Author: Belle Marty

Time Well Spent

Getting back to Ohio and having some time to stop and think about the trip has made me realize how valuable this opportunity has been, both architecturally and culturally.

Firstly, I think being exposed to a wide variety of architecture will really help to expand my ideas for future projects, especially having gone on this trip my freshman year. Specifically, I found the monastery to be very inspiring. The use of materials blended with the simplicity of the design made for an overall very tranquil feeling, and it was one of those special moments when architecture makes you feel. In fact, I actually had a conversation about this very topic with an Argentinian architecture student I met at the top of the Costanera Tower while watching the sunset. He said that one day he hopes to create architecture that provokes feeling and emotion, and taught me that in Argentina, they call this “arquitectura sensacional”. We went on to talk more about school and travel and architecture, and it absolutely affirmed my passion for design. It was truly a conversation I will never forget.

I also found great significance in learning about Chile’s culture and how it relates to  the United States and other countries I’ve visited. Geographically, Santiago reminded me of a mix of Florida and Montana, with both palm trees and mountains. However, conversing with the locals and witnessing Chilean culture was unlike anything I’d seen before. When I’ve traveled in the past, I might have looked a bit foreign to some people, but I could mostly go around without anyone thinking twice about my presence. The same cannot be said about Chile. I’ve definitely never felt like such an outsider while visiting another place, and it was both uncomfortable and magical all at once. I think it’s extremely crucial and valuable to be pushed out of your comfort zone and really emerce yourself in other cultures, and I really felt I was able to do this on this trip. I’m pumped to see how my worldview changes as I apply what I’ve learned on the trip to live back at school.

Overall, all I can say is that I’m very grateful for having this experience. Thank you to the instructors and everyone on the trip who made it an incredible ten days and a time I’ll never forget.

European Feel in a South American City

One of the first and strongest observations I got from Valparaíso was its resemblance to small European towns. Last year, my sister studied abroad in a small French town a few hours outside of Paris, and my parents and I got the chance to visit her in the summer. I had been to France earlier in 2015, starting in Paris and working our way down and around for close to a month. Long story short, I’ve had a lot of exposure to small village architecture. Quaint facades, narrow cobblestone roads, worn-down materials, the whole Shabang.

What I found interesting, then, was that I was taken right back to my time in France while walking around the streets of Valparaíso, despite being on an entirely different continent. Of course, there were some major differences, namely the brightly colored buildings, the graffiti, and the sheer size of Valparaíso (although when walking its streets, it’s easy to forget you’re in such a large city). However, I found the similarities to greatly outweigh the differences. While you’re in both places, the age of the towns and the amount of history that surpassed in it is clear. Extremely quaint, culture-rich, old architecture, and very cute. The walls and streets are heavily worn, most the buildings themselves are originals, and if they were in fact renovated, usually only the interiors were updated to keep the its exterior charm.

One thing I was not expecting in Valparaiso was its buildings to be so worn down. At first I took this as a lack of effort by its residents to keep it up, but later I decided that although very inhabited throughout the years, this old-timey feel was what gave the city much of its charm.

Overall, I was blown away by Valpariso. I didn’t think I’d find a place so European looking in South America, but this turned out to be an incredible surprise. I feel lucky to have been able to travel to two places that are so different but still find incredible similarities, and I’m excited to be able to compare Chile to the places I travel to in the future.

View of street in Valparaíso

View of street in a small French town

French building art

Valparaíso building art

Quick sketch of street in Valparaíso

Heavenly Mixed Media

B- Sketch Post

For this sketch, I tried to get a little adventurous. I really wanted to capture the light because it was so intensely shining behind and above it (and in my eyes), but   I didn’t know how to capture it with pen without filling the entire page in ink. Solution? Break out the pencil. I did some minor shading with my pen for the very dark parts, as well as a few hints of pen strokes to indicate the orientation of the exterior material. I then went in with the side of my pencil to add some degree of shading to almost the entire building, given that it was technically all in shade. Lastly, I attempted to illustrate the halo-effect of the sun behind it by shading the most on the corners and least in the middle (kind of a vignette effect). Overall, I think using both pen and pencil led me to create a more effective sketch, and I think I’ll definitely do it again in the future.

My sketch of the Benedictine Monastery

Afternoon Serenade

To my surprise, a huge highlight of the day was visiting the Pre-Columbian Art Musuem. Learning about it in class, I knew the art was going to be interesting and the architecture looked impressive, but actually experiencing the space first hand was enjoyable beyond what I had ever imagined. At one point, I sat on the pebbles in the open courtyard, enjoying the sun, the colorful art, and the violin music of a musician that had just started playing. It felt like a scene from a movie: serene beyond belief. I just sat there, taking it all in, and it was a moment I’ll never forget.

Art installation in the courtyard of the Pre-Columbian Museum

Lovely bike in the corner of the courtyard.

 

For my sketch, I wanted to feature the courtyard, but from a new perspective than looking up at the art installation. Instead, I had a delightful view of both the courtyard and the surrounding buildings from the second floor, so I got a little bit of everything in my sketch.

My sketch overlooking the courtyard in the Pre-Columbian Museum

Lastly, I found the bottom floor of the museum was extremely interesting. The sharp contrast between the very sunlit ground floor and the very dimly lit bottom floor was very dramatic, and I believe only made the actual art installations more appealing. The way the art was lit really drew you into it, which I thought was not only beautiful, but a pretty impressive design.

A few Knowlton students sketching the art.

 

Belle’s Pre Departure Post

Wow!!! We are going to Santiago TOMORROW!!! Second semesters always dragged on forever in high school, but it has absolutely flown by this year. Not going to lie, I’ve been so busy recently that I still can’t wrap my mind around the fact that we’re headed to a different country in a matter of days.

Traveling is something I’m so interested in and passionate about that I feel so grateful that this opportunity has come to be a reality. The thing I’m most looking forward to is watching the locals to see how they live compared to us here. Taking in the language, the culture, and (obviously) the food- I can’t think of anything better.

Speaking specifically of the sites, I’m most anxious to see the Costanera Tower and the monastery. The view from the tower looks absolutely breathtaking, and I can’t wait to get a sick panorama video on my GoPro!!! From the pictures we’ve seen and what we’ve learned in class about the monastery, I have the feeling it will be quite special to get to experience the architecture.

Another thing I’m really looking forward to is sitting in Plaza De Armas and sketching the surroundings. Seeing life go past me, hearing all the sounds of the city and people speaking, and being able to experience it through sketching.

I’m just so excited!!!!!!!!!! Santiago here we come.