The Leaning Tower of Pisa

Image 1- Leaning Tower of Pisa

Image 2 - Close up of columns

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is a free standing bell tower in the city of Pisa in Italy. It was built in three stages and overall took 177 years to complete. The structure has eight floors with 294 steps and the highest side of the tower measures 56.70m with the lower side being one metre shorter. When you climb the tower it is the most surreal feeling of falling. You enter the building and as you get higher and higher you begin to feel like you are being pulled over in the direction that the tower is leaning. Your orientation just seems to disappear and you feel so drunk eventhough you're not (I don't think I was anyway). You are so busy trying to hold on to anything you can ( I really did feel sorry for the poor person who was walking near me and kept being pulled to the ground everytime I thought I was going to fall). The last part of the climb to the top of the bell tower is like being in a cave. It's so dark and enclosed, but when you eventually reach the top it's amazing. The feeling of falling seems to leave you and the views across Pisa are beautiful. It may not be the tallest tower in the world, but it is the most incredible experience.

Image 1 - Leaning Tower of Pisa - www.wikipedia.org
Image 2 - Close up of columns - www.wikipedia.org 

Villa Almerico Capra

This grand building is situated near Vicenza in Northern Italy. It is a renaissance building and was created by architect Andrea Palladio. The house is very symmetrical with four entrances - one from each side. Huge columns sit in front of each entrance giving the impression of importance and protection. There is a central dome ceiling which can be seen upon entering the house into the circular hallway positioned directly below. The four entrances all meet at this circular hall which is double heighted so that when you look up you can clearly see the domed ceiling above you. The building was finished in 1591 by the Capra brothers and this is where the name Capra originates from. This is a very beautiful piece of architecture and its surroundings are no Different. It sits in magnificent gardens which help the building to stand out in all its glory. 

Malin ("Chemosphere") residence

The Chemosphere was designed by John Launter in 1960 and is located near the Hollywood hills. The actual living area of the house has been raised 30 feet in the air (so if you are afraid of heights this is not the dream house for you), precariously supported by one concrete post which is 20 feet wide. This post has been driven deep down into the earth to support the house, helping it to endure strong winds and earthquakes. The house is shaped like an octagon, which causes it to look like an alien space craft hovering in mid air about to attack the earth. There are windows all around the building so that the spectacular views of the city can be seen from every angle (although at that height it's not like there would really be lots of objects in the way). There is only one level which is about 200m2 and a cable railway has to be used to reach the house, which travels up the 45 degree sloping hill. This house really is one of a kind and how amazing would it be to say that you lived there.

Feldbalz House

Feldbalz House was designed by Swiss architect, Gus Wustemann and is situated beside Lake Zurich in Switzerland. It is a very modern house with a minimalist design, which has been set over three floors with a balcony on each to give superb views over the lake. the house is all open plan to allow for a variety of different living situations. The living area is not situated on the ground floor like most houses, but is instead on the first floor to allow the inhabitants to appreciate the views across Lake Zurich. The master bedroom is on the top floor of the house which leads out onto a roof terrace which can be used for relaxing or entertaining. There are glass panels on the ground floor or the house which can be closed away to give more privacy, but if you lived in that house with that view you would want to keep the panels open because it is just so beautiful. The design for this building is very square and flat. Everything is in line and parrallel, giving the house a crisp and clean appearence, which is very contrasting from its background of trees and bushes, but it seems to fit in. When the lake it flat calm and mirror like, this also helps the building to become part of its surroundings.

 

The Duomo

The Duomo is in the centre of Milan in Italy. The word Duomo is an Italian term meaning cathedral. It 515ft in length (so in other words big) and took a total of five centuries to complete, but I suppose it is the forth largest in the world so that makes up for it. It is a spectacular building and you can go on a tour which leads you onto the roof so that you are able to see the view across Milan. The Duomo is so detailed and there are so many complex spires that it's no wonder that it took so long to construct, but the process was slow and it was only in 1965 that the last gate was added and to this day there are still alterations and renovations going on. If you are going to Milan you have to visit this building because it is outstanding. The Duomo is right next to the Galleria where all of the major designer shops are based like Prada and Gucci. I thought that since I was there I had to go into these shops just to see how unbelievably priced the stock was. There was a bag in the window for around 10,000euros and when I went in, I think I managed to stay for about a minute before seeing a price tag, screaming and then running out.

Trevi Fountain

The Trevi Fountain is situated in Rome in Italy. I went to visit the fountain when I was on holiday in italy and from photogaphs I had been shown before, I thought that there would be a huge amount of space surrounding it for tourists and locals to go and admire it (as this is a massive structure standing at 85ft in height and 65ft wide), but the fountain was squeezed into a tiny courtyard with lots of shops and cafes packed in around the fountain. When you are there it just seems like you are in two completely different places at the same time - a calming and peaceful place admiring the Trevi and then a really stressful and busy street. There were small roads surrounding the fountain which seemed to be the only thing seperating this magnificent piece of architecture from the ordinary buildings for everyday use. The roads were packed with visitors passing through, whilst at the same time trying to avoid vehicles racing past them giving them little time to get out of the way. In the end thought it was still one of the most beautiful pieces of architecture I have seen and an experience, plus there was this little shop very close by that made the best sandwiches ever, would definitely recommend them :)

John Lautner Elrod House

Elrod House was designed by the famous architect John Lautner and was used in the James Bond film Diamonds are Forever. The swimming pool at the house can be used for either indoor or outdoor use. This is possible because there is a large panel of glass which slides across the centre of the swimming pool giving the impression that it is floating effortlessly above the water. Lautner is famous for bringing nature and his buildings closer together. He uses lots of glass in his constructions to help the occupant interact with outside and the interiors of his buildings are often open plan to encourage the feeling of nature throughout the house. Sometimes he uses parts of an object from his chosen site and incorporates it into his design. This could be a tree branch, a boulder or rocks etc. He was influenced by architects including Frank Lloyd Wright and there are similarities that can be seen between his designs and Falling Water by Frank Lloyd Wright. Many of the sites for his house designs always seemed to be beautiful. He had a site which was on the side of a hill and the house looked out over it (not so great if you are afraid of hights). Somes sites were in forests and looking over water, if only all architects were so lucky when given places to create a structure.