Manxman Piano by MH Baillie Scott (Building)

1900 Reynolda Rd. Winston Salem NC 27106

The historic Graylyn Estate of Winston-Salem, North Carolina offers guests a variety of amenities. Over many of years and multiple changes in the purpose of the building, it today is label as an international conference center. However, Graylyn offers private bedrooms, dinning options, as well as the space for hosting special events such as social gatherings, corporate receptions and holiday parties. The Manxman Piano fits nicely in the Graylyn Estate since it is a combination of a modern, sophisticated facility with elements of the past. When considering the space the Manxman piano was placed in, an ideal space for musicians who enjoy entertaining guest, the Graylin Estate is ideal for the Manxman piano and its space. Also the space consist of a dining area that is connected with the sitting and dance area that enables an easy transition from dinner to the after-party or a combination of having the two together much like events that would take place at Graylyn. The large window unit in the space is also a feature that would be found in an estate. The organic and geometric forms in the space can also be found throughout the structure of the building. The Manxman piano was a downsized object juxtaposing the Graylyn Estate which had become one of the largest private homes in North Carolina, both of which were drastic scale changes during their time period. The Graylyn Estate provides a cozy, welcoming home to the Manxman piano and its space through inner and outer shell of the building.

Compare: The Graylyn Estate is similar to The Royal Pavilion because the purpose of the building is to please and entertain guests. The owners of the two estates were obviously wealthy families.

Contrast: The Graylyn Estate is different from the suburban homes exterior form by the scale of size as well as the simplicity of the suburan home and complexity of Graylyn Estate.

http://www.graylyn.com/index.htm

Close to the Origin: The Triple Overlay Lamp

Front View of House
Section Of Entryway and Library

It had been 50 years since Deming Jarves strolled into Sandwich in pursuit of opening the infamous Glass Company. Once a very small town, Sandwich now thrives with a close community, united by ties to the production of high crafted glass works. In this town, glass fabrication is not a job; it is an art form, a way of life.

Though mostly a town comprised of modest homes, Sandwich has embarked on building a number of ornate and expensive homes reflecting the colorful, elaborate nature of the period’s glass production. The company currently fabricates a line of finely blown, delicate glass; a glass highly alluring to the upscale patrons. No other house in Sandwich could possibly capture the essence of the glass creations, so much as the new gothic revival off of Main Street.

            The American Gothic Revival is a style highly influenced by its past. Contrasting to the European Gothic Revival, the American is far more an exploration of materials and new inventions. Exceptionally demanded, it calls for speedy construction, as well as high crafted carpentry. The beauty is in the details, and it should accommodate pieces that will highlight said entities. It is no wonder then, that the new Triple Overlay Lamp will reside in such a dwelling.

            Tucked away in the home’s library, the Overlay Lamp stands as a symbol of exploration and persistence. It can also be seen as an aid in viewing the beauty of its surroundings. The glow highlights the hard work, the attention to construction, and the impact of both the lamp itself, as well as the building encompassing it.  The supplementary furniture in the room remains simple, paying homage to the lamps impacting statement. Soft fabrics and rich wood only appear more alluring in the soft glow of the space. Sure the other rooms in this particular house have Glass Lamps and other works from the factory down the street, but this lamp in the library, is extraordinary. It illuminates the hopes for a prosperous, highly knowledgeable future.

                 Situated in nearby Boston, the Nicholas House shares the same ideas as that of the Sandwich Home. Crafted in a beautiful manner, they are both commodities alone, but when furbished with ornate essentials, they are highly impacting. They both allude to a time of exploration and prosper. The Nicholas House is, however, a museum and therefore does not reflect the Sandwich home’s ties to its beloved and notable, Cape Cod Town. 

Works Cited:

The Sandwich Glass Museum:  http://www.sandwichglassmuseum.org/about_us/history/page_3

Gothic Revival 1830- 1875 The Pointed Style:  http://www.realviews.com/homes/gothic.html

