Shown above is The Gropius House built by Walter Gropius in 1937. The Gropius House was the home of Walter Gropius and his family, located in Lincoln, Massachusetts. This home was Gropius first piece of architecture in the United States. The home combines Gropius’ famous modern style, which is emphasized at his school, and the traditional New England style. The materials used for this home are different from the traditional materials used in this Massachusetts area. The home was constructed using glass block, acoustic plaster, and chrome banisters, whereas traditional homes use wood, brick, and fieldstone. The windows around the house allow light to filter throughout the house. The interior of the house has an open floor plan. In 2000, this home became a National Landmark.

This Gropius House is extremely modern for its time and emphasizes Gropius’ unique style. The use of windows and shapes throughout the house mimics homes that I see built today. I thought it was interesting that he employed an open floor plan, as that is extremely trendy today. I also noticed as I searched imagines that house appears different as the seasons change, shown above the white house pops out among the fall leaves. The family home becoming a National Landmark shows just how significant and influential Gropius’ work was to the world of architecture.

Information retrieved from http://architectuul.com/architecture/gropius-house

Shown above is Walter Gropius’ Bauhaus Building built from 1925-1926. Gropius is the founder of the Bauhaus and designed the building, yet the building was commissioned by the city of Dessau. As I mentioned in my previous blog post, the Bauhaus was “one of the most influential architecture and design schools of the 20^th century”. Students at this school studied architecture, as well as creating furniture and art. The design of the building does not visually put emphasis on the corners of the building which creates a visual of transparency. The different sections of the building are designed differently, according to their function. He designed the building so that in order to grasp the shape of the building, you must move all the way around the building. There is no central focal point of the building.

I recognized a trend in Gropius’ work when comparing the Bauhaus Building to the Fagus Factory. Gropius uses windows in a unique way and attempts to remove the appearance of corners on his buildings. I found it interesting that each section of the school was designed differently according to the function of the particular section. I also enjoy the fact that the shape of the building is so unique you have to move around the entire building in order to grasp it. The appearance of glass all around the structure makes it seem modern for its time.

Information retrieved from https://usmodernist.org/gropius.htm?gclid=CjwKCAjwp-X0BRAFEiwAheRui3pNtegWQsJz_rzcYOkOUYRw9cCQNccHuREA_fQhcog0L53jSx7EoxoCWRwQAvD_BwE and https://www.bauhaus-dessau.de/en/architecture/bauhaus-building.html

Above is Walter Gropius’ Sommerfeld House built from 1920 to 1922. The Sommerfeld House was built for Adolf Sommerfeld in Berlin. Sommerfeld was a building entrepreneur who specialized in timber structures and commissioned Walter Gropius and Adolf Meyer to design his home. The house was constructed using a method of Sommerfeld’s construction company, called the “block house” building method. Gropius founded the Bauhaus, an exceptional architecture and design school, which made the interior fittings and fixtures for the house. Josef Albers designed beautiful stained-glass windows for the interior near the stairs. Sommerfeld House was unfortunately completely destroyed in World War II.

My favorite part about the Sommerfeld House is the stained-glass windows in the interior of house, they are very unique and seem to be just an arrangement of geometric shapes (shown in image above). I appreciate the symmetry of the house and how the entire house (interior and exterior) is full of geometric shapes. The design of the house manages to make it feel traditional even though it is a completely wood structure. The interior has unique patterns on the walls making it interesting as well.

Information retrieved from https://www.bauhaus100.com/the-bauhaus/works/architecture/sommerfeld-house-berlin/ and https://usmodernist.org/gropius.htm?gclid=CjwKCAjwp-X0BRAFEiwAheRui_sO78UhHVgjEW5QWgdnYuBnBwZn6aY-jDHZX5tosRogWlKu_5HfUBoCZ-gQAvD_BwE

Shown above is The Fagus Factory, the first project of Walter Gropius. The owner of factory, located in Alfeld, Germany, was Carl Benscheidt at the time. Gropius convinced Benscheidt that the factory should be planned as an art project, and that he had a better plan than the current architect. The Fagus Factory contains many different buildings, all which serve a variety of purposes, such as: manufacturing, storage, and offices. Gropius’ most significant contribution to the project was his design for the office building of the factory. He used more glass than brick, and instead of the typical load bearing walls, he used concrete columns inside the building. The corners of the exterior of the building are fully glazed, free of structural elements. This element was extremely innovative for the time.

The Fagus Factory is very progressive for its time. For an office building built in the early 1900s, it is extremely modern and aesthetically pleasing. The use of glass around the entire building would allow a lot of nature light to enter the building creating a better work environment. Factories are typically thought of as a mere means to an end, so I found it interesting that Gropius considered this factory an art project when he initially began working on the plan. This factory was Gropius’ first project and his progressive style continues to show throughout his work.

