvre Palace which was built under Philip II in the late 12th to 13th century. The Pyramid sits on a two-meter thick slab of concrete and is 71 feet tall and covers 11,000 square feet. The Pyramid features a 540 degree spiral staircase, clear glass (673 panes of glass), and fans at the bottom of the pyramid to prevent condensation. The Pyramid itself is supported by stainless steel poles which reinforces the glass and protects it against wind. The construction of the museum cost around 1.5 billion Euros.

The Louvre Pyramid forms the main entrance into the museum which then leads down into different galleries and areas of the museum. The Louvre museum holds many popular art pieces such as the Mona Lisa and the Venus De Milo. Many individuals may recognize The Louvre as it was featured in the movie The Da Vinci Code directed by Ron Howard. One of Pei’s goals of designing the Louvre Pyramid was to integrate modern design without compromising the integrity of the historic structures and rich history.

             This building was originally designed and completed in 1900 by architect Wellington Tabor, and Gustav Stickley lived there between 1900 and 1905. A fire destroyed much of the interior of the building leading to Stickley redesigning and renovating the house. The interior that Stickley designed became the very first craftsman interior in the United States. While the outside of the house is still like the rest of the houses in the neighborhood, the inside is what sets it apart with dark wood panels on the walls and rustic furniture and interior elements. As for the outside, some elements were renovated by Stickley, making the house have a more comforting appeal.

            While Stickley’s design renovations have made the building in a sense more rustic and comfortable, this building gives me a very haunted feeling with the dark interior only adding a mysterious sense to the already old, decrepit building. Luckily, in recent years, the exterior has been renovated to be much livelier than it had been in the past with the interior remaining in the same to create a much more traditional craftsman building. With the new renovations, the building is much more comfortable with a sense of history and tradition surrounding it. While the original building really seemed haunted and not a very comfortable place to live to me, with the new renovations, the building has a new sense of beauty with a rustic, old-fashioned nature.

            In conclusion, the interior renovations that Stickley made to this house revolutionized American building practices at the turn of the 19^th century to more simplified building practices that create more comfortable living spaces. While some of the elements of the craftsman architectural style are too old-fashioned and rustic for my liking making them seem scary and dark to me, Stickley’s house also shows the comforting, peaceful nature that comes with simple styles of design.

Gustav Stickley House Foundation | Syracuse, NY

               This building, in Morris Plains, Morris County, was originally designed and built in 1908-1910 by Gustav Stickley to be a school, but later became his home and now stands as a museum. Stickley’s main goal in designing this building, along with his design of furniture and other buildings, was to simplify building practices and seeing beauty in more basic, yet unique, objects, going away from the poorly crafted mass-produced items. This building finds charm and peace in being designed as a log cabin structure with dark wood being used for the walls and floors with stone being used for other elements of the building, such as a fireplace. As the house was renovated in the years since, white paint was added along with other elements to brighten the building, but as it has been converted to a museum, workers have attempted to retain the original appearance of the building.

               While buildings having old, rustic elements along with being very dark usually gives me a very ominous feeling, the way that this building uses simple techniques in building is extremely comforting. The stone and dark wood along the walls and floors make the building feel as though it all flows together and really feels like a peaceful experience. Along with that, the curving of the logs used for the walls makes the building seem to come alive, in a comforting way, making you feel as though the house is connected with the trees and greenery outside.

               Overall, the simplicity of the design methods used in this building make it seem very peaceful, with each element seeming rustic and old-fashioned with a sense of care put into choosing each element of the structure. With many rustic designs, I get a feeling that they are dark and mysterious with so much history and things of the past that I would feel uncomfortable and scared. However, this building balances the simple, old-fashioned styles with the expansive land and trees surrounding it, that it feels very peaceful and relaxing, even if it may seem lonely at times.

Craftsman Farms in New Jersey (njskylands.com)

               With the Craftsman Homes that Gustav Stickley was responsible for creating, the common theme is creating a comforting environment full of warmth that gives a place of rest away from the stresses outside the home. This home in particular, Craftsman Home No. 104 was designed by Stickley in 1911 and is in the Latchstring area of Oradell, New Jersey. While the house has been renovated and modernized to keep up with current houses, the same goals of providing a quiet, peaceful space for a family are still present in the home today. With lots of trees, flowers, and greenery along the sides of the house, the building embraces its New Jersey environment, incorporating the woods into the house to make it even more serene. Further, the soft colors of the materials used for the walls and roof, along with numerous windows, help the home to feel even more therapeutic.

               Personally, while I really like this building and could imagine myself living in it, the rustic, old-fashioned sense of the building seems slightly dreary rather then peaceful in some pictures. On a sunny day, with a lot of light shining on the yard and trees, this house would be beautiful with outdoors being used for fresh air while the trees block out the hot sun. However, on a cold, rainy day, this house seems like it would be extremely dark and spooky, with the trees only giving off an ominous, lonesome feeling. I think the same things that make this house so appealing and comforting are what also can make it feel lonely and scary.

               Overall, the incorporation of many trees, flowers, and other greenery all around the building serves the purpose of providing people used to the compactness of New York City a place to get fresh air, relax, and relieve stress. The rustic, old-fashioned nature of the interior of the building also gives off a very comforting, homely appeal, but, to me, it also seems like the set of every horror movie ever. It really is a beautiful house that transports you to a much more comforting time, but, for the $850, 000 asking price, I would rather not feel like I am in a house surrounded by ghosts.

Craftsman Home No. 104 (craftsmanhomes.org)