Suburban Home: Barcalounger

Located in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois is the home to an average American family. The dwelling is tucked away in the trees and can be found within the residential zone of Chicago. Similar styled houses line the street creating a repetition of modern inspired style homes. This neighborhood speaks of the style that bloomed after World War II, the idea of providing housing to the solders returning from over seas. A strong sense of repetition occurred between the dwellings but as a result of the need to housing completed quickly. This building consists of the simplest of forms, an overall simplistic exterior appearance. Gable roofs were common while the façade typically had a front door/entrance and a couple windows possibly containing some form of shutters. The interior floor plan/layout provided individual spaces to fit the different needs and functions ran within a home. Around this time, children were beginning to receive their own room. The kitchen was separated from the formal dining room that was separated from the den/living room, which on occasions was separated from a more formal living room. This idea of simplifying the layout of a dwelling works its way all the way back to Egyptian, Greek, and Roman styles. Their dwellings of these three styles, all had something in common, which was that the floor plan was simplified in general being formed around a central atrium or exterior garden. Although these suburban homes are not organized in this manner they have the essence of simplicity that its predecessors strove for. The Chicago suburban style homes also had local styles being applied to the world such as the art deco movement, which looked at how new sky scrapers were being constructed, and the emerging modernist style. Unfortunately these suburban homes were not given the time of the day to take on the newer popular styles. Instead these suburban homes were built in a hurry, were not constructed well, and had the same appearance as the other thirty or so houses on the same street. The only way to differentiate them was the exterior color and the minimal ornamentation if there was any at all. So even if the suburban homes that covered the country at one point were not the most well designed and were not unique they were and still are an important aspect to our country.

Source: ehistory

Similarity: The farm house had the similar idea of adding rooms to fit the function and need that was being desired, but in this situation the add-ons were done over a span of a hundred years. Suburban homes usually had rooms for each function and each person while also trying to keep it condensed.

Difference: The Museum of Modern Art and the building/home that the barcalounger is placed in are different not because one is a house and one a museum but because the idea of constructing them was completely different. The MOMA was constructed using new materials and the drive to create something innovative and new. The idea of constucting the Suburban style homes was to get something put up fast to house the many soldiers returning home. The design of the dwelling was of less important.

The Tower House building for The Golden Bed

The Guest room that the Golden Bed was designed for.

The Tower House- North Side (back yard)

William Burges, who also designed the Golden bed, designed the Tower House in 1876. This building is a town house on Melbury road in Kensington, London. The exterior of the building is a Reformed Gothic style, whereas the interior was inspired by medieval art. The interior is very ornamental and consists of paint on furniture, murals and ceilings. The exterior of the building is made of brick and slate. There are tall, narrow windows in each room. The part of the exterior of the house that stands out the most is the tower that is on the south side of the building. The tower is four stories tall, and has a lookout at the top. The ornamental design of the interior is lightly carried through to the exterior with a few carvings into window frames and the balcony.
The structure and design of the house is much like the structure of the bed in that the posts on the bed look like towers, much like the tower on the façade of the house. Carvings are inlayed into the bed frame that represents the windows on the façade of the building as well as the brick on the exterior.
Much of the interior of the house is painted and is embellished with carvings. Decorated wooden beams are carried through every ceiling of the house as well as iron work in the gap of each beam.
A great deal of the exterior of the Tower House is expressed in some of Burges earlier work. For example, the tower looks almost identical to the Castell Coch. The interior of the Tower House reflect that of Cardiff Castle, the design of the fireplaces and ceiling beams almost seem borrowed.

Umbrella Holder in Prince Gong's Mansion

main gate of Prince Gong's mansion

grand foyer with umbrella holder carefully placed



When arranging my vacation to China I explained to the travel agent that I was interested in Chinese architecture old and new. I told her that I would love to visit some of China’s oldest buildings and mansions and end with modern architecture, such as the Center of Performing Arts in Beijing, and the new CCTV headquarters. I also sought after seeing the magnificent Chinese gardens in person. She mentioned Prince Gong’s mansion in Beijing, China, which she enlightened, is one of the largest and best preserved examples of ancient Chinese architecture and also features the Jincui Yuan, a 6.9 mile garden including artificial mountains, caves and streaming ponds. Excited, I told her I couldn’t pass it up and I was on my way to Beijing, China!

Upon my arrival to Prince Gong’s mansion, the first feature that caught my eye was the beautiful stone main gate to the palace itself. Along the tour I learned a great deal about the mansion. Constructed in 1777, the residence has a traditional courtyard layout and covers over 60,000 square miles, half living quarters, leaving the rest for the ornamental gardens. The main section comprises the major hall, a rear hall and pavilion holding over 40 rooms. Walking through the fortress I thought about how the wealthy once lived there, and their lifestyle. I wondered if I might see the Chinese umbrella holder (which only the privileged could afford) I learned about in my History class. It was interesting to see the western Chinese carvings, architecture and use of space throughout the mansion. When approaching the main foyer of the palace I spotted a small, cylinder shaped umbrella holder by the front entrance. Although it wasn’t the exact umbrella holder I was familiar with, I was excited to be able to tell my family about the history of the porcelain holder, its use, and it was unbelievable to see the details and colors in person. It was visible that a lot of care was put into the construction of the holder itself, as well as the placing of the umbrella holder within the palace.

http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/beijing/prince_gong.htm

www.china.org.cn/english/features/museums/129018.htm

Farm house 1900-2000

1895:
I have seen five generations live in my walls. I have seen the birth of children, who grow old in my walls, pass me on to their children. I have been improved, repaired, upgraded, and added on to. I was built by the Statford family to keep their five children warm and safe. After all the changes I am still a house where families live, gather and celebrate.

