Coming back from London was honestly heartbreaking; I would say I did not want to come back home. London was beyond what I was expecting. It was a vibrant, diverse, and rich of history city. One thing I remember before the trip was a lot of people telling me how diverse London is, but not until you get there you get the real-life experience of how truly diverse this city is (I even meet people from the same country as me!). Living in New York for a few years and also coming from a country that allows the easy access to many forms of transportation as well as a lot of walkable space, made London instantly feel like home. I liked how a lot of places were at a walking distance, and if not you had the tube or buses to get you there in less than 20 minutes. I’m more used to a city type of living and staying in London for a week made me realized how much I do like and enjoy this lifestyle. It didn’t took me long to adapt to their way of living.

There’s no doubt that every corner you turn or every place you go not only in London but in England, is filled with history. Having to choose a favorite day from the whole trip is honestly the hardest thing someone could ever ask me because each day was just fantastic. Each day was filled with new things to see and learn. My eyes didn’t know what to see anymore because like I said earlier, every corner in this fantastic city has something unique on its own. I would say having the experience to go to local markets and go to places where tourists usually don’t visit a lot, are the places where you get the real one-on-one cultural experience; and I was luckily able to get that. I loved every minute of London and I know for a fact I’ll be back soon! Just remember “a bad day in London is still better than a good day anywhere else!”

Visiting “The Big Smoke” is a journey I will surely never forget. From every historical site, to museum, to architectural innovation, London was all I imagined it would be and then some. With the class being called, “London Culture & City”, not only did this trip focus on London’s history and literal physical attributes, but also the contextual attributes as well, namely culture. To be engrossed in the cosmopolitan aura of the city, it was truly mesmerizing to behold. For example, to visit the local grocers and compare products and prices to that of the US was what I would say is one of the most stark contrasts between the U.K. and home. The portions, versus the price of life were nearly the opposite of that back home. Granted this was expected, but still a shock nonetheless. Along with that, even though both countries speak English, the difference between “The Queen’s English” and “American English” was baffling. Even though it is the same language, the usage of terms, and accentuation of words was stark. However, though these differences were stark, I still found the cultural immersion within London all the worthwhile, and am thankful that I was able to partake in this amazing opportunity to study abroad in one of the worlds global capitals.

I LOVE LONDON! I thought the trip was the perfect mix of education, culture and fun. I am happy to say that I was able to see/do everything that I wanted to, and cannot believe I was able to do it in such a short amount of time. I found the educational part of the trip very interesting, not only because of the architecture, but also because I experienced and understood the spaces differently than I had when we learned about them in class. I hope that the memories I have in those spaces stay with me as I continue to learn about each site in future classes.

I thought the cultural part of the trip, tea, pubs, the tube, etc., was also extremely interesting. A few of us were lucky enough to meet some British students who we talked to about the differences in our schooling systems and vocabulary. I found their schooling sequence very fascinating, and the differences in our vocabulary and slang pretty funny. This was an interesting way to learn more about the British culture and what it means to be a British student and young adult.

Lastly, the trip was a blast! I am so happy that I was able to meet and become friends with so many other students. Before the trip, I was nervous that we would not all hangout together, but I am so happy that we were able to!

Becoming adjusted to time in the United States has been a little difficult after trying to avoid jet lag by sleeping on the plane ride home. As I reflect back on London, I can say that I have throughly enjoyed my experience. I have traveled a lot in my past, however this London trip was definitely different and a time to remember.

When I called to pay my credit card for the charges of the money that I spent on the trip, I was surprised by how much money I spent, however every extra little thing that I did was worth it. The extra adventures to Sketch, Kinky Boots, and nights out with new friends were some of my greatest times in London and I wouldn’t trade them for the world.

I think that one of the most memorable times from the trip would be our trip to Stourhead. Although there was a lot of tension due to the issues with the bus, I think that it was supposed to turn out that way in fate because of the WONDERFUL experience that we had at the landscape. In gloomy London, the sun was shining perfectly as we walked the path. It was an experience that can’t even be captured in pictures.

I am beyond thankful for the time that I had and all of the new friends that I made while on the trip.

While the eight days spent in London passed by very quickly, I feel as if I was able to capture an understanding of the city and its people. The fast-walking, snappy-dressing population was hidden in many spots behind the (other) masses of tourists and visitors, but the quieter areas and the transportation services allowed them to be seen. The city was like some sort of textile with both new fibers and ancient threads – a roman street runs between two motorways, new office buildings flank a church several hundred years old… The heterogeneous nature was not jarring, however, as most of the new construction seemed to pay homage to its ancestors in character or form.

