Statement

The culture surrounding Manchester has always been a big draw to me. Having supported Manchester United all my life, I have always been desperate to take any opportunity I could to visit and experience this city, and feel the passion and togetherness the people have, no matter the occasion. Having this love for the club I have always felt connected to the area, and the opportunity to fully immerse myself into this community and grow with it is one that I am keen to explore. Currently being located in a rural area, I believe this new cultural experience could only help to push my creative abilities forward, opening my eyes to completely new experiences and backgrounds.

I recently visited Salford Quays, and was able to experience its new architecture, such as the Lowry and Media City. However, the Imperial War Museum stood out to me the most. The extremely dysfunctional and almost uncomfortable shapes it uses intrigued me. When I spotted it from over the lake, I felt inclined to research it and find why it was made to be like this, in an otherwise modernised area focused colourful imagery. I had visited the building once before when I was around the age of 10, and remember its layout and structure confusing me. Through research I came to learn this was an intended feature, which only made this building appeal to me more.  It expertly executes its aim of portraying the uncomfortable feeling of war, and shows just how important architecture can be in the experience of a place, giving a completely immersive experience to everyone that goes in.

The work of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe as an architect is some I really appreciate, with extremely simple yet functional designs being at its core. He is able to find beauty and function whilst utilising the simplest of geometric forms, with simple colour schemes and glass being a staple to his designing philosophy. I believe the Barcelona Pavilion perfectly encapsulates this, with its simplistic beauty making it be widely respected as an iconic building of the Modernism Design era.

The Louvre Pyramid is one piece of architecture I hope to experience. Despite being heavily criticized when originally built, many have warmed to its unusual forms, me included. I do understand where the criticism comes from, as during day it can look like an imposter in the area surrounding the Louvre, not fitting the older aesthetic. However, the scale of the massive glass structure attracts me, with the use of lighting to make it act almost as a beacon in front of this building of great historical importance. I believe this helps to compound the feeling of importance the museum has.