The Children slept upstairs in their bunks and the Master of the house slept in the lower room. I have a guest room above the family room and we always seemed to have guests. My family room was the heart of the house. Wood burning stoves kept smoke rising out of my two chimneys and everyone was warm and happy. Candles lit up the night and Mrs. Stanford would make hot choco in her chocolate pot. She would heat it on the wood burning stove and share it with the family and friends. She had special recipes for everyone and every occasion.

1920

As the family grew and they outgrew the normal farmhouse they added on an additional wing with a kitchen and a dining room . Another chimney was added onto the rear of the house for the wood cook stove and the dining room eventually turned into another bedroom. The Christmas parties grew and grew but we still entertained in the front room and Grandma Statford still showed the children how to make the hot chocolate "the old fashion way".

1965

I was passed out of the family to the Jordans. They purchased me and went about with a drastic renovation. They added a family room, two bathrooms(never had one of those), tore down the outhouse and began doing landscaping outside. My fields were sold off and turned into plots for other houses. My outbuildings were either torn down or turned into garages. They were careful to maintain the integrity of the original farmhouse design and even kept the original front as original as they could. They upgraded my windows, added insulation, took out my wood stoves and gave me fireplaces (always wanted fireplaces), nice people.

1995

One day in October they ran across a recipe for Hot chocolate in a chocolate pot. It had been hidden with plans for the house and a picture of the family who built me. They followed the recipe and even bought a pot like one they had seen in pictures. They now celebrate Christmas with hot chocolate just as it has been done in my walls for over 100 years. I am a happy house.

Final Note:

I have tried to do my compare and contrast internally. The house has gone through plenty of changes and in contrast to the house of 1900 the present day house has undergone a huge transformation. I contrast the cramped style of living of 1900 with the fact that only two people now reside at the renovated, larger house. Modern lamps replace the candles, the wood burning stoves are gone, walls have been removed and even the landscape is different. The Chocolate Pot endures as a central piece in the holiday traditions.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Metropolitan Museum of Art was founded in 1872 by a group of American citizens who set out to bring art and art education to the American people. Since the founding day “The Met” has had three locations. The first location, located at 681 Fifth Avenue was opened on February 20, 1872, and housed a Roan stone sarcophagus and 174 paintings (mostly European). Quickly outgrowing this location the museum was relocated to in 1873 to a Mansion at 128 West 14th St., This location was only temporary due to the increasing collection. The final move was to the current location on the eastern edge of Central Park known as museum mile. The new building is a red brick Gothic Revival stone “mausoleum.” Remaining at this location over the years many additions have been added on to accommodate for the growing collections, including the Beaus-Arts façade.
The Met houses many permanent collections such as, Classical Antiquity, Ancient Egypt, paintings and sculptures from many European masters, American and Modern art, African, Asian, Oceanic, Byzantine and Islamic art, Encyclopedic collections of musical instruments, costumes and accessories, and antique weapons and armor from around the world. Also housed in the Met are a number of notable interiors ranging from 1st century Rome through modern American design, including the Richard and Gloria Manney John Henry Belter Rococo Revival Parlor. Within this parlor is the Tête-à-Tête chair by Henry Belter. In addition to the many permanent collections the Met also hosts special exhibitions. Each exhibition focuses on the works of one individual artist and is usually loaned out from other museums and sources.
Also included in the museum is the Met Store that sells a variety of goods such as books, jewelry, clothing, sculptures, home décor and seasonal decorations. Each purchase supports the educations mission of the museum.

Very different from The Metropolitan Museum of Art is the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., particularly the east building due to the contemporary style. The building itself was meant to be a sculpture that stood apart from Washington D.C. One similarity between “The Met” and the National Gallery of Art is that they are both museums. Both places hold many different varieties of collections.

Rococo Building

The Rococo design style was formed in the early to mid 19th century. The designs during this era contained much elaborate and detailed work. This structure, which Étagère was placed in, is located in Yaroslavl, Russia. It is a Neo-Renaissance style building with Rococo and Baroque influences. It was built by one of the country’s greatest architects, Alfred Waterhouse.