Information retrieved from https://www.archdaily.com/612249/ad-classics-fagus-factory-walter-gropius-adolf-meyer

Shown above is the beautiful Notre-Dame Cathedral, located in Paris, France. This cathedral is a huge tourist attraction, in which many people make a point when visiting Paris to pay respects. After a fire burned part of the cathedral on April 15, 2019, I felt this a great piece of architecture to reflect on. Millions of euros have been collected in hopes of being able to rebuild the cathedral by the summer 2024 Olympics.

The Notre-Dame Cathedral is a very well-known, beautiful piece of architecture. I visited this cathedral my Sophomore year of high school with my sister and my grandparents. The outside of the cathedral is stunning with immense detail and unique shapes and symmetry. I felt dwarfed as I entered the church. In the image shown you can see how small the people inside the church compare to the high ceilings and huge altar. The cathedral has scenes and statues around the edges of the building, which are interesting to study. There are a lot of pews, which allow for a large amount of people to attend mass. I felt at peace when I entered this piece of history and was overcome by a sense of holiness.

Information retrieved from https://www.cnet.com/how-to/notre-dame-cathedral-fire-slow-reconstruction-and-new-dangers-ahead-update/

Above is the Bizzell Memorial Library, here on the University of Oklahoma’s campus. The Bizzell Library was constructed in 1927 with a budget of only $500,000. The library included “treasure room” for rare books and a reading room, known as the Great Reading Room. In 1958, an addition was added to the library which tripled the size. The libraries on the University of Oklahoma campus hold a combined five million volumes.

The Bizzell Memorial Library is a place I enjoy on campus. Specifically, one of my favorite places to study is the Great Reading Room located inside the library. The outside of the library is beautiful and has immense detail. I feel dwarfed as I enter through the large, wood doors. As I enter through the doors, I hear quiet conversations and see many people studying. When I walk into the Great Reading Room, I am always amazed at how beautiful and intricite the room is. The GRR has dark wood beams across the ceiling and large lanterns hanging from the ceiling. The unique, detailed windows allow daylight to stream into the room, making this room very bright during the day. The library also has many other areas to study, which are unique and special in their own way. I feel productive and peaceful when I study in the GRR and feel as if the room takes away some feelings of stress.

Information retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bizzell_Memorial_Library

Shown above is the Pi Beta Phi sorority house. In 1958, 1701 Elm Avenue become the home to Pi Beta Phi and is where the house is currently located. In the 1980s, a new chapter room was added to the house and in the early 2000s a new bedroom wing was added. The houses large open living areas and sweeping lawn make it unique to any other sorority house on campus. The Chapter House Corporation works very hard for this house to stay in great condition and house 91 girls year after year.

The Pi Beta Phi sorority house has had a very positive effect on me. Pi Phi has been the source of many friendships that will last a lifetime. Despite the house being home to 90 girls, the classy décor feels very homey. The house is separated into many different rooms which all have unique purposes. The formal living room, shown above, is classy and elegant. The informal living room is less fancy and feels more laid back and a better place to relax. The kitchen is always filled with people chatting, either eating or studying. I love the classic, symmetric look of the exterior and the timeless white pillars. I also enjoy the classical windows with shutters.

Information retrieved from https://history.pibetaphi.org/chapters/oklahoma/oklahoma-alpha

The Catholic church shown above is the Parish of Christ the King. Christ the King was dedicated by Bishop Francis C. Kelly in May of 1928 and was the first church in the world dedicated with the name “Christ the King”. The semi-octagonal sanctuary, communion rain, and elevated altar work together to create the design of the Turners Cross. The beautiful stained-glass windows were designed by Alfonso Iannelli and made by the Temple Art Glass Company of Chicago. The windows today rank among the finest examples of stained glass in the U.S.  The south side illustrates the kings of the Old Testament, and the north side illustrates the kings of the New Testaments. Emil Frei, Inc. Bruce Goff designed the mosaic of Christ altar. The church contains many more symbolic details making it a very interesting piece of architecture.

The Parish of Christ the King has had a positive effect on myself. I have attended this church since I was young, and I immediately feel welcomed when I enter this building. The outside of the church also shows great detail and has unique angles and symmetry. The beautiful stained glass is striking and depicts a story with the images on the windows. When you first enter the church, you walk into a lobby which is always flooded with people prior to church starting. Once you enter the church you are in complete silence; I always am overcome by peace and holiness. The friendships I have made through this church, that have remained constant throughout my entire life, are what makes this work of architecture so special to me.

Information retrieved from https://turnerscross.com/architecture/barry-byrne/church-of-christ-the-king-tulsa-oklahoma-1926/