Jul 25, 2023
Of all the spectacular structures in Washington D.C., the United States capital, my favorite is the Washington Monument. It was constructed in honor of the first president of the United States, George Washington, and is a testament to his power and importance. The location of the monument is in direct line with the Lincoln Memorial to the west, the White House to the north, and the U.S. Capitol building to the east.
The design of the Washington Monument is simple and stark. It is in the shape of an Egyptian obelisk, referencing ancient civilizations, and stands at 555 feet tall. The height of the tower is ten times its base, and there are no adornments to the obelisk. It is made of granite and marble. It was designed by Robert Mills and constructed in two phases between 1848 and 1888. Due to difficulties raising funds for the construction, the Washington Monument is made of three different kinds of Maryland marble; several quarries had closed during the phases of construction. Close inspection of the obelisk reveals three slightly different shades of marble.
The interior of the Washington Monument is hollow. There is an iron spiral staircase, which is no longer accessible to the public. This staircase has multiple large landings allowing different memorial stones to be viewed by visitors. In total, there are 194 memorial stones contributed by other states and some foreign countries.
At the time of its construction, the Washington Monument was the tallest building in the world. It still remains the tallest obelisk in the world and the tallest structure in Washington DC. It was originally constructed with a steam elevator to allow visitors to ascend the 555 feet in ten minutes. Now, there is an electric elevator which is much faster! The observation deck at the top remains a popular tourist destination and offers spectacular views of the city. In front of the Washington Monument, there is a magnificent reflecting pool
In 2011, an earthquake damaged the Washington Monument, leaving visible cracks in the facade and causing structural damage. Luckily, the National Parks Service was able to fully repair it by 2013.
Overall, the Washington Monument is a focal point within the Washington D.C. landscape and a symbol of great power around the world.
Jun 22, 2023
There are many beautiful and luxurious hotels in the world, but the Burj Al Arab Jumeriah in Dubai is my favorite hotel due to its unique architecture and setting. The hotel is located on its own island in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, one of the fastest-growing and most beautiful cities in the world. This island was specially constructed for the hotel complex and is supported by 130 foot long concrete piles in the Arabian sand. The artificial island is linked to the city with a private, curved bridge that spans over one thousand feet.
The Burj Al Arab, or Tower of the Arabs, was designed by Tom Wright with the intention of creating an icon for Dubai. The exterior of the hotel resembles the sail of a ship; Wright was inspired to create the design on the back of a napkin after a trip to Dubai where he observed many billowing “dhow” sails on the water. Although the building is 1053 feet high, there are only 60 floors of usable space because of a triangular cutout at the top of the facade. The cutout highlights the sail-like quality of the building, creating a feeling of air within the otherwise dense structure. It almost looks as if the building is setting out to the sea, like a real boat. This interesting shape makes the Burj Al Arab, which is a five-star hotel, unofficially referred to as the only 7-star hotel in the world.
The interior of the Burj Al Arab consists of a 590 foot high atrium with a crystal ceiling and 24,000 square meters of Statuario marble on the floor and walls and gold embellishments at every turn. There is also a glass elevator, nine restaurants, and an indoor swimming pool. The hotel has 202 guest rooms, all of which are duplexes furnished with opulent pieces and amenities. The largest room is the Royal Suite, which has its own elevator, a private movie theater and a rotating bed.
Adjacent to the hotel, there is a private outdoor complex that stretches into the Arabian Sea with several pools, hot tubs and restaurants. Additionally, there is a platform at the top of the hotel that has been used as a helipad, race track, boxing ring and even as a tennis court (the highest tennis court in the world).
Overall, the iconic architecture and opulence of the Burj Al Arab makes it a symbol of Dubai and my personal favorite hotel. I hope to visit there one day!
Mar 27, 2023
Venice is a unique city; it is a collection of small islands in a lagoon that are connected by more than three hundred bridges. The oldest such bridge is the Rialto Bridge, one of only four bridges that crosses the Grand Canal, Venice’s main “road.”
