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.