One month in BCN

Today marks a full month in Barcelona - hard to believe, as it seems like we just got here yesterday.
The experience here is always new and exciting. Everyday, I learn something new about the city and its history. The same follows for my personal experience. I came here excited and eager to see new things. Now, while I am the same person in some ways, my experience has been broadened by the spontaneous as well as by things I expected. I'm learning to embrace the differences. Something as simple as a trip to the grocery store here in Spain has a more profound impact than life in the United States provides. The nature of pedestrian life provides time for a person to be introspective - focusing on the intimate interaction of feet with the ground - as opposed to the fast-paced, immediate-gratification nature of everything I've become accustomed to at home. I only hope I can maintain the habits and lifestyle I'm experiencing here when I return to Clemson.
I'm also surprised by the multitude of paradoxes in the city; from the juxtaposition of the natural and built environment within the city to that of of the city blocks and the variety of experiences within these spaces. Each time I'm confronted by these I continue to find something new and exciting. I only hope I can utilize these experiences to my advantage in my transformation as a person.

Barcelona so Far

Today i walked in to the city of Barcelona like always. Only this time, it was a little different. I passed the arc de triumf, the cathedral, La Rambla, and many other touristy sites. I watched as people took pictures and smiled, in awe of such a wonderful place. I too have taken pictures and smiled along this very same walk before but not this time. This time the city took on a new sense. I felt comforted walking through the city of barcelona, like i belonged here. After a month in such a foreign envrironment, it is finally starting to feel like home.

LA CIUTAT

BARCA….31 days today. I feel I have already changed the way I views things so much and I have already learned so many different things that I am excited to see where this adventure leads us within the next three months. When we got here, all we got exposed to was this beautiful narrowed, old, spontaneous city with in the city, with the Rambla as its main principal corridor. All the others streets just randomly exposed you to a number of unexpected hallways, still to this day 31 days later, I still feel like I could get lost within this Cuitat Vella for years and not have a problem. Is beautiful that we get the chance to not only live but also study with in this fabric.

To me the most interesting part about Barca is the continuous relationship between the old and the new, that even the city grid upholds, and so it becomes the most important piece of architecture itself. This city of so much history becomes its best graphic representation of the mingling of eras that we are continuously exposed to. Even the building that studio is in, holds this tension, where the old instead of being covered up, or demolish; is accentuated and made a major component of detail work within. I have been truly inspired to be studying here, where architecture matters, where is intertwined with the city itself and its people. Everywhere you look or everywhere you go, you see it in the side walks, the lamp posts, the railings, the tiles, the stones, the buildings, the parks, the public spaces, the streets, the grid, the city, everything is so fascinating. Everything is a composition where there is not only a beautiful building standing on a piece of land, but a building within a fabric, with its own history, within this constant flux of people, the air, the movement, the smell, the music it all comes together and every time just catches you by surprise. I am still bewildered by this place.

Life in Barca

I still remember the week before I came here, it was so surreal that I was going to Barcelona. On the plane, it felt as though I was going to a far away place in the U.S., not Spain. When I arrived here and saw the buildings and cityscape, I was bewildered by its beauty and I felt as though I were in a dream. Being here for a month is extremely hard to imagine considering it felt just like yesterday when I was wondering how it was for those students that were here last semester and how they were feeling at that same moment. It did not take long at all for all of us to adjust to the Spanish ways and traditions, and as a matter of fact, we are more cultured and open-minded already. As a group, even though we were in studios before and knew of each other, its truly amazing how close you become with the people you are here with. I feel like we're a family that take care of one another and watch out for one another in every situation. You learn to become a leader, a team member, and your own character.

I feel like this trip has taught me so much already, both educationally and internally. Not only is the architecture brilliant and inspiring, but you grow as a person and mature so quickly. You begin to see things in a different light, view others in a different manner; a more professional and mature manner. For instance, we were taught to work in the studio as though we were all architects, to not make the differentiation between student and teacher. That alone gives you a sense if responsibility and respect. I would not trade this program for any other one. The Barcelona program is one of the best choices I have made in my life, and is well worth the loan money. Seeing the architecture first hand is simply magnificent. Seeing pictures and doing all your research on the Guggenheim, for instance, is nothing compared to seeing it in person and experiencing the spaces and the vision of the architect. I cannot wait to see more! I cannot wait to be more and more inspired and have a thousand ideas rush through my mind after seeing the impossible, possible.

Adjustment

It's funny how quickly we have adjusted to living in Barcelona. Compared to the first day of arrival with the general culture shock and whatnot (smelly tap water, pickpocketers, non-refrigerated milk), now I don't even think of the fact that I'm living in Barcelona, or even being in Spain. I'm sure it's partly due to constantly being around familiar Clemson faces.

Four days before arriving in Barcelona I spent two weeks in New York City. It's interesting how navigating the two cities is a completely different experience. I love how Barcelona is way less concentrated with vehicle traffic, I don't think I've seen a road wider than two lanes within the city, while New York has 4-6 lane streets between buildings, and the really narrow streets completely designed for pedestrians in Barcelona are a great experience as well. It was also interesting to see major roads around here have separate lanes for buses/taxis, I've never seen that before. The metro system of the two cities is about the same I'd say.


Of all the buildings we've seen from our architectural sight seeing, I'd have to say Jean Nouvel's extension of the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sophia was by far my favorite. The feeling of being within this huge structure, to the exposed beams, the delicate connection to the old building, down to the details of the table designs in the cafeteria, everything just seemed so cohesive. I am definitely going to do a case study on this or something.