Few notice this building is a 19th century reincarnation of the well-respected building “Palazzo Farnese” located in Rome. Although this building was constructed in early 1900’s, the piece, Étagère, was made in 1851-1866. The style during this era was conservative, but detailed. The building was intricately decorated on the interior and exterior, as well as the furnishings that adorned the structure. The columns present inside are similar to Corinthian style columns, with a very ornate capital. This was considered a high style building of that time in comparison to other structures in the vicinity. This building is adjacent to a Georgian style and Palladian style building. Étagère is strategically placed in a formal sitting room and it functioned as a cabinet and display piece. The use of different materials was particularly important during this time. Maple wood was widely used to construct furniture, with brass or gold plated accents. Silk fabric was used to upholster furnishings, fabric could be used as wall coverings as well. The artifact fits well within the composed space and compliments the structure it sits in, both the artifact and the building are high style and elaborately decorated.

When comparing this building to the Nichols House Museum, they contrast in many ways. They were built many years apart from each other which is obvious with the materials used and the construction of the building. The Nichols House takes more of a contemporary approach, with a brick facade, and the use of shutters. The building chosen for the artifact, in contrast, has a detailed facade with stucco carvings. The Nichols House seems to be in a quiet, suburban neighborhood rather than on a city street.

Guimard's Cabinet in Majorelle's Blue Studio

In the bustling Moroccan city of Marrakech, there's an oasis of calm and exotic foliage known as the Jardin Majorelle. Originally the residence of the French painter Jaques Majorelle; this unique property embodies the spirit of an Islamic palace and the bold theatrics of Art Deco. Reflecting pools, courtyard fountains and an extensive collection of tropical plants from around the world frame Majorelle's house and the infamous Blue Studio, where the artist once painted.

Jaques Majorelle was the son of well-known Art Nouveau furniture maker Louis Majorelle, who was a key member in the influential French Nancy School. In the early 1900's, the Nancy School brought artists, architects and industrialists together who sought to promote Art Nouveau and ensure a high standard of quality in the decorative arts.

Louis' dedication to the arts was soon shared by his son Jaques, who studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts and later on, at the Academie Julien. Jaques established himself as a painter and took much of his artistic inspiration from his travels to the south, beginning in Spain and eventually leading to Northern Africa and beyond. In 1919, Jaques moved to Morocco and eventually took up residence in Marrakech at the Jardin Majorelle.

Nearly a decade after his move to the Jardin Majorelle, Jaques commissioned architect Paul Sinoir to design a vast workshop that would become known as the infamous Blue Studio where Jaques spent his days working in watercolor. Drawing from French Colonial architecture and Islamic vernacular architecture, Sinoir created an Art Deco villa inspired by Le Corbusier and the Bahia Palace of Marrakech. As the name implies, the facade of the Blue Studio is a shade of electric blue now internationally recognized as "Majorelle Blue". Long balconies skirted by horizontal tubular steel railings are shaded by cantilevered planes jutting out toward the landscape. Meanwhile, gorgeous carved plaster work, spindly columns and ornate arches blend an Islamic aesthetic into the Art Deco architecture, which makes for a playful crossing of cultures.

As one looks to the second floor of the Blue Studio where the current Art Nouveau exhibit floods into the master suite, the work of Louis Majorelle is displayed alongside pieces by his peers from the Art Nouveau movement. Hector Guimard's cabinet is one piece in particular that resonates with Sinoir's architecture as if it grew from the foundation. Vertical tendrils mimic spindly columns, as outstretched cabinetry parallels cantilevered roofing. Large planes of mirrored glass reflect banded windows and carved wood nods to carved plaster in an overwhelming appreciation for plant life. Perhaps this comparison is only natural as one examines Art Nouveau and it's inclination to pull from the Orient to create an innovative, industrial and organic designs, which ultimately stem from a European perspective. This summation could be applied to Paul Sinoir and his Blue Studio, and it is a pleasure to experience Art Nouveau as an added layer to this multi-cultural applique.

Sources include: www.jardinmajorelle.com

Contrasting Building: MGM's stage 26 in Culver City, CA stands in clear contrast to the Blue Studio. Stage 26's function as a movie set requires a somewhat generic facade (in this case a brick box), which is far from the bright blue Art Deco/Islamic palace facade of the Blue Studio.

Stage 26 is a building that directs inwards toward the interior set where all of the action takes place, while the Blue Studio opens up towards the surrounding grounds through outstretched cantilevered roofing, large openings and broad balconies.

Similar Building: Greensboro North Carolina's Italian mansion known as "Blandwood" is a fine example of the crossing of cultures through design.  Not unlike the Blue Studio, Blandwood sits surrounded by heritage plantings and a carefully managed flower garden.  Both buildings open up to their respective landscapes through large openings and outstretched gestures in stucco. 

Blandwood's many arched arcades flanking either side of it's towered entrance, are similar to the arches that support balconies throughout the Blue Studio, which give credit to the Italian and Islamic design influences taking place.  

The Nichols House Museum in Boston Mass.