Of the older sites that were visited, Salisbury Cathedral was the highlight for me. Its solidarity within the medieval setting and its relatively modest interior treatment allowed it to stand tall and silent, welcoming visitors for reflection. In terms of newer works, the observation platform of the Shard and the skyscraper walk – including the Leadenhall building, 30 St Mary Axe, and the Lloyd’s building – were exciting to me as one with an interest in structure and high-rise design. The systematic clarity and tubular motif of Rogers’ design is beginning to inform the work I am currently doing in the studio, and the detail sketches I produced helped me to understand some connections between the old and the new.

The type of work in which I became most engrossed during the trip falls into the brutalist style, of which England and especially London hold many excellent examples. Visits to the Barbican Center, the UCL Institute of Education, and certainly the St Giles Hotel inspired me to visit the major brutalist sites in the area. Some were reached in the evenings after the daily tour was complete, and my free Saturday was devoted to a jam-packed (or “chockablock” as I heard many times during my stay) route covering many brutalist buildings. I was lucky to be able to see the infamous Robin Hood Gardens housing project, which was more than halfway through demolition, and my visit to the Alexandra Road estate in the snowy weather remains one of the most memorable moments of the trip. I documented each site with several photographs of scenes or details that I found to be fitting, and I hope to compile these into a book to represent the building style and preserve the memory of those sites that may be gone very soon. I am very lucky to have seen these types of projects, and I am very lucky to have been able to participate in the travel program.

Although I already back in America, but my mind still in London. The culture and the landmarks was very memoribale there have one thing I cannot forget. It is the food in London. Before 1997, Hong Kong was still a British colony. Therefore, there have many Hong Kong’s people emigrated to London. You can see Hong Kong influence in many of the food that I ate in London. Everytime I am able to eat Cantonese cuisine, It cause me to remember my hometown Cong Hua, and how much I miss my family there. I am glad that I am in the foreign country. I feel that I am not far away from home. It goes to show you the power the food have.

While Hong Kong influence was something that i cannot forget I was amazed how delecious the local London was. Before I am coming to the London, I continous heard people say how much i need to try England breakfast. I did not have high hopes because i thought how much different can England breakfast can be compared to a regula the America breakfast. However, I was definitely wrong after I tried the England breakfast that the hotel provided. I would never concider myself is a morning person, but i would look forwark to wake up every morning, so i can enjoy the delecious Englian breakfast.

It is hard to believe that we have been back for almost a week! I had a really great time in London and I find myself slowly comparing and contrasting things in London with things here in the United States. I found the roads in the city to be slightly confusing at first, but I was able to navigate them a little better each day. Also, I think all of the mapping activities that we did before the trip were really helpful in learning the layout of the city and where the important buildings are located. One of my favorite parts of the trip was riding the tube and I definitely miss that here in Columbus.

I went on this trip to London because I wanted to experience the culture, as well as observe their methods of sustainability and historic preservation and I think I was successfully able to do all of those things. I find the amount of focus placed on St Paul’s Cathedral to be really interesting and I think it is unusual for a city to appreciate and showcase its history as much as London does. I think it is also intriguing that the city is able to incorporate sustainable ideas into everyday life. The visit to the Olympic Village helped to show that the city really considers longevity throughout its projects and is continually adapting the projects to suit the needs of the city. Even though we had the opportunity to see and do so much on this trip, there is still a lot left to explore and I hope one day I can visit the city again!

Our week in London flew by! But, at the same time, by the end of the trip I was so comfortable navigating the city that it felt like we had been there for months. I think this was largely due to all the preparation we did prior to leaving. Before we even left Columbus, I knew what restaurants to eat at what tube stop to get off at. Being so well prepared enabled me to start experiencing the city right away, and not have to spend too much time getting acclimated.

One of the main reasons I decided to go to London was because I heard great things about their combination of historical and modern architecture. I was not disappointed! I think the city has done a great job blending the old with the new. The new buildings are designed to complement their neighboring historic sites.  One of the things that surprised me the most was their attention to St. Paul’s Cathedral. I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of attention new buildings paid to St. Paul’s. Many buildings were situated so as to frame the view of St. Paul’s. The One New Change Mall left an opening so that when visitors ride the glass elevator, they are able to admire St. Paul’s all the way up. The “Cheese-grater” was given its famous slant so that it wouldn’t block St. Paul’s.

From Stonehenge, to the all the contemporary high-rises, the architecture I was able to experience over the course of one week was some of the best I have ever seen. This week is one that I will not soon forget!

