Author: Thomas Rastatter

I Have Returned

I have been back in Columbus for four days now, though it feels like I never left. My time in London flew by so quickly that it’s difficult to discern what happened on each day of the trip. I am happy to be back in Columbus but I am also yearning for an even longer experience in London as I feel like I have not been able to fully experience everything the city has to offer.

The first day or two in the city felt almost surreal. I couldn’t believe that I was across the Atlantic Ocean in a foreign country. Everything felt so similar to the United States though I knew that so much was different. It was not until the second or third night of the trip that I became comfortable with being in such a large and unknown city, and once I was comfortable, I allowed myself to really branch out and try to explore my surroundings.

Overall, I am very grateful for have the opportunity to travel to a brand new country and immerse myself in their culture.  By the end of the trip I was very comfortable with navigating London on my own and I felt as if I was able to fend for myself without any kind of guidance. I really wish that I had more time to explore the city, though I was ready to come home by the end of the week. Hopefully I will have the opportunity to return to London one day and pick up where I left off.

Day 7: Almost Over

Today was another incredible day in London. We started the day by traveling to Westminster Abbey for an in depth tour of the church. Upon arriving, I was in absolute awe of the sheer size and detail put into the different sections of the interior and the exterior facades.

Our tour guide for Westminster Abbey was very knowledgeable about every aspect of the church’s history and construction. One fact that he told us which I found very interesting was that the building did not have a very defined end for when it would be completed. Rather, Westminster Abbey has a blend of different architectural styles in addition to rather inconsistent styles of memorials.

During the tour, I learned many new facts about Westminster Abbey that I was completely unaware of. I did not know that Westminster Abbey served as a sort of mausoleum for many famous people, such as Issac Newton. I used to believe that Westminster Abbey was just a church, but now I know that it features intricate graves and memorials for many famous British people.

I think that it would be very interesting to compare Westminster Abbey and Salisbury Cathedral, seeing as they are both Gothic style buildings. I would be very interested to see what major differences they have in their floor plans and the reasoning for such differences.

Day 6: A Day of Adventure

A view of the “Gherkin,” my favorite of the contemporary buildings.

Another view of the “Gherkin”

This morning we started a little bit earlier in order to see some different Banksy pieces around the streets and to make it up to Camden when the Horsestable Market opened. Seeing different Banksy pieces and learning about their meanings was a very awesome experience and it made me very interested in looking into more of their work. Camden was also a very interesting experience, as it was a center of counterculture. I loved being able to see a side of the city that was so different from what I’ve seen all week.

We ended the day by looking at some contemporary highrise buildings, such as the Lloyds Building and the Gherkin. These buildings were particularly interesting for me as they have very interesting structural design.  Being an engineerin student, I was intrigued by how the buildings were designed and constructed using various modern engineering techniques. Overall, today was another incredible day as I learned about many aspects of the city that were new to me.

Day 3 in the City

A panoramic photo I took of the Great Court at the British Museum.

Yesterday morning began with meeting the rest of the group at the British Museum and sketching in the Great Court. I had a lot of difficulty starting my sketch, as I couldn’t get the perspective right, though I eventually corrected it and was able to move on.

Some other highlights from the British Museum were the Pediment Stones from the Parthenon, the Rosetta Stone, and Egyptian columns and panels with hieroglyphics. My favorite exhibit in the museum was a temporary exhibit displaying currencies from different communist and former Soviet Union countries. I found this to be particularly interest as I am fascinated by the Cold War era of history and this exhibit gave inisight into the mindset of Soviet Union countries during that time period.

Day One: Done

Me at Barbican Centre, my favorite part of the day.

I just got back to the hotel to unwind a little after a long day of walking around London. We stopped at the Building Center first, which displayed some new and ongoing projects that utilize modern engineering technology. Next we took a double decker bus to Barbican Centre. I thought that everything about Barbican Centere was incredible, especially the brutalist architecture style.

After Barbican, we took a break for lunch and to look at the Museum of London. Unfortunately I had to cut my time short at the museum, so I did not get to look at everything I wanted to see. Maybe I’ll go back when I have some more free time. Next, our group walked over to St. Paul’s Cathedral which was absolutely breathtaking. The most amazing part of the cathedral was the view from the top of the dome which required a grueling trek up many flights of stairs. One other aspect of the cathedral that had me in awe the entire time we were visiting was the attention to detail on all of the surfaces, such as near the altar or in the crypt. Overall, today was incredible to say the least. I’m exhausted after walking all day though I’m extremely excited to see what the rest of the trip us in store.

Thomas’s Pre-departure Thoughts

Here I am, one day before leaving the country. I’m currently sitting in my room in an odd mix of of excitement and nervousness as I think about my upcoming trip to London. I’m beyond excited to have this opportunity to leave the United States and experience foreign country that is so different from my own. I cannot wait to explore the city and be able to see all of the incredible buildings and sites that I’ve learned about in class during the first half of the semester.

While I may be excited about having the opportunity to leave the country, I am also incredibly nervous to do so. Although I know in the back of my mind that everything is going to go smoothly on the trip, it is hard for me to not think about what it will be like in a place entirely unknown to me.

Even though I’ll be on my way across the pond in less than twenty four hours, I still have a great deal of packing to do. I have some clothes set out, though I’m planning to get the rest of it done this afternoon. Hopefully I’ll have some time to nap this afternoon so I’ll have the energy to stay up until 3 a.m. in order to catch my flight.

Thomas Bio

Hi everyone! My name is Thomas Rastatter and I’m a third year student studying welding engineering. Although my major has nothing to do with the subject of this class, I’ve always been fascinated by architecture since I was a child, which is one of the many reasons I decided to enroll in this class.

I consider my hometown to be Chagrin Falls, Ohio, which is a small suburb about twenty-five miles outside of Cleveland. I’ve lived there almost my entire life, so I am always eager to get away from it and travel to see aspects of life that are impossible to experience in my hometown.

Some of my hobbies include cooking, fixing cars and motorcycles, and playing guitar. I have a motorcycle from the 1970’s that I love to ride whenever the Ohio weather permits and a 1966 Mustang that I’ve been working to restore with my dad for the last five years.

Out of everything that I will experience through this class and the trip, I am most excited to learn more about the British culture. I love learning about the differences between various cultures and believe that the best way to learn these differences is through cultural immersion. I also believe that learning about other cultures allows one to further develop their global citizenship, something very important in every industry today.

Me in Toronto from over the summer