The day was here.  I was finally able to get away from school and take that vacation that I had been looking forward to.  As I stepped onto the plane I looked back, taking one last glance at the surrounding that I knew so well, and wouldn't see for a whole week!  When I arrive in Boston, I am welcomed by an older, but very energetic woman, my grandma.  On the drive to her house all I could do was gaze out of the window at the beautifully historic buildings that make up the city.  Not really knowing where we were going, she said that she had a special place that she wanted to take me.  We parked on Mount Vernon St. and approached and old brownstone building called the Nichols House Museum.  We arrived just as the tour was beginning and I immediately was engaged in everything the tour guide had to say.  The guide explained that he had lived in Boston his whole life and enjoys talking about the history of this 1804 townhouse.  As we walk through the house, I forget that it is now a museum.  The guide informs us that the house is filled with priceless possession, collected from both America and Europe from the 17th-19th centuries.  When on the second floor, we entered a formal living room.  In this room I noticed a small candle stand, and for some reason I was intrigued.  It was simple, but beautifully crafted and it was in fact, the center of the room.  When the tour came to an end, I honestly didn't want to leave.  It was so crazy to think that I would have just walked right by this historic building id it wasn't for my grandmother. 

Compared to the Modern Museum of Art in New York, the Nichols House Museum is different in lots of ways.  The most obvious difference is that one of the museums is somewhat hidden within a neighborhood, and the other is set apart from the other buildings in the city.  The contrasting aesthetics of the two buildings are quite obvious as well.   The MOMA is a very modern building with clean lines, and use glass and concrete as the two main building materials.  The NHM is a well preserved building from the 17th century made of brownstone bricks and windows that are covered by wooden shutters.  

North West Corner of Apartments on Main and Roxboro streets in Raleigh NC

Six months ago we moved to Raleigh, NC from Durham, NC where I attended the Duke University and studied to be a businessman. Since a lot of business started moving out of Durham since 1930s, we decided to come to Raleigh and open up a little bakery shop. Our bakery shop has been doing very well; we have a lot of business. Our shop is located in the same building we live in, which makes it very convenient for us since my wife is pregnant. We occasionally like to take walks in the Bloomsbury Park located near our apartment. We really love this city, Raleigh has grown a lot after the great depressed in the 30s, government created many new jobs for people, and the populations started to grow. It’s 1948 and the population is around 46, 8907(by the 1940 census), and this city is the state’s sixth largest city. Our apartment building is a simple, traditional colonial style building, with red brick and very symmetrical. Little shops are located on the bottom level and apartments on the upper 4 levels. The area is a middle-class neighborhood, with very pleasant people. Our street is one of the larger streets in the city, so through out the day, there are many automobiles, and people walking around, so we get a lot of traffic in a shop. We love to listen to the local (WPTF) radio station in the shop, they have great music and talk shows. The technology that has been growing here is just impressive, from new automobiles, to the recently opened large airport that took its first flight in 1943, to television sets. We were able to afford one of these new television sets, thanks to our prosperous little shop. It is a RCA 730TV1, we’re expecting a service tech at our house sometime today, to help install and set up the CRT and then teach us how to use it. We’ll be able to watch television and also listen to our favorite radio station, we are very excited!

The North West Corner Apartment building of Main and Roxboro Streets is very different from the National Art gallery. The traditional colonial style of the Apartment building is the complete opposite of the modern, cold feel of the contemporary National Art Galley. The materials used in these builds are completely different from each other. The gallery is very straight lines, and ornamentation, while the apartments have some decorations. However the apartment buildings in Raleigh are very similar to Nichols house. They employ same materials, and style, and serve same function.

