Landscapes

“Junkyard of Stuff We Don’t Know Where to Put”

London was incredible. Despite a lot of uncertainty with the COVID-19 pandemic, the trip was a major success, eye-opening, and very engaging. As a major city within Europe, it is definitely a capital of the world, not just of England. It was a trip filled with new experiences. I was able to do things I never thought I would. We were able to pack so much into one week, but it still wasn’t enough time to see it all. Some of my favorite experiences include the view from the Shard, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Kew Gardens, Stonehenge, Transport Museum, and seeing Mamma Mia at a local theatre. This list doesn’t even scratch the surface of all the things we got to see and do. Even though there are similarities between the United Kingdom and the United States, there is so much history and culture that we got to immerse in that was different. One of the most mind-blowing things was seeing the tomb of Elizabeth and Mary. So much history surrounds Londoners on a daily basis, it almost doesn’t seem real. For example, seeing the Roman wall was insane and it didn’t seem fathomable that something so old still existed. I was extremely impressed with how history is so fluidly involved in everyday life there. Another thing that amazed me was the Underground system. Public transportation is generally underdeveloped within the United States, especially when compared to other countries in the world. Although it was dirty, to be able to traverse anywhere in the city with the tap of a card was freeing, and I could not help but wish we had such a system here. The United States may have developed much differently than London, but it is my hope that an efficient and effective public transportation system can be instituted. It was interesting to see how London sprawls and maintains its level of density within the context of historical landmarks and other major nodes. Lastly, I would be remiss not to mention that the people really made the trip special. Whether it was Casey making a guard laugh on duty, Jeff explaining why Disney is not nearly as good as Universal, or Blake’s general pursuit of ice cream, getting to know everyone on the trip and exploring the city together was special. Traveling to London has been one of the best experiences of my life, and I cannot wait to make my way back to the city someday—ideally not during a global pandemic.

Also, one of my favorite quotes: (in reference to Westminster Abbey) “A junkyard of stuff we don’t know where to put” -Blue Badge Guide

 

Palm House at Kew Gardens

Some of the disused stations along Tube lines

View from the Shard

World Wonder: Big Rocks

When visiting Stonehenge, I was in absolute awe. Seeing rolling hills of green on the way there couldn’t compare to the vast open air feeling that surrounds you as you make your way to the famous site. This landscape drew me in immediately and I wanted to be able to capture a calm feeling of nature despite the imposing trabeated stones. In this sketch I wanted the softly uneven earth to be shown as a separate entity yet still surrounding the stones as well as the sky. The sketch is simple even in color as I wanted to keep the serenity of the site included.

My colored sketch of the famous Stonehenge

My favorite day in London

My favorite day on this trip has to be Thursday. We started the day with Hyde Park and it seemed like it would be a miserable rainy day, but that quickly changed. Once we got to the Princess Diana Memorial, the weather began to change and the sun came out. At first I wasn’t overly excited about the memorial because I was disappointed that we we’re visiting on a cold winter day instead of a warm summer day where we can put our feet in the water and hangout. However, when the sun began to come out, it seemed much warmer and was a great time for pictures. We then made our way to Kew gardens and saw some great landscapes. It became more cloudy and a bit colder which made the Palm house and the Temperate House even more exiting. The warmth of the greenhouses and the beautiful vegetation that you don’t normally find in Ohio made the cold walk around the gardens worth it. I ended the day by seeing Mamma Mia live with Elizabeth and Catherine. I have been obsessed with Mamma Mia since I was little and have always wanted to see the Broadway show. We were able to get cheap seats close to the stage, and seeing it in London made the experience very special. I got some great pictures and memories on Thursday and it will stand out as the best day on my first trip to London.

Mamma Mia selfie

Princess Diana Memorial

Kew Gardens Palm House

Experiencing London

My Experiential Map!

By far my favorite sketch that we have done from this trip was the experiential map. I liked it because it helped me to reflect back on the day and remember exactly what we did. It also gave a new perspective to just how much are we covered, and helped me relate a map to the experience of walking through a space. I also enjoyed making quick little sketches of the places we visited, and accompanying them with longer descriptions of my experience in that space. I think this is the sketch I’m most proud of, and I am really happy I learned about this type of sketch in this class.

A Take On Stonehenge

Our visit to Stonehenge was one thing that I looked forward to the most out of everything we had planned on this trip. When we arrived at the parking lot, the stones were nowhere in site, but a short bus trip down the road revealed the stones slowly as we went over the hill. It was a windy and rainy day, but that did not stop me from taking in the amazing view of the stones that stood in front of me. In my sketch I wanted to capture the massing of the stones and how they relate to each other in size and shape. I also wanted to capture the different shades of darkness, which included shadows and natural darkening of the stones. Luckily I had a lot of time on the site and I was able to capture most of the details with out having to use a picture. Finishing the sketch on site meant I had to sit in the rain to get it done, but it was worth it!

Moss Overload

I feel like visiting Stourhead is a right of passage for us landscape architects. It is a truly unique example of life imitating art and of course an overall breath taking view from all angles. Being me, I always tend to gravitate towards the smaller things that make up the larger whole and at Stourhead, there was no shortage of moss covering the different fabrics of the landscape. The bright green clumps, once food for dinosaurs, has now canvased these damp and shady environments on a massively intriguing scale.

Tree base at Stourhead covered in Stegosaurus food.

On almost every tree, you could see the army of bright green soldiers slowly leeching its way over the knees and up the base. Pushing your hands down onto it and feeling the soft complexion of what lies at the surface and below is like pushing on a pillow. The moss makes all the difference in that it is a high contrast addition to what inhabits its surroundings.

