Photo Essay 2

A Photo Essay

Prepared by Renatha Vernon for the Academy of Art

Preface............................................................................................................................3
The Alhambra .........................................................................................................4
Parthenon.....................................................................................................................6
Pantheon.......................................................................................................................8
Villa Savoye.............................................................................................................10
Guggenheim Museum...............................................................................12
The Colosseum...................................................................................................14
Il Duomo .......................................................................................................................16
The Glass House...............................................................................................18
Fallingwater..........................................................................................................20

Preface

This photo essay was created to fulfill the requisite for application to the online Masters of Architecture at
Academy of Art in San Francisco. The essay is comprised of nine buildings chosen by me, the prospective
student, according to the essay guidelines. The photographs used have been mostly purchased stock
photography websites., some have captured in my personal travels. The cover photo is one of my own
photographs. I have permission for using all photographs used..

I personally wrote all essays and captions based on my own knowledge, personal experience with the
buildings, and some light research to remind myself of what I had studied previously in my Bachelor’s of Interior
Design. I have taken the liberty to write in a casual yet professional style found today in many travel blogs and
magazines. I hope you will enjoy my essay, and I look forward to studying at the Academy.

Sincerely,
Renatha Vernon

Building One

The Alhambra

by emir Mohammed ben Al-Ahmar

The air was crisp in the early morning, yet the sun; just above the horizon, promised to shine in all its glory ushering in
Spring time. On one of the undulating Andalusian hills, there sat perched a mighty fortress overlooking the town of
Granada. Strong. Imposing. Guarded. The Alhambra.

First built circa 889, it was a modest upgrade to Roman ruins found atop its hill. As with typical medieval towns, it
was nothing more than a small fort protecting its residents from invaders. For a few centuries, it was the home
of Muslim emirs during the Moorish wars in Spain, and at its golden age it was added on to become the palace
of a sultan. But as the Christian armies recovered Spain to Christianity, it became the palace of the monarchy
of Spain, who I dare say desecrated a flawless example of Muslim design and devotion by adding on Period
architecture over the centuries to an already stunning structure. However, to be fair to all who have laid a stone,
azulejo, or plaster on the Alhambra its intricateness makes it, to me, one of the most beautiful buildings in the
world. It represents centuries of history, religion, religious wars, governmental revolutions, culture and architecture.
Experts agree that it stands as one of the best examples of historical Muslim architecture in the world. It was
here in this cool breezy palace, while meandering through its fragrant gardens that I realized how much I
actually venerated history and moreover historical architecture. Where prior to this experience, I appreciated
studying the abridged history of architecture and design while in college, it was then that I truly fell in love with
the richness of history. It was there that I realized a personal thirst and quest for knowledge of the intricate
details of Mother History, details especially of her most beautiful twin daughters: Art and Architecture.

Building Two

Parthenon

by Phidias et al.

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would have a museum adventure they would never forget.

Oh those Greeks, they were amazing. They were possibly the most gifted civilization in the world, if one were to
count all the ways the Greeks have influenced modern society. I won’t venture to do so, but I will share why I
love the Parthenon. Truly, the Parthenon feels more like myth than fact as I write. Blame the world wars for that.
The newer temple was built in later part of the Fourth Century B.C. to replace an older temple dedicated to
Athena which was destroyed in, you guessed, a war. The Greeks, like us in modern life, should have seen that
one coming. Nevertheless, its splendor has been seared into the annals of history forever because of its simple
design, perfect mathematical proportions and dimensions as well as its special visual effects. The Romans who
probably like to think they invented anything worthwhile in history, have even drummed up or drawn up and built
many akin reiterations of those historical colonnades, entablatures, friezes and pediments. One example is
coming up next. Today the Parthenon is unfortunately in shambles. The Greek state hopes to one day revitalize
all of their nation's architectural relics, and boy do I hope they accomplish this fete. Perhaps if Greece succeeds
in fixing their ruins, we will one day look back and think—with the same mind boggling wonder that we use to
study the mathematical theories of the Parthenon—how were they able to pull off such an impossible task?
Luckily for us there are wonderful and still mostly intact relics of the Greek golden age in other places and one
of them is found south of Rome, Italy. Paestum, holds three temples of about the same size as the Parthenon
right next to each other. If a trip to Italy is not feasible, there is always Nashville. A smaller replica of the
Parthenon with the statue of the Athena Parthenos is found in the city of country music.

Building Three

Pantheon

by Hadrian

September surprised us with a few rain showers. No matter, we were not the only tourists in Rome. Perhaps we were the
only lost ones amidst all the wet cobblestone streets. If you’ve never been to the Pantheon, you will find it where many
narrow streets dead end from all directions onto a pleasant and food fill piazza.