I think everyone has mentioned enough about the differences of all the cities we've been to in Spain, but I have to say that during the end of our travel week I was getting a bit homesick for Barcelona. I'm glad to be back here. Oh, and it's A La TurKa. With a K. Get it right Kevin. Don't credit those Turca rip offs.

impressions

the path of a man's life takes him many places. it takes him to dark cold corners and sunny warm meadows. it takes you to places unknown and places untold. it allows you to experience the existence of man and gives you a glimpse into the reasoning of life. upon arriving in barcelona, i was very overwhelmed by the new atmosphere i was in. my feet tread on a hard surface, my nose smelled new aromas and my eyes become full with visual substance.

each day i study the patterns of life and the existence of man. i ponder man's behaviors and man's motives. the streets of barcelona are a three-dimensional chronological mapping of time that have documented centuries upon centuries of man's behaviors and motives. each day a new piece in the puzzle is laid down in front of me and the puzzle is beginning to take shape. this past month is a sort of anecdotal composition for what is to come. i am interested in seeing how the final piece will look.

The City

I can hardly believe that I have been in Barcelona for 1 month now. The time here has gone by so fast. I have enjoyed spending time in this city and our trip to Madrid, Toledo, and Bilbao. These cities are so different from America, especially in their medieval areas. It is amazing to see the density of the side streets and the large pedestrian streets like La Rambla and Diagonal. The experience seems more focused on human interaction, and there is not such a reliance on cars. In America, a trip to Walmart includes walking into the garage, driving to Walmart, and walking inside; there is such a limited interaction. But here in Barcelona, and in the other cities we have seen, the sequence of interaction is so different. Walking to Corte Ingles there is an unavoidable interaction with hundreds of people, street venders, restaurants, and little shops; I still haven't determined if this is a positive or negative interaction. Most of the time I feel less secure, and the danger of pickpockets is very real, but the experience of the city is much more personal. As a whole, I love these cities with their tight streets bordered by beautiful balconies, the open plazas filled with fountains, families, and dogs, and wide promenades with venders and street actors.

one month down

So far, I feel that much of my time in Barcelona has been spent just looking around me at all of the different buildings that are so different from the ones in the United States. I have really liked walking around the city seeing all of the different parts. One of the things that I have liked observing the most is how each city is different from the last one. It was amazing to see the wide streets of Madrid compared to the extremely tiny streets in Toledo. The feeling of walking by the river in Bilbao was really relaxing compared to the constant movement in Barcelona. None of the cities have been the same, even down to how the cities are laid out, either in grid or more random patterns. I have really liked not having to rely on a car to get around the city and instead taking the metro or walking wherever I need to go. One of my favorite parts of Barcelona so far is the open air markets with fresh fruit and vegetables and any type of meat or chees you can imagine. I love being able to walk and get whatever you need for the day or week knowing what you're buying is fresh. It's just a different atmosphere being able to talk to local people and act more like a local rather than a tourist. I think that's another part of the city that I like: being able to talk to local people in another language and actually understand what they're saying most of the time. I really like it here even though it is completely different than what I'm used to.

Thoughts

It’s already been about a month that we’ve been here in Barcelona, and the time has flown by so quickly. We’ve gotten to visit several interesting works around here, like the Santa Catarina Market, Parc Guell, and of course the Sagrada Familia. We have travelled quite a bit around the city, but we still have so many new areas to explore.

This past week we visited Madrid, Toledo, and Bilbao. I think it’s amazing how completely different from one another they are. Madrid was always alive, day and night. Toledo was such a picturesque city. The stonework gave the city such a beautiful quality, and really connected well with the nature within. Bilbao really surprised me though because I only expected to be impressed by the Guggenheim, but there was such a great cohesion of old and new that I couldn’t believe worked so well together. I would have to pick Bilbao as my favorite, and I could definitely go back.

And lastly (like everyone else I’m sure) I’m devastated by the fact that A La Turka closed down. They had the best doner kebaps and it was probably the most wonderful food I had ever eaten. Chicken, every kind of vegetable, covered in a delicious sauce and chili. I’ve tried some of the “specialty” foods from Barcelona (like the jamon iberica) but it just doesn’t hold a match to my beloved doner.

Looking Back

looking back on the past week and over the past month in my time here in Barcelona and on my travels to madrid, toledo, and bilbao, it's a wonder why i'm still alive. through the countless mishaps and meanderings of our class, we've managed to discover the sheer beauty and mystery to the architecture and cities of spain. whether it be the old cities of barcelona and madrid, or the extreme gehry forms of the guggenheim, the architecture and the atmosphere here are far different than anything that i personally have ever felt in my architectural education back in the states. the troublesome thing about architecture, or any physical thing for that matter is actually "describing" it. you really can't experience any of the works that we've seen here through just blog posts. if any of you ever get the chance to actually "experience" any of these works, i strongly encourage it, the same goes for getting a doner. if you're ever in europe and looking for a meal for a value. go for the doner, stands and restaurants line the tight corridors and avenues of Europe. you'll be glad you did. R.I.P A La Turca, you will be truly missed by all of us. so without rambling on much more, i'd also like to say, out of any of our three architecture programs in Genoa, Barcelona, and Charleston.....pick Barcelona, it's just common sense