As I stood

As I step beyond the chain link fence next to the side walk. I immediately feel out of place. The people around me dressed in white T-shirts jeans and multicolored hard hats, they appear foreign to me just as I must appear foreign dressed in a suit and tie. Certainly not the proper attire in which to attend a construction site. Before me sits a building's bones, a series of wooden frames connected together not fit to be called a building yet, merely a shell of its future existence. I do not feel at home surrounded by the sights and sounds before me, loud noises, I must appear like a phantom to them as they walk by with out so much as looking up at me. I feel lesser, as I approach a podium upon which building plans are strewn about I look to my right and see a large tent, beneath it a multitude of tools. A workshop established in the midst of all this dirt, its very typical. Around the edges I see hammers, boxes of nails, drills and other implements set up on card tables, saw horses, anything with a horizontal surface wide enough to support something. Wooden planks all around piled neatly into stacks, virgins to soon be sacrificed in the name of progress. Clearly all these items used frequently. I stop for a moment to take note of the center of the tent. A lonely table saw, clearly a veteran of such affairs it sits surrounded by its cohorts the other tools and yet separate. Undeniably the staple of this worksite as the pile of sawdust collected at its feet would suggest and yet, not given the same care as the power drill sitting on the work bench nearby. Perhaps it is due to the machines simplicity that it requires so little care or upkeep, or perhaps it is unappreciated for the vital cuts it makes for the construction crews. It is as this moment I am interrupted by a worksite manager, clearly inpatient he directs his eyes at the roll of paper under my arm. I am directed over to the podium, the site where the conductor may conduct his orchestra of assembly. He looks over what I have to show him and clearly by his expression he is not pleased. I suddenly find myself thinking back to the table saw, situated alone, its important role forgotten until a problem arises and its needed once more. Our meeting ends as quickly as it began, the manager walks away to inform his staff of the changes that have been made and likely a few other words not so pleasant.
This construction site is very dissimilar from the Nichols House in Boston, and yet they are the same for undoubtably at one point the Nichols house had a similar look, unfinished and a mere fraction of what it now beholds. Surely it to must have had changes made in its design much to the displeasure of its constructors. And yet it has advanced beyond the scope of my project, it is remembered and is in some ways complete. Whilst my project sits unfinished on its lot, spread far away from its neighbors, gone are the days of buildings pushing right up to the edges of each other, and my project is certainly no expansion, so much wasted space in the name of “comfort”. The Nichols House provided someone comfort long before the need for a large garden.

Museum of Modern Art : Ray Hollis Ashtray

The Museum Of Modern Art (MoMA), located in New York serves as a building that dedicates itself to modern and contemporary art. It was founded in 1929 as an educational institution. Some of the collections that the museum includes is architecture and design, paintings, photography, and films. The museum has recently gone through a new building change. It now consists of new spaces with the original architecture to considerably enhance the museum’s modern and contemporary art. Japanese architect Yoshio Taniguchi, designed the new building. A statement from Taniguchi said that his goal was to “transform MoMA into a bold new museum while maintaining its historical, cultural, and social context.” After reading the website I learned that the museum “seeks to create a dialogue between the established and the experimental, the past and the present, in an environment that is responsive to the issues of modern and contemporary art, while being accessible to a public that ranges from scholars to young children.”
The reason I chose this building to house the Ray Hollis Ashtray was because of how modern it is. The straight edges and simple form compliment the building itself. The exterior and interior components of the building help mimic not only the ashtray, but also the other pieces of art that sits within the museum. The placement of the collections inside the building is very simple making it easier for an onlooker to view the pieces without having distractions. The styles of both the building and ashtray compliment each other by the forms and linear edges.

Compared to the Nichols House in Boston, both are very different in some way. The Nichols House seems to be located in a neighborhood rather than in the middle of a city. The styles of the buildings contrast each other by the Nichols House looks like a place where someone once lived rather than a place that was built just to be a museum.

The National Gallery of Art building is similar to the Museum of Modern Art. The exterior forms are incredibly similar by the geometric shape. Another comparison is that both of the buildings serve as a place where people can go and look at artists/designers work from all different time periods. Both buildings were built for this specific reason.

Beach House Eastern North Carolina

When referring to the image below the second level floor window to the left houses this room.
The bedroom above is represented by the upper level window to the left, the center window represents the the loft that is later written about, and to the right is another bedroom.


As a retiree my husband and I have decided that we are ready for a change. We have decided that we are going to move from the city of New York after living here for forty years. We have chose to move down to the coast of North Carolina. We were not sure of the exact location we wanted to live, however we knew that we wanted beach front property fully furnished included would be a waterbed. Believe it or not it was a difficult search for a place with a waterbed. We wanted a waterbed to have that feeling of being closer to the ocean as if we were out on a boat at sea continuously. After months of traveling back and forth between North Carolina and New York, we finally found a beach house on Topsail Beach, at 107 South Permuda Wynd. The home is a single family home accommodated with two bedrooms one being a master bedroom and the other being extra as a guess bedroom, that room holds to full size bed and bunk beds for when my children and grandchild when they visit. There is also a loft room between the two bedrooms. Furthtermore, these rooms just describe are all upstairs. Downstairs there is a laundry room and kitchen and dinning room, and living and din area. The Master bedroom is upstairs to the left when referring to the photo above. The room give one a view out to the ocean however. the window faces more to the sky which gives one the notion of being out on a boat on beach chair while glazing at the sky. The color on the wall in the room is of a pale color blue that resemble a summer sky, while the color of the carpeting of the room is of a tan that mimics the color of the sand on the beach. The really set the room theme off great as to giving one that feeling of closeness to the ocean. If it had been bed from artifact grid,mercury 3 the bed would have been very high style for a simplistic room setting. It would fit greater in a high ceilinged room, while the ceiling on the beach front is at slant taking away from the height that the ceiling could be.

