Author: Sam Goecke

A Look Back at London

While London seems like a city that you could spend a lifetime exploring and still not see and fully understand everything about it, our weeklong trip was a great glimpse into all of the culture and landscape that London has to offer. I think that it is a very rare experience to be able to learn about landmarks and buildings that hold a global significance, then get to go see them in the real world. I really appreciated this aspect of our trip because there were certain things that I was surprised that I enjoyed so much when we saw them in person. Something as simple as taking a nap in Hyde Park, after several days of long walking tours, was one of my favorite memories from the trip.

As I expected it would be, the day trip to Stonehenge, Stourhead, and Salisbury was my favorite day of the trip. The medieval town of Salisbury felt like something out of a movie set. I really enjoyed seeing the massive spire from the cathedral always peeking out above the buildings, and when we walked on the cathedral lawn I was amazed at how tall the structure actually was. Stourhead was a great break from all of the urban areas that we visited, and as cheesy as the signs reminding you to “take a breath” seemed, I actually did what each one said and it made me much more mindful of the whole landscape. I have always been intrigued by Stonehenge, so I was very excited to see it in person. A few years ago in Alabama I visited “Bamahenge”, and I remembered how amazed I was when I first saw the fiberglass recreation of Stonehenge. Visiting Stonehenge I actually felt like the wind and rain added to the experience, and made the whole scene that much more mysterious – so I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

Finally going to the top of the Shard and looking out over the city at night was the perfect way to end the trip. It seemed like the lights stretched out forever and gave me some perspective on the expanse of London. I had a hard time leaving the top of the Shard and everyone I was with kept gravitating back toward the windows because there was always something else to look at. When we finally went back toward the hotel, a few of us stopped at The Flying Horse, a 200 year old pub, and talked about some of our favorite stories from the trip, capping off an unforgettable trip.

Sketch of Westminster Abbey facade

View through an alley framing the Shard

View of Stonehenge

View of Tower Bridge from the top of the Shard, looking east

Detail meets function

Sketch of a column detail in the Natural History Museum

Photo of a detail on a column in the Natural History Museum

When we visited the Natural History Museum I was immediately struck by the beauty of the building on the inside and outside. I was even more intrigued when I looked closer at the walls columns and ceiling and noticed the immense, and purposeful, amount of detail that was present. The stonework in particular contained lots of small surprises that could be easily overlooked, such as this monkey that was clinging to the column. I thought that these details were great because they correlated with the function of building, which was a natural history museum. Just as a religious building would have religious iconography engraved in the stone, this museum had its main characters carved into the building, acting as a constant reminder of the space that you are in.

Sam’s Blog 1

Sketched view looking down the nave from the quire at St. Paul’s

I really enjoyed visiting St Paul’s on our first day, and I thought that one of the coolest views that I saw was this view from the quire area, looking down the nave. I thought it was important to add the scripture book in front, because from this view it felt like I was addressing the congregation. I also thought it was important to get the deep perspective in this view because the nave is so long, so I used converging lines that all meet at the end of the nave. This view was also full of detail, so I had to limit the amount of detail I included in my sketch, and instead just added a little more density to the lines in certain spots to give the illusion of more detail.

Sketch of part of A statue of King Ramses I

I thought that this huge statue of part of a statue of King Ramses II was one of the coolest artifacts in the museum. It was located right in the. Middle of three Egyptian artifacts, and towered over all of the other items, so it was the first thing that most people notice when they walk in. For my sketch I tried to use a wide range of shading so that the drawing wouldn’t appear flat, as it did originally with just the linework. It also seemed like Ramses II was gazing out over the crowd unbothered by the people below him in this statue, which is the feeling that I tried to capture in this sketch.

Sam’s Pre Departure Blog

As I am currently sitting in the Chicago airport waiting for our flight to London I am getting very excited to arrive in country and experience all of the sites on our itinerary. I am most excited for our day trip to Stonehenge and Stourhead. I remember learning about Stonehenge for the first time a few years ago and being amazed by it. I also remember seeing Stourhead in photos and thinking that it looks just like an ideal landscape in a painting. I can’t wait to finally get to see both of these sites in person.

I am also very excited to visit Kew Gardens as it is one of the most notable landscapes we will get to see. I originally wasn’t extremely excited to visit Kew Gardens, but after we learned more about it in class recently, I am eager to see it in person. I especially can’t wait to walk on the sky bridge because I like heights and I think that it will be a very unique view and way to experience the landscape.

I was too excited to sleep the night before our flight, so I’m not sure if I will be able to sleep on the plane either. I can’t wait to get started on our trip and begin experiencing the culture and all of the sites that London has to offer.

Sam Goecke’s Bio

My name is Sam Goecke and I’m a sophomore in architecture. My hometown is Sylvania, Ohio, which is a suburb just outside of Toledo. I have played soccer for most of my life, and I have always had a passion for art, which is what helped my decide to pursue a career in architecture.

Just in the past few years I have started to travel outside of the United States more to places like Cabo San Lucas and on a study abroad last spring break to Santiago, Chile. I have loved trying new foods and experiencing the culture of different countries, which is what I am most excited about experiencing in London. I have also started sketch more in my free time, which I have found has been a great way to document my trips and practice my architecture analysis skills, as well as a relaxing activity that I can do as a hobby.

I am also excited to see the public transportation systems and general city layout in London. I think that the city seems very unique because of its blend of historic sites and contemporary architecture, so I am looking forward to seeing what kind of dynamic that creates in the city.

Sam Goecke Bio Photo