Oculus inside the grotto at Stourhead.

Small Moss Covered Grottos

Stairs leading through small moss covered grottos

Larger grotto covered in moss with a bench.

Rocks, they are already a cool rustic structural part of Stourhead. Used to form all of the grottos and cave like formations, which in return create these microclimates perfect for sustaining our little green friend. The moss all over these rocks are in combination with other creeping ground cover species that only add more detail to the contrast between the stone and the moss, now there are darker green plants to further establish the explicit call out of the moss.

One of many signs at Stourhead making sure we take care of ourselves.

A Rocky Situation

Sketch of 3 sarsen stones.

On our visit outside of the city, Stonehenge popped up almost at random out of the rolling green hills as a ruin made of a pile of rocks. Before coming here it seemed so much a mystical site that tv and historians tell an impossible tale, however upon viewing It for myself, I realize that though the stones are huge, it seems possible with enough man power. The organization seems reasonable for a time when people wanted to congregate around something as powerful at the stars and the sun. Being able to understand formations like this as a man made form begins to dissolve the improbability of some of these structures we aren’t used to seeing outside of a history book. The complex is quite big, but at a small enough scale that it is plausible. Surely not as big as the pyramids, so I can more clearly confirm that aliens did not create Stonehenge.

Stonehenge Shenanigans

Quick sketch of Stonehenge

Our visit to Stonehenge at the end of a long day was unfortunately pretty rainy and windy. I was able to get a rough outline while on the site, and then I was able to add details and color later on from a photo. My goal with this sketch was to capture the texture and shadows of the stones, which I think I accomplished pretty well. I do wish I had more time on site to complete the drawing instead of referencing a photo. I’m glad I chose to use color for this sketch, I think it adds some more description and depth.

Birds Eye View of London

London has been breathtaking so far. Everything we have visited so far has not been short of amazing. The three places that stood out to me on the first three days of the trip were St. Paul’s Cathedral on day one, The ArcelorMittal Orbit “Twizzler” on day two, and The London Eye on day three. These three sites particularly stand out to me due to their access to view the city from above. What makes it really amazing is that these are three very different structures in different locations around London. All three sites give you a completely different view of the city.

KEEP IT MOVING!!!!

On day one we went to the top of St. Paul’s Cathedral, and it was defiantly worth the 528 step climb to the Golden Gallery at the top. The 85m view of the city gave me a sense of how big London really is. I was amazed by the views looking out from St. Paul’s, but it was also really interesting seeing the openings left in the planning for to city to preserve the views of St. Paul’s. I was so amazed by the view, that I had to take one last photo and in the process of taking it we got yelled at by the worker in the picture to keep it moving.

Bottom of the twizzler looking up.

The 80m tall observation deck that looks over Olympic Park

On day two we went to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and went to the top of the “Twizzler” to go down the curly metal slide. I was not able to get a photo from the top because we couldn’t bring any personal items on the slide. Once we got up to the 80m tall observation deck I was able to get a birds eye view of the Olympic stadium, swimming pavilion and the city from far away.

View from the top of the London Eye.

On day three of the trip we rode The London Eye, the pod took us up 135m to give a nice view of the city and the River Thames. This 360 viewing pod gave me a perfect view of the city from every angle and helped me understand the scale of everything in the city a little bit more.

A Dreary (At Times!) and Colorful City

Dear London,

The sun can stay, but please keep away the rain.

The past two days have been jam packed with all kinds of sights and experiences. From Greenwich to Tower Bridge, St. Paul’s to Tate Modern, the London Eye to the Tube, an outdoor market to tea at the National Gallery, the past two days have been nothing short of incredible. Coming into the trip, there was anticipation of less desirable weather with colder temperatures and rain, but nothing could have truly prepared me for the downpour during the walking tour. Watching the sun disappear behind a wall of clouds was certainly a bummer. But, despite small spurts of inclement weather, it has been a joy to get out and explore the city. On Saturday, our group took the time to visit Barbican. I was deeply intrigued by Barbican as it was a planned development. Although I may not love the style of architecture, I can definitely appreciate the intent and desire behind its beginnings. It was the most confusing place though, so I do not understand what the intention may have been by making it so convoluted. Further, as it is a brutalist style of architecture, there is lots of concrete involved in its construction. The concrete gives it a strength and formidability, but, it also results in a bland and dull place. Fortunately, many green spaces and water features were planned into the space which I found to be refreshing. Along all the balconies were planters filled with flowers and other greens that really helped breathe life into the space and added color in a relatively colorless space. In warmer weather, I could definitely see how those spaces would also serve as places for residents to gather as a third place away from home and work. Color has played a very interesting role in the city as it draws people’s attention and highlights London landmarks. Although the sky may have been more dreary and dark during our time spent near Tower Bridge, the brilliant blue combined with its incredible detail, size, and location make it stand out nonetheless. Similarly, the Twizzler in Olympic Park is impossible to miss with its bright red structure that towers above the ground. Lastly, even the use stations contain all kinds of color. The Tottenham Court Road station has beautiful mosaics in the wall made of all shades of tile. The color brings a point of joy and expression to an otherwise darker feeling space so far underground. As the week progresses, I look forward to other sites where I may see brilliant colors such as Kew Gardens.

Courtyard within the greater Barbican complex.

Tower Bridge on Sunday, March 9

The “Twizzler” at Olympic Park

A mosaic wall on the platform for the Tube at Tottenham Court Road station