Statement
As Manchester University is one
of the neighbouring institutions to my home town, I have taken every opportunity to
visit the school's open days over the past 3 years. From the off I was very
impressed with almost everything MSA offered to their students. I especially
like the layout of the workshops and drawing studios. It is almost identical to
that of my college. Not to mention the structure of the course and that it is
accredited by the RIBA, which is of paramount importance to me. I find it quite
appealing that as a student at MSA you have registration status at both Manchester
institutions and that your degree certificate will be endorsed by both. As a
local to Manchester I have spent quite a large amount of my free time in the
city. I have always found Manchester to be quite inspiring and I have enjoyed all
of my experiences there; mainly because I love the surroundings and the general
feel of the city you encounter when visiting. I enjoy spending time in well
built, urban environments. I also like visiting the capitol. Construction in
London is a constant ongoing process, and there is always something new to visit each
time. I recently took the opportunity to travel to London in aid of this
portfolio. In addition, I also wanted to find out how the progress of The Shard
(London Bridge Quarter) was proceeding. It was only within the last few years that
I actually discovered that The Shard Project was in existence, when researching
Renzo Piano For my A-Level course. On the topic of architects, my favourite at
this moment in time is most likely Santiago Calatrava. I really enjoy exploring
his projects and artwork. Each individual project he produces inspires me to
design, what’s more, I am a huge fan of his sculptures and fine art. I like how
he has a three stage design process, in which each stage enhances the design
concept by adding that fundamental additional requirement. Firstly his fine art
kick-starts the process, which is then transformed into a ceramic piece or
sculpture to gain a three dimensional interpretation of his artwork, and then
the architectural principles and design are brought into practice. The Turning
Torso construction is a great example of the relationship between fine art and
architecture. How a simple drawing of a twisted human torso can actually become
an influence for a modern high rise structure is ingenious. If I had the
opportunity to travel and discover a masterpiece of architecture, I would most
certainly visit the Taj Mahal. I am a huge fan of modern architecture and the
design of built up urban areas, but I would definitely like to visit a real
masterpiece of Mughal architecture.
