Cornell in Rome

wE aRE iN pALAZZO fARNESE

A day at Palazzo Farnese in Caprarola_ CORNELL IN ROME FALL 2009.

fALL bREAK

LOOKING AROUND THE WORLD I NOTICE THAT WE ALL HAVE AN UNFORTUNATE COMMON ASPECT.

ROME

LJUBLJANA

BARCELONA

BILBAO

MADRID

pOMPIDOU – eIFFEL

FINAL STOP PARIS!!!!!!

I don’t think that when Cornell planned our arrival to Paris, France they knew that we were going to find ourselves in the middle of Paris’ largest Techno Parade, as soon as we came out the Subway station… As for the the picture, I really hope that Gustave Eiffel (Designer and Engineer) got to see one of these sunsets before his departure. This particular one is offered from the top floor of the Pompidou Center designed by Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers.

Historical Precedents

Every semester at Cornell, architecture professors emphasize the importance of looking at historical precedents for our design projects. Even though we may feel as if we are designing novel buildings, we are not, and historical examples show us different possibilities of what our current building could be, and sometimes what it should be.

During a recent weekend trip, we visited three very important historical sites that many of us have previously researched:  the Temple at Palestrina, Villa d’ Este in Tivoli, and Hadrian’s Villa.

The Temple of Palestrina looks out over the low valley below with a commanding presence. Originally a Roman Temple, the building complex was rebuilt as a Christian church, used as a foundation for medieval houses, and bombed during WWII. Today the temple is a museum which speaks to the importance of its design and long history. It was great to hear a classmate shout out “Sweet, it’s so cool to visit the site of my previous studio project!”

After a short bus ride, we arrived at Villa d’Este, which was just as impressive with it’s beautiful earth-toned frescos and gardens filled cascading fountains that have made the villa famous. We explored the garden’s many pathways admiring the various sculptures and imagining life as elite Italian individuals.

Lastly, we arrived at Hadrian’s Villa, my personal favorite of the three. Having studied the villa numerous times before, my classmates and I were eager to walk throughout the complex to understand the grand scale of this miniature city. We marveled at the bath houses’ marvelous architectural and engineering feats of the large domed spaces covering multiple baths each with different water temperatures to choose from, a dinning hall that overlooked an immense pond once surrounded by white statues, and how all of the brick walls were once covered with polished marble.  It was obvious that Emperor Hadrian knew how to live well.

While the three tours were eye opening, it was also clear that we had only begun to scratch the surface of the projects, and that much more individual investigation would be needed to fully understand them. However, the next time our professors ask us to research these sites, we will be able to tell them with excitement how we visited the sites and what it felt like to be there.

Your email:

 

Just One of Those Days in Venice

Luigi Barzini, a writer for The New York Times, described Venice as “undoubtedly the most beautiful city built by man”. I would like to quote him on that, but replace of the word “city” with “shopping mall”. Venice is in fact a beautiful place, especially when the sound of rain drops on the clay roofs takes over the city, and blurs out sounds from boats and tourists.

Your email:

 

Friday in Rome

For the first time in nearly a month, it rained in Rome.

I awoke this morning to a cool breeze and the smell that could only follow a rainstorm and was instantly reminded of childhood summers spent in India, where a day of rain brought a whole new sense to the world.

And so it was with Rome this Friday. In the living room around noon, I sat with my roommates as a cool breeze flowed through the apartment, each of us concerned with a separate activity (checking email, catching up on the news, and so on) and yet all of us enjoying the peacefulness of the moment. Headed to Italian class a bit later, I remarked how wonderful it was to not feel the Italian sun beating down on us.

Rome felt different today, as though the rain had cooled down everything, not just the weather. At four, headed back home from an appointment, I found myself lost in a park after taking a shortcut. And I chose just to wander, to get lost, as a (seemingly) gentle sun lit up the entire park and a light breeze followed me around. I sat for an hour under a palm tree, writing for no particular reason, lost in the calmness of the moment.

Arriving home, I found a roommate taking a nap on the couch as the day waned and I thought about how, even with Rome’s metropolitan nature, it was so easy to find serenity in the city.

How Obvious Can We Be?…

A tour around Rome with Prof. Jeffrey Blanchard.

Cinque Amici in Cinque Terre

With the realization that our five month long semester will be over before we know it, my fellow Cornellians and I have been traveling throughout Italy  to get the most out of our time in this ancient land. Italy is one of the most beautiful countries ranging from the Tuscan country side, jagged mountains in the North, and gorgeous seaside towns and cities.

On my most recent trip, I decided to revisit Cinque Terre with four friends. Five hours Northwest on the regional train line are five small villages that rest delicately on coastline of the mediterranean sea: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso al Mare. Not only are the towns beautiful in and of themselves, but a five hour hike from Riomaggiore to Monterosso al Mare gives the visitor a beautiful experience of the rugged countryside, as well as a well deserved arrival at each of the towns.

We started our hike in Riomaggiore at Via dell’Amore, or the path of love. At the gated entry, small, keyed locks hang from a decorative metal heart, symbolizing the unbreakable love between couples who have passed this way before. Along the path, love notes, names, and drawings line a stone portico, distant views of the other four small towns are visible from certain vantage points, and the clear, glimmering ocean sparkles to the horizon.

As the hike continues, it becomes more difficult after Corniglia leaving the paved walkways and scaling steep slopes winding in and out of vineyards and forests. Other hikers from all over the world speak different languages, but have the common goal to explore the five lands.

While every village is beautiful and quaint, they are also have their own personalities and feelings. Small enough to explore before moving on the next, you have to see all of them to find your favorite. My favorite is Vernazza. Although it is more touristy than the last time I visited, it is the most beautiful of the five with a large piazza filled with restaurants shops and a church that looks out to the water. While we sat in the piazza finishing lunch, cheers and whistles rose from the crowd to celebrate the union between a bride and groom who emerged from the church doors into the bright piazza.

It seems easy to fall in love in Cinque Terre, mostly likely because is it so easy to fall in love with Cinque Terre. But what makes Cinque Terre unique, the setting, size, and virginity to tourism, is also changing it. Cinque Terre has now been discovered and turned into a sought after destination for tourists wishing to have their own magical experience in this once untouched land. While my second visit was just as wonderful as my first four years ago, I hope that Cinque Terre will be able to hold onto that which makes it so special to each and everyone of us so that we may be able to experience it in its true form, five, small, beautiful towns that no one else knows about but us.

A Flash of Fun Before the Summer is Gone

Minutes after the semester intro by Cornell in Rome Faculty and Staff, we all gathered in the Architectural Studio where we had a series of refreshments waiting for us to enjoy while Faculty, Staff and Students chatted with each other.

“Pantheoning”

A Space to Experience Before Kicking the Bucket.

keep looking »