John Hancock Center Conference Room

Forcing my way through the bustling crowd, coffee splashes on my crisp white button-down. Heads down, men in suits corral like cattle along the bleak streets of Chicago. This daily pilgrimage is interrupted only by newspapers littering the streets screaming "PRESIDENT CARTER: COMMANDER IN CHIEF" and "VIKING II LANDS." After years of economic hardship and social turmoil, it seems unlikely that anyone could see our great nation through these hard times. As I round East Delaware Street, the newly completed John Hancock Building towers before me; I have yet to adjust to working in such a monstrous building.

Although the view from my new office is spectacular, my office seems to integrate smoothly into the stale, cold winter landscape. The building is too modern for my taste- and not without its share of problems, but it is nice finally settle in. Even these strange tulip chairs, I think they call them, are different from the Mackintosh style chairs at the old office. It is no surprise that this building is quite different from other buildings, such as the Empire State Building in New York, because it has living quarters, shops and even an observatory.

Shortly after my arrival, my secretary informs me that I have a meeting concerning new technology being implemented in the office. The office has been buzzing with news of some new Intel microprocessor and the Apple I. Since the development of the floppy disc, our office has seen leaps and bounds in technology, so I am excited to see what information they've prepared for us.

I join a group gathering in a large room central to our floor. I take my seat at the conference table, awaiting the big news from the Intel. This conference room has proved quite handy for presentations such as these, as it allows everyone a good view of the speaker. The table is much bigger than we've ever had, so we can host large meetings with no shortage of room. The presenter appears with some of the most fascinating contraptions we've seen; perhaps change is not too far out of sight after all.

The National Gallery of Art (East Building)

The National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C has two buildings. The west building is a classic style that follows the styles of the white house, the capital building, and the Lincoln memorial. However, the east building is a newer building with a contemporary style. The building alone is meant to be a large sculpture that stands apart from the rest of Washington D.C. Also, the Building is meant to be a first look into what the people will see when they go inside. 

  This newer museum was built in 1978, a good 30 years after the West building was finished. The reason for the new museum was based on a growing increase in the art gallery's collection. Approved by president Jimmy Carter, the building houses a library, sculpture garden, research center, and large rooms of drawings and prints.

This Building is very open, allowing for a perfect place to house the Alexander Calder Mobile. There is a central lobby in the museum, that shows all stories of the building as well as the triangular shapes on the steel beams of the windows. The Calder mobile rests directly in the middle of the hallways that each floor consists of, which allows each person to see the mobile more than once while they tour the museum and the art within it. 

Being a modern piece of art, the east building was a better choice than the west national art gallery. Like the exterior of the building, with it's "sculpturesque" design, and the sculpture garden located outside, the mobile stimulates the same style. The angles of the exterior walls create a modern feel. Also, as mentioned before, the ceiling of the east building has triangular steel beams that create a unique view from the outside looking in and from the inside looking out. The angles allow for triangular shadows to rest on the floor. Alexander Calder's mobile is a good contrast to this ceiling because it's rounded edges can be seen next to the contrast of the triangles when somebody is looking up at the piece.

The National Art Gallery is much different than Nichols house in Boston. The red brick on the outside of the building as well as the classic detailing, is unlike the off-white concrete walls on the museum. The gallery has clean lines and angles, while Nichols house looks like a typical townhouse in Boston. Also, Nichol's house, which is a museum, looks more like a home than a museum setting. 

One similarity in the national art gallery and Nichols house museum, is the fact that they both house pieces of art in a "museum" setting. This means that they both allow for circulation of many people at once with places to sit and view art. Both seem to have the same functions with different style.

Changing Perspectives

West Mt. Vernon Street Nichols House is on the Furthest Left Side

The Candelabrum is located on the second floor on a side table providing not only light, but a decorative element to the room.

I walk onto Mt. Vernon Street located in Boston, Massachusetts feeling comforted by the upscale, mostly crime free neighborhood. As I inspect people walking on the street they are characterized with an upper middle class persona. They mostly do not smile while passing and continue to be committed to their prior appointments by avoiding eye contact and casual conversation, but this does not discourage my excitement to explore the Nichols House Museum. Coming from a suburban raised upper middle class household I feel comfortable relating to people on the street, but a little shy with my sense of direction in a city that I have visited only once. All the streets in this neighborhood look very similar with their red brick and symmetrical appearances. Finally reaching my destination I look upon this 1804 brownstone town home and there is an overcoming feeling of patriotism and honor of my country and the amazing things we have created. When entering the museum I am overcome with the feeling that I am in a home setting more than a typical museum. I take notice of the front walkway, very casual almost too casual as you enter such a famous house. I gaze at the floor length mirror in the hallway making sure I appear presentable to meet my potential new boss. The artwork in the hallway seems extremely appropriate to the time period and the colonial style the house portrays. Venturing on to the second floor I am bombarded with the sophisticated arrangement of the living room. It is very suitable for the family that lived in this home and the entertaining purposes they used it for as well. I look at the Queen Anne Styled Clock and notice I have ten minutes to spare, so I take the extra couple minutes to journey upstairs and explore one of the many bedrooms that are of access in the house. My mind figures to a Chippendale style tall chest of drawers that was most likely developed from an English base. I ponder the question if it was produced here in America or overseas as I wait to be called in for my interview.

