After a semester packed with memorable moments, trips, visits and other activities we have finally reached the end of this beautiful and exciting madness by working endlessly for the last couple days towards the final review. With different critics for each day and each studio, it was exciting to get some feedback from our professors and other distinguished or important architects that were invited from all over Europe.
And perhaps, even without me being aware of it, something showed that the views and personalities were diverse and its grouping here at Cornell in Rome was trying to achieve a constructive and multifaceted panel of critics, giving the students’ work a possibility to get as much constructive and diverse criticism as possible. Being personally interested in Slavic architects and their work, as I am from Czech Republic myself, I had the pleasure to meet with Dr. Bostjan Bugaric who was on my panel, and who is currently working on a dossier about Josef Plecnik, giving us something to briefly talk about after the reviews.
It should be also noted that Anna Rita and Annalisa have taken care of us very thoughtfully during the last couple days before the final review, cooking pasta and ordering pizza, and eventually organizing full lunches during the final review days themselves, so that both the critics and students could produce their best work and most constructive criticism. With studio over, we now have one free week in front of our selves, giving us time to prepare for the final exams and deadlines for other classes. Thus gradually leaning towards the very end of this semester in Rome, a variety of emotions are present among us, from excitement to leave back to the US or home, to some people’s already growing nostalgia. Nevertheless what is most important is to thank everyone that made our experience here in Rome enjoyable, rich and so much worth it.
by Matej Dlabal