The bridge was first built in 1173 as a floating bridge which used shallow boats to support a pedestrian walkway. Then, in the middle of the 13th century, given the amount of use it was getting, the floating bridge was replaced by a more stable, wood structure. At this time, the Rialto bridge was still the only way that Venetians were able to cross the Grand Canal. The wooden structure collapsed multiple times due to fire and other problems.
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In 1588, the city commissioned Antonio da Ponte to construct a stone bridge spanning 160 feet, which took three years to complete. At the time, Venetians were skeptical that the stone bridge would succeed from an engineering point of view. However, this is the structure that is still in use today! It consists of two slanted, stone ramps that meet at the apex with a central portico. There is a stone balustrade on each side of the ramps that extends beyond the edge of the masonry; this balustrade is supported by stone cantilevers under the bridge deck. Under water, thousands of wooden piles support the bridge.
The Rialto Bridge continues to be utilized by thousands of people every day since it connects two very important parts of Venice, the districts of San Marco and San Polo. The Rialto market in San Polo is located just steps from the Rialto Bridge, a centuries old food market with local produce, fish and other food items. In addition, the Rialto Bridge is now a very popular tourist attraction. It has become an icon of Venice.
Mar 5, 2023
Atlanta is a major city in the southern part of the United States; it boasts many beautiful buildings, but my favorite is The Bank of America Plaza. Located on over three acres of land on Peachtree Street, this building is centrally located in midtown Atlanta.
Standing just over one thousand feet, The Bank of America Plaza is the tallest building in the Southeast. The building is the salient structure in the Atlanta skyline because of its dark red exterior as well as its Art Deco shape. The commercial space of the building ends with a flat roof, and then a glass and steel pyramid culminates with a 90 foot spire made out of gold leaf. The gold leaf gives the building a warm glow throughout the day, and at night the pyramid is lit with yellow and orange high-pressure sodium lighting. Many people refer to The Bank of America Plaza as “the Pencil Building” because of the shape created by the pyramid and spire at its top.
Construction of the Bank of America Plaza only took fourteen months to complete in 1991 and 1992, one of the fastest times for any building taller than 1000 feet. The tower faces the surrounding streets at a 45 degree angle and is set back by 150 feet to create more space around the building. The additional space is used for parking and also has bike racks and plantings.
In 2020, the Bank of America Plaza gained Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification due to a sustainable building initiative. One of the great features of the Bank of America Plaza is how it was able to retrofit its operations and stay current with efficiency and sustainability standards without compromising its iconic, Art Deco design.
Jan 6, 2023
Five of the world’s ten tallest skyscrapers are in China! One of my favorites among these is the Shanghai Tower due to its spiraling, transparent design and its multi-use spaces.
The Shanghai Tower is the tallest building in China, standing at 2,073 feet. It is located in Lujiazui, Shanghai’s financial district, next to two other skyscrapers, the Shanghai World Financial Center, completed in 2008, and the Jin Mao Tower, completed in 1999. This cluster of modern buildings now defines the skyline in Shanghai.
The Shanghai Tower was designed by the American architectural firm Gensler. The tower has a twisted, cylindrical design and is made of double-paned, transparent glass. This glass allows pedestrians to see inside the building, integrating it with the streets around it.
The tower is made up of nine cylindrical sections stacked on top of each other. Each of the nine sections has its own sky lobby, serving as a social hub for that section of the building. The different sections have multiple culture zones with gardens, restaurants and many shops. This concept is intended to create a vertical form of a traditional Shanghai street. In fact, the ground floor is a public market linked to the subway and the whole building is open to the public.
Construction on the Shanghai Tower began in November 2008 and concluded in 2015, although the observation deck on the 118th floor did not open until July 2016. Now, the observation deck is a popular tourist attraction since it provides a great panoramic view of the city. Another popular attraction in the Tower is SKY632, an art space on the 125th and 126th floors that features interactive multimedia images and music.
One salient feature of the Shanghai Tower is its elevators; they are the second fastest elevators in the world, traveling at 40mph to the top of the tower. Thus, people can arrive at the top from the ground floor in about 50 seconds!
In a short time, the Shanghai Tower has become an iconic and busy building in one of the busiest cities in the world.
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