Why I want to study at MSA, Review of a recent building I have visited and architecture I would like to experience in person.
There
are three main reasons that have drawn me towards seeking a place to study at the Manchester
School of Architecture. Firstly, when I was looking round the campus I was thrilled to
discover the archival library. A personal interest of
mine is historical manuscripts; I find them an endless source of fascination. Secondly, the School of Architecture has
the resources of two institutions at its disposal. This unusual position puts
the school at a significant advantage in my mind and therefore makes it an
extremely attractive place to study. Finally, when I looked around
the campus during my visit I was immediately struck by the hard-working but
informal atmosphere of many of the students and tutors. This approach to study ties in perfectly with my own work ethos.
My recent visit to the Natural History Museum impressed me enormously. Often, static exhibitions can limit the time one can spend browsing through the exhibits on display. A building, however, rarely limits its admirers to time and one can marvel at buildings or architecture indefinitely. Most visitors to the Natural History Museum travel there to see the specimens on display. Very, very few are there to see the building. The grand archway draws you into a spectacular main hall. The interior details are illuminated by natural light. With very different materials and styles the elegance of the steel trusses arching over the hallway and then woven in to each other helps to create a truly magnificent interior. This will, no doubt, look awe-inspiring for man. The fascination of mine has been reflected in Waterhouse-an Indian ink composition inspired by the museum’s interior using a mapping pen and a mixture of three stimuli: my own memories, a photograph and my imagination. The photograph was only consulted briefly, just to help give myself an idea of the complicated interior anatomy. I deliberately used figurative representations to help to give the viewer a sense of scale.
I have drawn and included the drawing
of Palazzo Carignano to help demonstrate my ability to
replicate an ornate style with mixed media. I have tried to
show my technical skills in the drawing and more importantly, my creative skill.
This has enabled me to look at this building differently and instead of drawing
the whole building, I decided to produce an analytical study of certain
selected parts which are, I feel, conspicuous and noteworthy. I then went on to
develop this into my own style by adding certain key features and by omitting
other parts of the structure that I felt were not as noteworthy. Areas of this
particular piece that were enjoyable to create were the chalk highlights and
the dark shadows that were rendered in A
building I would like to visit. This style of classical architecture
has great lasting appeal for me and gives me lots of satisfaction to look back
at the finished work.