Comparing the Nichols House Museum to another structures during this assignment the White House could go either way. It is similar in the aspect that they are both designed off of a classic architectural movement. The White House being developed off of the Grecian or Roman Revival and the Nichols Home is based off of the Colonial era. They also stand similar in the act of symmetry.

When contrasting these two buildings they are completely different in not only materials, but sense of ambiance. Since the Nichols House Museum was once a home it still has many domestic characteristics, but it is now a museum so it therefore adds a slightly more formal, unlivable element to the space. Where as the White House was and still is a home and the tour was added in afterwards. Even though the White House is still accessed by the public, it is highly secured and only certain areas on special occasions are allowed to be toured allowing the home to seem more comfortable for the family living in it.

changing perspectives : four views

Long cross section, 2 East 75th Street, New York City, NY, showing the Scheider's living room (the Starck Louis Ghost Chair) to the left, third floor, the foyer, and the bed and bath above. The lobby for the building is viewed on the first floor of this section.


North side, East 75th Street, New York City, NY; including the Schneider's building at the left side of the image. NOTE: Central Park is to the west of this block.

PIETR : I dropped off my well-dressed passenger at the northeast corner of East 75th Street and 5th Avenue in front of a three-story stone-faced building, very much like the rest of the buildings in the Upper East Side neighborhood. Having emigrated from Slovenia at the age of 21, I am a part-time graphic design student at Parsons, studying the image of the city. This is my fifth year in the United States and I feel that I am lucky to both be in school and also to have this job driving people from all walks of life in this enormous city of 8.2 million people. What is very different from this city and my homeland is that there is so much more land developed to house that large population. New York City has sometimes been characterized as a city of immigrants and I believe that the built environment reflects that, diversity in each building…but a unity that comes from an observation of the building codes and construction materials and methods. I know that this classical building follows a great tradition of design that stems from Western Europe and bears some of the characteristics of that world: the cartouche over the second story window, the Doric columns, the Renaissance-inspired building massing. All of these features seem counter-intuitive to the presence of fast technology and new materials like plastic in the world today. I think about my history of the modern design class that I am taking this semester and I speculate about how a chair like Phillipe Starck’s Louis Ghost Chair would fit in this building. I wonder how many exist on the block?

JOE : I open the door for the well-dressed man (Perry Ellis suit, Kenneth Cole shoes, a handsome leather briefcase) who has emerged from the yellow cab at the curb. He produces his card, Nate Berkus, Designer. He’s here for his final consultation with the Schneiders in 3C. They moved in a year ago and have been working hard to get their place in order….but so much of what he does for a living is hidden from public view. He seems like a nice fellow and he certainly tips well.

MITZIE : Jillian walks me along with JoJo, Tippy, Dotzie, and Burt on this block at the same time each day past a regular rhythm of buildings and stoops, street trees to provide some shade and useful eco-breaks, trash cans full of good smelling treats, and some interesting people. A yellow car rushes to the corner where we wait for that flashing human sign to cross over to Central Park in order to stretch our legs. I like the fact that this open space helps break up the city’s regular grid…it was as if someone planned a great open green space to interrupt the monotony of urban living. As an apartment dweller with certain biological needs, I very much appreciate this effort. The light is white and flashing…time to run….but, geez, do I always have to follow Tippy….he stinks.

JACKSON : Carefully balancing my urgent massage, strapped to my back. inside my canvas messenger bag, I weave through the traffic on East 75th Street, making a turn to the right on Madison to an apartment just across from the Metropolitan Museum. I am aboard a vintage, cherry red Serotta bicycle, one of my dearest and most cherished possessions….and my transportation in this crazy city for both my work and my life. In moving to New York last year, I committed to a green life style and I am proud to say that my footprint is 12.2 acres, well below the American standard of 24. I think about what the future holds for places like New York City, built in the economic prosperity of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries…surely this system for the built environment will have to change. But how? I think of these kinds of philosophical paradigms as I make these treks across the city.

now if only i had something to COMPARE and CONTRAST with...HINT HINT!

West Side Story