Big City Blog Boy

There are six oppositions that we discussed in class. I have found an example of each of them in the Twin Cities.

1. Man and Physical Nature

Downtown Minneapolis

Downtown Minneapolis may not have the largest skyscrapers in the world, but the designers still had to deal with physical nature. Downtown is near the Mississippi River...even thought the river doesn't flood too much, if at all in the spring, a possible flood was still possibly taken into consideration when building many of the buildings in downtown. Also, the type of soil in the area was looked at an taken into consideration for the loads the buildings would give. Another natural threat is tornados, which architects have to consider as a threat. And lastly, the Coriolis effect was probably looked at a little with some of the larger buildings like the IDS Tower, Wells Fargo Center, and the US Bancorp.

2. Climate and Enclosure

Tornado Shelters

Minneapolis doesn't see too many tornados, but that is something that we have to deal with because of our climate. Because of this threat many of the buildings have tornado shelter within them to help to protect people in case a tornado does come through.

3. Gravity and Movement

The Stone Arch Bridge

The Stone Arch Bridge is obviously a bridge that helps people to span across the river. There are many other bridges all over Minneapolis...I just chose the most awesome one to talk about...

The Skyways throughout Minneapolis

I read that there are about 100 skyways in downtown Minneapolis. Also, the skyway was "invented" in Minneapolis in 1962. Skyway are an AWESOME way for people to get around in the winter. Like the bridge, they span across, not a river, but a freezing cold outside roadway.

4. Performance and Entropy

The Guthrie Theatre

I understand that performance and entropy are usually more drempt up and get trapped in the mind because of the complexity. I wanted to find something that I could use as a physical example, so I chose the Guthrie, which is a building that is obvioulsy built, and is very dreamy, fictional, and fantastic. It is a very modern style and has many features that define visionary architecture.

5. Mass and Form

The Cathedral of St. Paul

The Cathedral of St. Paul is a Beautiful Cathedral abd is an example of bulk. Like most cathedrals, this is a massive heavy building with high cielings and made of stone. It is a perfect example of bulk.

The Weisman Art Museum

The Weisman Art Museum is an AWESOME example of form architecture. It is beautiful and bends and curves in a very graceful way.

6. Materials and Tools

I'm going to use the example of the Wiesman and the Cathedral as the examples of materials and tools. Obviously, the Cathedral is a very old building and is made from stone that probably took a very long time to move into place. On the other hand, the Weisman is a very modern building made from cement and has a shiny aluminum/metalic siding and probably didn't take too long to build.

Posted by Kristopher Kornovich at 4:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I had a hard time with this one until I took a drink of water...I looked at the water fountain (or bubbler, as it's called in Wisconsin...and I have no idea why, so for this blog we will call it a water fountain) and thought "That's a, perfect example!!"

The water fountain in this example is very good visually because it looks modern, is very eye catching, and has an awesome shape to it. Texturally, it is smooth and appealing. It looks clean and inviting and your instinct tells you that you can quench your thirst there.
Some of the things that the water fountain has to offer is water, aluminum/metal, a drain, pipes, and a really cool button...sometimes I just push the button to push it...who doesn't?? Some of the frameworks of the water fountain are the pushing of the button that makes the water flow. Also, the drain in the fountain which allows the water to flow out and into the sewer. Lastly is the clockwork of the water fountain. When a thirsty person goes to the water fountain to quench their thirst, he or she pushes the button to make the water stream out. When the person is quenched, he or she removes their finger or hand from the button and the flow stops, returning the fountain to its origional state. That is why the water fountain (or "bubbler" for you Wisconsiners) is a perfect example of a phenomena.

Posted by Kristopher Kornovich at 1:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

For this promt, it didn't take me more than one minute to know where I was going to write about. The place that I find meaningful in Minneapois is The Stone Arch Bridge.

I was taken to the Stone Arch Bridge about 3 weeks ago, with someone special, for the first time and I was surprised that I had never been told about it or taken there before. The Genius Loci of the Stone Arch Bridge is the phenomenon, structure, and style of the place. I think the area on and around the Stone Arch Bridge has some of the most beautiful and breathtaking views of Minneapolis. The views get even better at night and everything seems so peaceful and quiet. You can also hear the water in the river running underneath you, and that makes the area seem even more tranquil and inviting. The people in the area are quiet, reserved, peaceful, and taken away by the beauty and Aaww of the place. Also, the Mill ruins add a little touch of History that is hard to find in America. When I see the mill ruins I think of ancient Rome or Greece...It's really Awesome to have that History preserved and in such an awesome location. The bridge itself is a piece of history and has a beauty and elegance that makes Minneapolis seem very historical, but has a modern flare. With that, the city has done a very god job of preserving the old mills and converting them into appartments and lofts. It is really awesome to see the old mills, that were pretty much collapsing, turned into modern residential buildings with a very cool view of the river and the bridge. There

I Love how the old mills have a new modern/old world look to them. It is an Awesome view from the bridge!!

In my mind, there is no place more awesome, breathtaking, and meaningful than the Stone Arch Bridge.

Posted by Kristopher Kornovich at 5:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)