Pantheon; Greek for ‘many gods’. The Romans borrowed a lot of from the Greeks. It wasn’t just architecture.
They even worshipped the same gods, they just changed their names. The Pantheon is currently just another
Christian cathedral in Rome. However, it was originally built as a temple to the ancient Roman Gods in a another
location in Rome. It burned down, and the one we visit today was said to have been designed by Emperor
Hadrian, although there have been many others who have left the touch in the building as parts of it were built
along the ages. Hadrian was known to be have not only an interest in architecture but to also to have studied
the Greeks. All well educated people had to have studied Greek Civilization. In my opinion, the most impressive
aspect of the building is that it has withstood the test of time and wars, and that gigantic dome is still intact. The
dome is built from extremely heavy materials, concrete and metal enforcements to be precise, so it is very
surprising that it hasn’t been compromised. Furthermore, it stands as proof of how much Greek architecture
influenced the grand Roman empire, and has continued to influence us to this day.

Building Four

Villa Savoye

by Le Corbusier

In her dream, she lived in Villa Savoye on the outskirts of Paris. She drove a baby blue Cinquecento with a contractable
roof. She calmly awaited Spring so she could plant her herbs and flowers on the second floor plants boxes, the smell of
those plants mingling together in the heat of the summer sun as she lounged in her favorite Pony Chaise given to her by
the famous architect who built the house for her as house warming gift.

Picture a white hollow cube on stilts for a house. Maybe a beachside ultra modern home in Florida? Not quite.
But close. An 1930’s ultra modern house in the country near Paris, France. The house, designed by Le Corbusier
who was famous in the International style is a perfect example of said architectural movement. After centuries
of embellishments, the International styled along with its predecessor the Bauhaus movement, brought a fresh
look to art, architecture and design. Boy am I grateful for it! Perhaps inspired by the industrial revolution, it
introduced clean, rectilinear design and simplicity that was long overdue. Besides the clean white canvas that
the exterior represents, the open concept plan of Villa Savoye with all its natural light due to its long panes of
glass, ushers in a new experience within living environments. It brought the outside in a bit, and simplified the
living space and necessary objects and appliances. Furthermore, another key feature is the roof top garden
and second story courtyard. This idea has no doubt been used as inspiration for modern homes and
apartments of today where land is hard to find. The idea of a garden inside or above ground is ingenious. I
hope to include a lot of these ideas in my future projects.

Building Five

Guggenheim Museum

by Frank Gehry

As the story goes, Bilbao was a post industrial nightmare. Its main river polluted and lifeless, its streets dirty and
corrupted. Someone must have a visionary dream to build a structure that could transform a dilapidated city into a fresh
and clean new metropolis. This fairy tale in the end came true.

I will never forget sitting in History of Modern Design and Architecture when a slide of the Guggenheim Museum
was put up on the screen. It was love at first sight. Never in my sweetest dreams had I seen such a beautiful
structure; silvery, scaly, bold, fluid, sharp. What was I looking at? That was when I fell in love with Frank Gehry’s
projects. The funny thing is, I didn’t quite care for Deconstructivism that much while studying design. Yet, like a
lover who is blind, there was nothing that Frank Gehry designed that I didn’t like. What I love about Bilbao’s
Guggenheim is its changing chiaroscuro effect. The sun playfully casts light and shadows over its lines and
curves throughout the entire day. Moreover, I had never considered such a shimmery material as titanium on a
building. Looking back, I think the titanium was what I fell in love with. The materials like glass and stone were also
used to complement the metal. But to me the beauty of the building is in the shape and material juxtaposed to
the quiet river that runs in front of it. Turns out the fairy tale of Bilbao came alive, river included. The fairy tale
was that Bilbao wasn’t prospering, its river was filthy with pollution, and the city desperately needed a pick me
up. After Gehry’s Guggenheim, the city emerged, its people started to believe in it again, and even there river
got cleaned up. And hopefully they are living happily ever after. Now I can’t wait for my dream to come true to
go meet the Guggenheim in person soon.

Building Six

The Colosseum

by Emperor Vespasian

Gouged and bloody, the gladiator managed to kill its last opponent. The populous Colosseum vibrates as the crowd
cheers him on. The water fills the arena, time for an underwater show. Will he survive his new fighting challenge?

Our guide is a typical Italian Casanova. Donning jeans, a wool jacket and a scarf, he beckoned us to follow him
into the Colosseum. To enter the Colosseum is to enter another world. A world not distant from our modern
society. You see, it takes about 30 minutes to realize that the Romans had the same cultural wonders and
pitfalls, the same social stratification, the same “Pay to play” politics that some in our society enjoys. It is noticed
quickly once the tour guide points to the nose bleed seats. Perhaps we have only progressed a tiny bit as we
no longer sit and watch real people be eaten live by wild animals. We now look for those films to hit the theater
justifying that a movie is not real. The intriguing part of the colosseum are precisely how much the ancient giant
resembles our modern football stadiums. The rich sat closer to the “stage”, the poor sat up in the high seats.
Between the seating levels there were bathrooms, and concessions. And what of the arena? Oh, the arena. The
stage topped with sand for the fights, unearthed for plays, filled with water for even more dramatic effect. Its
basements held props, animals, slaves and gladiators. It sure reminds me of Broadway. The most interesting
part of history to me is the influence of other periods in our own ‘modern' lives. We sure do thing highly of
ourselves, but I do wonder if the Romans weren’t smarter than us these days.

