Carme Pinos is a spanish Architect, who is widely known for designing the Igualada Cemetery. This cemetery is one of the most poetic works of architecture in the 20th century. Enric Miralles, who also helped design the cemetery along with Pinos was buried in this cemetery after his death in the year 2000. Their design was an attempt to link the cycle of life with the past, present and future. I believe they did a great job because it looks like a real city of the dead. I think they did well provoking the thoughts and memories of people who visit this cemetery.

I chose Frank Gehry because I remember hearing about him in one of the videos you showed in class. Frank Gehry is a Canadian born architect, who is one of the leading figures of contemporary architecture. Vanity Fair labeled him as one of the most important architects of our age. His work is very unorthodox because his work is very “loud” visually with his boisterous designs and use of large sleek metal exterior. The outside of the picture above is very noticeable as it is bulky and “funking”, which is similar to his past work. However, his creation of the Walt Disney concert hall is one of the best as it’s exterior is bold and mixes well with the elegance of the interior.

Maya Lin is an American architecture who was born in Athens, Ohio. She is mostly known as the individual who designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington DC at the age of 21, which she received the opportunity by winning a contest over 1000 other contestants. This piece of work from her is especially beautiful because of the simplicity and the grace in the form that she did it. The memorial is a wall made up of granite etched with the names of the soldiers who lost their lives in the war. The walls are sunk deeply in the ground with the earth right behind it. The most interesting thing to me about this design is that one side of the wall points at the Lincoln memorial while the other points at the Washington monument. Lin would go on to also design the Civil Rights Memorial in Alabama.

3Deluxe is a german design agency that was founded by Nik Schweiger in 1992. The photo shows the Contemporary Orangery that they created in Belgium. I found this piece of work on their website and it ultimately stood out to me the most with its curved walkways that are made with white concrete and has grass on top of it. This beautiful work has a very modern and ecologically friendly appearance to it. I believe this type of design could be implemented to parks so that it has a more vibrant and refreshing appeal, while also helping out the environment.

WinStar is an amazing building to me because of how well they incorporate the architecture of different cultures like Greek, Roman, American and even European. I had a positive experience at this casino because I did end up winning whenever I gambled for the first time at this place. It is also a reminder of how different each culture is to one another but how many amazing they make each other look. The different buildings that Lyndon Stromberg included have all different aspects to them but they all look great together. It reminds me that just like the buildings can mix and work well together, so can the people.

This is the house that my grandpa built back in Vietnam whenever he was able to gather enough money from the various gigs that he picked up when he first moved to America. This is one of my favorite places in the world because I remember seeing it for the first time when I visited Vietnam around 2010 for my Uncle’s wedding. It was my first time seeing this building in person and I was like “wow my grandpa built a mansion.” However, it was far from a mansion because it wasn’t as extravagant as a mansion would be. This house was just big for show. You can see how my grandpa implemented a French and Asian architectural style by implementing the large pillars, while also using red ceramic roof tiles. You can see that the windows had metal bars placed behind the glass, which was common for houses in Vietnam to prevent robberies and break-ins. This place brings me joy, not only for myself but for my grandpa because this was the first thing that he was proud to have. It was my home away from home.

If you have ever driven past the Asian District in OKC near Classen blvd, then chances are you have seen the Gold Dome. The reason I remember this building is because it used to be the bank my family sponsor went to. This is one of the only buildings that I remember after moving to America when I was young. Seeing this building always makes my feel wholesome because I remember thinking “wow America is amazing for having buildings like this” because at the time I had only seen the small shaggy buildings around Vietnam. It made me really happy to see this building because I knew that my life had changed for the better.

This is the Hanoi Opera house that I had the chance to get a glimpse of when I was traveling through Hanoi during the summer of 2016. I did not get the chance to go inside, but just seeing the exterior of it was enough for me to appreciate how beautiful the building is. I had mixed feelings about it when I first saw it because I have enough knowledge of my country to know that it was a building that was made through French colonization, which anyone would have mixed feelings about as they don’t want to remember that their country had been colonized every time they see a building. You notice it instantly because of the four large pillars in the middle of the building and the pillars that wrap around the building. Seeing this building made me realize how great things can be by mixing two different ideas of two countries can be. Vietnamese people have been influenced by the French in more ways than one and architecture is just one of them.