I wish I had more time in London, as I felt like I only scratched the surface of the city. There were many places I feel like I did not have the time, or funds, to do completely including some of the place we went to like Tate Modern. Despite being there for over a week, I still feel like I need to convert prices in my head roughly to US dollars despite the price being in it, or think that I can’t use my phone because I am on the move and not connected to WiFi. I do miss the ease and speed of the Tube for getting around, and I wish I took more advantage of the double decker buses. The transportation is just boring here by comparison.

London to me was organized chaos. The streets were confusing to navigate as they didn’t follow much of a pattern. Most dogs were unleashed yet always stayed close to their owner. Old and new blended together nicely throughout the city. There was not much of the same, rather many different unique elements that made up the city and surrounding area. I definitely plan to go back to add on to my great London experience.

Visiting London was by far one of the best choice I’ve ever made, not only did I get to visit a different country, but I got to experience a culture that is different from my every day life and learn how other people live on this world, while at the same time getting to know some extraordinary people. Some of the most memorable things from the trip for me include St. Paul’s Cathedral, which left me in awe the second I walked into the door, Stourhead, and Princess Diana memorial. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed nearly every site we visited but those were just to name a few that left a lasting impact on me. My only regret for the trip was not spending enough time at the places I enjoyed and not getting to visit every site that I intended. I learned quickly how little time there really is in a day. Being a senior, this was my last spring break and it is certainly different from every other trip I’ve taken. Spending the week waking up early, and going out on tours was genuinely more enjoyable than prancing around a beach all day getting sun poisoning and I can’t thank OIA enough for allowing me that opportunity.

Go Bucks

As I sit in the airport trying to think about what I can possibly write about to sum up my time spent in London, and the many new things I learned along the way, I find it difficult to find where to start or how to even sum up my trip in a few hundred words. Experiencing a foreign culture first hand is an incredible thing that I always enjoy. Even in a country that shares the same language as us there is a different enough style and dialogue their English that is might as well be considered a different language. On my free day yesterday I spent the day with my friend that studied abroad at Ohio state for a year and I must have lost half of the days conversation as it went right over my head. It’s really interesting having to break almost every other sentence to ask “do you call it that in the states?” Or deciphering small phrases that would be lost if it weren’t for a little bit of context. Nevertheless, my first trip to London surely didn’t disappoint and I can’t wait to make it back and experience even more to this wonderful city.

I have had my free day planned out for a while now, so I knew exactly what I wanted to do and where. I have a huge interest in fashion, both on the sides of streetwear type clothing like Gosha Rubchinskiy, or high end Dior or Maison Margiela couture. I find the cultural impact of these two sides of fashion colliding to be really exciting, so I wanted to try and explore both of them. There is also something very architectural about the way that some designers work or how some stores and exhibits are designed, but I didn’t end up sketching because of such a tight time frame. I started at Selfridges, exploring all sorts of brands, including that of Virgil Abloh, who studied architecture at IIT and is one of the most popular and influential high end designers at the moment. I then moved onto a store called Dukes Cupboard, a small vintage streetwear store tucked away in a busy part of Soho. The amount of development in this area is crazy, as the streets surrounding it are all under construction. It reminds me a bit of the short north, with its never ending construction and revitalization. Next door is a store called Machine-A, which is spent a lot of time in, analyzing and drooling over clothes from Craig Green, Raf Simons, Calvin Klein, and more. A sales associate and I were chatting, and he and I were both very interested in how fashion and architecture can tie together in some ways. We had a great discussion, I spent more money than I wanted to, and I was on my way to Dover Street Market. The store is south of Soho, tucked away from any busy streets, but it gets an insane amount of traffic. The store alone has nearly 400,000 Instagram followers. The footprint of the store is small, but spans four floors, split up into smaller spaces based on the designer. If it wasn’t so busy, I would have sketched in there, as each of the small exhibits were all very different, but great in their own ways. Rick Owens, for example, has a very brutal type of space in the store, but Gucci has a colorful and inviting space. Seeing around 30 differently designed spaces all congregated into one building was both overwhelming, but awesome. You can see the way that the space mimics the clothing in terms of aesthetic, or the way that DSM has arranged it all to create a flowing procession through the store. I later went up to the Camden markets, but Dover Street Market and Machine-A were highlights of my day for sure.

A quick shot of the Rick Owens part of the store, with foam added to the walls and furniture designed by him and his wife added to the space.

Before this trip, I really knew nothing about graffiti, street art, or anything of that nature. A couple days ago we had the option to go on a “Banksy tour” around London. It was really cool to see the different styles of art and to learn about the stories behind some of the art. The piece in the photo below is a Bambi piece showing Princess Diana as Mary Poppins. I never realized how much thought went into street art and how interesting it all is. I definitely plan on watching the documentaries about Banksy and learning more about it all. Overall, I have really loved this trip and have enjoyed myself so much more than I expected. It was awesome getting to explore a new city (and country) and make new friends.