Building Seven

Il Duomo

by Filippo Brunelleschi

It was a hot day in Florence. A mother and her two children wander the streets from the Santa Maria Novella Station in
search of their month long accommodations. One turn the right way, and they are faced with the green and white marble
of Santa Maria Del Fiore cathedral and Brunelleschi’s Duomo. Tears of joy and gratitude filled her eyes. “Gelatto,
children?”

From a top the many hills that sound Florence one can see Il Duomo floating above the cityscape. It’s been
almost a year since my two oldest children and I embarked on a 6 week long trip to Italy to take Italian classes
in Florence. I still get emotional thinking about that experience of walking the streets of the Renaissance city with
my children. You see, I’m a person who likes to connect the dots. My name, a name with latin roots, shares the
same root as the term Renaissance. Renata=Renainssance=Rebirth. I had been to Florence another three times
before. But there was something about sharing that city and my love for all things “rebirth" for an entire month
with my children that was priceless. In fact, the littles ones had been there before too, and we even took them
up the 480+ steps to the catwalk around the dome. The dome is an architectural fete of its time, no doubt. It is
the first herculean dome of its kind; built with wood beams and terra cotta tiles, instead of stone and concrete.
Its interior frescoes are also a sight to behold and contemplate upon. And to think the Brunelleschi was
competing against his life-time rival to build the dome is also part of the marvel of the dome. As the story goes,
even though Brunelleschi won the commission, Giotto had to collaborate. Although there’s no real evidence, the
Florentine say that Brunelleschi pulled a trick on Giotto, leaving Giotto temporarily in charge. However he was
stuck and didn’t know how to proceed. Brunelleschi then came back to win the day and finish the construction
of the dome without a collaborator to take part of the credit. To me, the Duomo has become a symbol of
human’s ingenuity, creativity and perseverance in the face of the impossible. (Photo credit: Renatha Vernon 2016)

Building Eight

The Glass House

by Philip Johnson

Seeing all seasons from all angles, watching the sun rise and the sun set from the same chair all day, smell in the foliage
all around you, feel the chill of the crisp nights and early mornings. Those are the experiences one could have if one
owned a glass house in the woods.

Philip Johnson has a great idea; to explore what an all glass house would be like. But for those not so
comfortable with the idea, he built its opposite. The brick house providing the need for privacy is a few yards
from it. What I absolutely love and have dreamed about the Glass House is how open to nature it is. I have never
been there, but I can imagine watching the light dance through the glass making different shadows throughout
the day. The clean lines, the earthy materials all prevent it from being stark, not to mention all the green
surrounding it. Another feature I love about the house, is what is inside the house. Philip Johnson, the house’s
architect, was a friend of my favorite other artist Mies Van Der Rohe, who designed the Barcelona chair, and the
Daybed. It is my dream to one day furnish my own house with wonderful modern classics such as those. Lastly,
another feature that is clearly displayed yet, subtly forgotten is how little is inside the Glass House. It is a
minimalist haven! There’s something about living with as little as possible that draws me in. In fact in this day and
age of materialism and consumerism, minimalism is a breath of fresh air and something I’m very interested in
studying and designing for the masses.

Building Nine

Fallingwater

by Frank Lloyd Wright

Oh to wake up to the soft rushing sound of water through your bedroom window. To feel secluded and drawn into the
wild, to not notice days going by. That must be what if feels like to be at Falling Water.

Anyone who is interested in architecture and design has heard of the Frank Lloyd Wright, and his stubborn
ego. Thank goodness for that stubbornness! Look at what he has accomplished, designed and built.
Fallingwater is a home like no other. Yes, there have been settling issues and what not, but the home has
become a master piece of architectural design. It is warm and cozy, despite all that water flowing right

through its basement. One of the features I love about Fallingwater is the use of horizontal lines that flow from
the exterior into the interior. It gives us a sense of calm. In my opinion it ties the house to nature and yet serves
as a contrast to all the tall trees outside. Another feature I appreciate is Wright’s use of built in furniture. At
one point in my life, I lived in a house that had built in concrete benches in the foyer. I was little so I thought it
was odd, and cold. However now, having moved so many times, I think the idea of built-in furniture is

splendid. Wright, was right on point. Not all pieces created for Fallingwater are built-in, however this
concept became one of his signatures. Really one buys furniture to complement a home, and when a move is
in order, the furniture moved rarely fits the next abode as it should. Is there a niche in creating more homes
with built-in furniture pieces for the minimalist or the pragmatic? I’d like start that conversation going.