Looking back at the trip to London, I cannot believe how much I saw in one short week. There were a couple things I was especially looking forward to before leaving for London. Before leaving, I was looking forward to learning how to navigate the tube system in London. The first couple times I rode the tube were a bit intimidating and confusing, but by the end of the week I could confidently plan my route using the tube map. I was also looking forward to visiting Stonehenge and St. Paul’s, both of which exceeded my expectations. I particularly enjoyed my visit to the Stonehenge visitor’s center, because the exhibit did a really good job at explaining the history and significance of the site before Stonehenge was built. However, my favorite parts of the London trip were experiences that I did not anticipate, and were total surprises. I did not anticipate going on a tour of Banksy pieces and exploring Camden Town on Thursday, but it was so much fun I decided to go back to Camden Market on my free day. I also did not anticipate how fun it would be to experience London nightlife. Even just going out to dinner in the city or trying a pub was a really fun time. I hope I have the chance to visit London again soon!
Author: Jenna Kline
Highlights of the London Trip
Reflecting back on the past week, a couple experiences are especially salient. I really enjoyed visiting religious sites such as Stonehenge, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Salisbury Cathedral, Temple Church, and Westminster Abbey. It’s amazing to see what people were able to accomplish architecturally so long in the past.
Stonehenge
View inside of Salisbury Cathedral
Another one of my favorite parts of the trip was experiencing the performing arts in London. One night, I went to a standup comedy show and it was one of the best comedy shows I’ve ever seen! I also saw the musical Kinky Boots. The musical is about a struggling British family shoe manufacturer, who begin to make heels for drag queens to stay in business. The performances were amazing, and it was so fun to experience a performance in London’s theater district.
Cultural Experiences in London
After spending time in the English countyside on Tuesday visiting Stonehenge, Stourhead, and Salisbury Cathedral, and then visiting Kew Gardens on Wednesday, I was struck by the contrast between these experiences and the tour of Camden Town, the birthplace of the British punk rock scene. The English landscapes and gardens we visited were very charming, orderly, and traditional. Camden Town, on the other hand, had a gritty and countercultural vibe. Additionally, the street art by Banksy and Bambi we saw in Camden Town challenge traditional ideas of what constitutes art. Even though the traditional English garden and British punk rock seem like polar opposites, both are integral to British culture.
I was surprised how much I enjoyed our visit to Stourhead. When I first learned that Stourhead was a meant to be a recreation of a painting depicting the Italian country side depicting Aeneas’s descent into the Underworld, I was very skeptical that the execution this concept could be successful in the English countryside. However, once I visited Stourhead I really appreciated the planning and design that went into the landscape.
View of the Palm House at Kew Gardens
Thoughts on the British Museum
I chose to sketch this part of the reading room in the British Museum because I was interested in exploring the juxtaposition between the old and the new. Both the modern roof and the Roman inspired columns are very symmetrical, but in different ways. One my favorite pieces at the museum was the from the ancient Assyrian exhibit and was a carved mural depicting a lion hunt, which was a sport reserved only for royalty. I hadn’t seen much Assyrian art before, so it was really fun to see this exhibit. I think it’s interesting how we’ve seen statutes and motifs of lions around London associated with the British royalty.
Sketch of the British Museum
St. Paul’s Sketches
Sketch of St Paul’s
St. Paul’s Layout
One the first things I noticed when I walked into St. Paul’s Cathedral was how my eyes were subconsciously drawn upwards to the dome. It seemed the whole design of the building was working in unison to draw visitors’ attention to Christopher Wren’s crowning achievement of the dome. I set out to sketch a section of the cathedral below the dome to explore how this affect was achieved. Each feature draws attention to the feature above it, causing the eye to be drawn up to the dome. At first, I was a bit overwhelmed by how much detail there was just in this small section. However, I soon realized that there many patterns repeating themselves over and over in different features. For example, the two smaller arches on each side are flanked by two columns, with a band of repeating squares, or coffers, inside the arch. This same pattern is repeated in the large half dome that frames the mosaic depicting what I presumed to be the figures of Jesus and angels. Even though St. Paul’s is a Christian church, ancient Roman influences are evident in the use of columns, coffers, and even mosaics. I included my interpretation of the layout of St. Paul’s with an * marking my vantage point to give context to my sketch.
Jenna’s Pre-Departure Post
I’m writing this post trying to stay awake so I make it to the bus on time, but I’m also just too excited to sleep! I have been looking forward to this trip since I registered for the class, so it’s surreal that I will be leaving for London in a few short hours. I’m really looking forward to spending a whole week focusing on learning about London’s architecture and learning my way around the city, without having to worry about homework or midterms. Growing up in Ohio, I don’t have much experience navigating public transportation systems, so initially the prospect of taking the tube around London was very intimidating. However, after doing the way-finding exercises in class, I’m excited to learn how ride the tube.
In London, I am most excited to visit St. Paul’s Cathedral, Stonehenge, the Natural History Museum, and Regent’s Park. I also hope I can see a play while I’m in London. I am excited to continue to work on my sketching skills during the trip. I think my sketchbook will be a really cool keepsake to remember the trip by. I’ve learned a lot about sketching by seeing other people’s sketches and I think it will be really cool to see how we all interpret the same places in London differently.
Jenna Kline’s Bio
Hello! My name is Jenna Kline. I was born and raised in Akron, Ohio, which is a small city in Northeast Ohio. My major is Industrial and Systems Engineering, specializing in Data Analytics and Optimization. I am also minoring in Business through the Integrated Business and Engineering Honors program. Although I am majoring in engineering, I’ve always been interested in architecture, and I’m very excited to learn more about it! I am also excited for the opportunity to work on improving my drawing skills.
In my free time, I love to do yoga, run, backpack, and try new recipes. I also love to travel! I’ve been lucky enough to participate in three travel abroad trips with Ohio State. So far I’ve traveled to India, Switzerland, and Greece. I have always wanted to visit London so I’m very excited for this trip! Some of my favorite books are Harry Potter and Sherlock Holmes so visiting London has always been on my bucket list. In London, I am most looking forward to visiting the Gherkin, Westminster Palace, and Stonehenge. I am really interested in seeing how ancient and contemporary architecture come together in London. I am also excited to try new foods and experience British culture.
Picture of my cat, Mitzy
Jenna’s Selfie