Street Art by Bambi

London is an exotic city filled with so much to do that it’s hard to get through everything in only a week. Going to all the normal tourist sites like Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, Tower Bridge, Big Ben and riding a double decker red bus was honestly a magical experience and allowed us a fundamental understanding of London’s history made by the teamwork of the people who live there and the people that past through. Then, going through other famous religious sites like St. Paul’s, Westminster, Salisbury Cathedral, and a few other churches really encapsulated the religious impact on the country and explained the unity of religion and country that America doesn’t possess. All of this countered with the contemporary skyscrapers that are being built really capture the modernization of London and how it’s a city that makes waves and doesn’t get left behind. However, it was amazing to go through the everyday life of the people who live here with the markets, street art, and exploration of the city when you take a wrong turn. The London Undergroud system really gives you freedom to do everything you could imagine in the city. At the end of this trip I really feel like I understand London as a city and all of these experiences have made me love the city more.

After Kew Gardens I had the pleasure of visiting the Victoria & Albert Museum before the group tea. There was an exhibit on the design and legacy of ocean liners. As a child I was enthralled with the ocean liner and partaking in this exhibit was worth every pence. It was fascinating to see the correlation between the interior of these floating palaces with the architecture of their time. For example, the SS Normandie of the French Line was perhaps the greatest passenger ship ever built. Constructed at the height of the Art Deco era its interior layout and decor were crafted specifically to feel like a ship, not like a hotel as previous ships had. Along with that, her deck plans were organized exactly like a 12 story skyscraper; with public and private spaces with proper circulation oriented around  utilities in order to hide these maintenance aspects from the naked eye of every passenger to keep the clean sleek and streamlined look of the Art Deco age(as seen in the poster I cannot express my fortune for happening upon this exhibit here in Londontown, and though I gave up my dreams of being a commercial naval engineer after my childhood, after this walk down memory lane I realized my area of study now in architecture is not too far off from where my aspirations once laid.

Street Art and Graffiti are apart of all city life and having the opportunity to expand on some very famous pieces throughout the city of London was a magical experience. Banksy has been one of my favorite artists for a few years now and to get to see a few of his pieces or even a few spots he once had pieces was incredible. And I even got to find another new favorite artist in Bambi along the way. I also learned so much about street art, tagging and graffiti in general as it pertains to London. It was awesome to look at the juxtaposition of street art and the architecture it uses as a canvas. The new buildings and the old one each held an importance to the message the art had and emphasized the city life outside of what a regular tourist could ever imagine. It was also interesting to see the difference in areas the art was located in as well, from really wealthy and known areas to some unique markets. Each area gave a different purpose to the art and created one of a kind environments for it to be showcased. It was definitely a crazy way to experience art, but I found that I got to know the city of London a lot better by experiencing this.

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

London is really the most opportunist place. I will never forget Wednesday night: From the London Eye I began wandering down Southbank and came across the OXO building where people were bustling so, like a crazy person, I followed them and landed myself in a gallery opening for the Seven Oaks art school. Then after I had been through every room I walked with another group of strangers to another art show in an abandoned warehouse-type place. I was given a glass of orange something and thirty minutes later ended up running into a hotel lobby and up to a ballroom where a gala was being held as a fundraiser for people with Alzheimer’s. Of course, I didn’t match the cocktail dresses and tuxedos but I managed to grab a snack and run out and up to the roof for a live music show! Finally after the first set I ran to Tate Modern, across Millennium Bridge, to St. Paul’s right into a group of people headed to Pizza Express. There, I met a girl named Emma who let me join in and they even paid for my meal! All in all, it was a night to remember. Columbus, Ohio isn’t remotely close to being as amazing as London, but I truly hope this is the first of many advantageous adventures to come. For right now, I’ll enjoy the wine glass souvenir I accidentally took. 

Banksy rats in morn

Skyscrapers in afternoon

A day of wonder

Today was a good day. Starting the day with seeing a few banksy pieces was really interesting, it was a side of London I would have never experience had it not been for Troy’s guidance. Art has always had a special place in my heart and learning about the political aspects that go along with it is a new interesting take on graffiti that I am not familiar with. After our tour I got to go to Camden again and see some of the things I didn’t get to see on my visit the day prior. I really appreciate the culture that surrounds Camden. The edgy, rebellious feel is something that I have never experienced in the States and after having small conversations with as many people as I could during my time there, it is a very welcoming community that appreciates different types of culture as much as I do and that is truly amazing.

