Week 6

It is week 6, and it feels different.  It could be the fact that it never gets below 80 degrees (even at night), but I think it has more to do with the fact that it feels like the beginning of the end of the trip.  It is changing each of our urgency to see things, and experience things.  It also reminds me that I miss home and the people there, so despite being sad to leave soon, I'm slowing becoming ready.

Our week began slow with a day off on Tuesday after coming off our field trip to Umbria, but soon enough we jumped right back into the swing of things with our last walking tour, which covered modern Rome.  We talked about the philosophical debate regard the meaning (or eventually, the lack thereof) of historical referential architecture in Rome, and how that seemed to lend itself to the western world's conversation.  We then headed and saw sights including the Ara Pacis museum by Richard Meir, which is the first building to be built in the city center since the fascist era.  This project sparked heated debate between those in Rome who want to see nothing change, and those (whom I agree with) that see Rome as a living city that has been changed dramatically, and often throughout history.

We then walked north of the city center and visited some of the 1960 Olympic venues, as well as Renzo Piano's Parco della Musica, an incredible concert hall by one of my favorite living architects.  We were even lucky enough to sneak inside one of the performance spaces!  We ended the day at the MAXXI (Museum of Art from the 21 Century) by Zaha Hadid.  It was an incredible space, and without a doubt the most high profile contemporary project I'm sure I've ever been in.  The feminist in me also appreciated the fact that a woman designer has been at last able to make powerful contribution to this city, and the profession in a way that perhaps no woman has done.  Zaha Hadid has shattered a glass ceiling.

Next, this week I felt my sketching really began to click (finally).  Naturally this made me feel a tremendous sense of accomplishment and relief!  I'd like to hope I can keep the trend going!

Also, it was nice this week to have Mark Hoversten, the Dean of the College of Art and Architecture at U of I come visit us for our Modern Walking tour, as well as a critique of our studio projects.  I enjoyed his perspective as a landscape architect both during our walking tour, and in giving us advice for our studio projects.

Last, a group of us made the attempt to visit Richard Meir's Jubilee Church in Tor Tre Treste, a suburb of Rome.  It was more than an adventure to get out there (and even more so to get back) involving trains, buses, and LOTS of walking.  And although the church was great, I'm not sure it was worth the blood, sweat, and tears!  Regardless it was an experience to be able to use mass transit to get to a distant location without the help of somebody who had been there, which was rewarding for me at least.