Camden Market

I have been to the stourhead for so many times virtually in architecture history and theory classes and now I’m finally here, bathed in sunlight with the freshest breeze. The views are absolutely fabulous and has to be seen by eyes not cameras. The Temple of Flora is at my right hand side with the side view of its temple front, while the parthenon can be clearly seen across the “lake”, calling me to move ahead. As I move along the path, the little island with the tree one it is truly the anchor of the views. The tree became companion of different buildings striking different moods. The Grotto, however, was not as great as I thought. It came up too obvious as a dark place and it ends too shortly. The grand large scale views of the lake suddenly switched to a little framed view is too abrupt. Also the single framed view is so lonely and thus became less powerful of creating a mood. The space also shows itself too clearly with no secrete or mystery in the dark space. It’s simply a dark place with in a bright appealing garden instead of a dark place that can also strikes curiosity.

The Temple of Apollo as the final touch is fabulous. The temple was hidden from the trees through out the entire journey, but since it’s the winter and the leaves are all out, I can get a glance of the overall shape. However, I was not expecting such a robust and large temple when I’m at the “lake” level. The temple reveals itself as a strong figure giving the sense of power and charm and thus became appropriate as the high peak of the story.

Stourhead

Grotto Entrance

Temple of Flora

Final Picture of Stourhead

Hackney empire theater interior

On day 3 of our trip I along with Jaime and Rachel, decided to go see Hamlet put on by the Royal Shakespeare Company. The production was a contemporary twist on a classic which I think was really unique and a great way to add more modern culture but still stay true to the original. It was really interesting that the production wasn’t limited to the stage. They were able to come through the isle and create a 360 degree experience for the audience. I was not familiar with this play of Shakespeare’s but I was still able to understand the plot with the amazing acting and the set and costuming which added to the appeal.
The production took place in the Hackney Empire theater which is right off of the hackney central London overground stop. The theater had a recent renovation which enlarged some of the spaces behind the stage but they were still able to keep the original design and style. Inside the theater was ornate in its detail and the ceiling was beautiful. It was a nice rich red with murals and gold detailing all around. It seemed like a very small intimate space but was able to hold a large audience.

On day three after we left the Olympic village, Taylor , Rachel, and I went to Hackney Empire theatre to see a modern rendition of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. We rode the London overground to Hackney Central and ate at a Costa cafe before the show. The theatre was built in 1901 and was really beautiful! I included a picture of part of the theatre below. I was slightly skeptical when I heard that the play was a modern version, however it was really well done! The cast was really talented and I like that they kept the original Shakespeare script within the modern production. Another feature of the play that I really enjoyed, is that the actors interacted with the audience by incorporating the aisles and levels of the theatre within the performance. I think seeing this play in person really helped me to understand the plot more and I am really glad that we went!

Hackney Empire Theatre

Today was the day to see how far we stretch across London in one day. It may have felt like the Oregon trail, but it was probably an inch in the grand scheme of things. Isn’t it fascinating all the things you can see and do in such a short period of time? I think I underestimated London. This place is huge. Today alone was exhausting, but I’m glad we had the chance to see what we saw. We went through squares and circles, coasts and crowds, and ate like it was the last meal! I also made a new friend, Carmen! She’s been traveling around with us since yesterday and loves the city too!!! Continue reading →

Much like New York or Chicago, visiting the major sites in the city on the first day felt a bit strange as an American. I was different from the majority of the people with whom I congregated, yet I did not feel like an American among Londoners. Although London’s population is significantly diverse, I could understand that the people around me were visitors as well, speaking different languages and enjoying the tourist activities. Every so often someone whom I could guess to be a London resident would walk by me, speaking in an accent, and the employees on location were clearly residents, yet they were outnumbered. I figured that there would be a good number of Londoners in the Barbican complex, yet the grounds were relatively deserted (which was strangely nice in its own right for photographs and a sketch). At One New Change, it was difficult to tell who was a resident.

The architecture we saw was excellent, yet the daytime activities led me to the Soho area in the evening in an effort to see some more typical London activity. I visited a handful of record stores and saw many Londoners in the walks among them, yelling funny phrases to each other and having a good time on the weekend. I got to hear some great breakbeat and garage music in the shops, and I got to see some records I have never found before in the States with the help of the people in the stores. I also saw some supercars in the area like a Lamborghini, Mclaren and GTR. I got to see some student activity and hear some music at the SOAS University of London and ended at Rogers’ Central St. Giles, which had amazing noise attenuation in its courtyard, muffling the loud exhaust notes that Londoners seem to love. I now have a much better understanding of the population as well as a greater appreciation for some major architectural works.