My passion for architecture and stunning structures is something I have really enjoyed but rarely get to talk about. I am an architect for a Loft Conversion company, but when something is your job, you rarely get the chance to talk about it as though it were your passion.
Given that football players don’t frequently express how much they enjoy playing the sport, I believe that this is typical of many hobbies that lead to careers. Even musicians, carpenters who have made small wardrobes and painters that I have met do not discuss their careers with the same zeal and passion as they may have done when they first began. Although obviously not the norm, this is something I have noticed throughout the years.
Because I have such a deep love for architecture and have been fortunate enough to travel internationally, I have had the opportunity to witness firsthand how culture can have such an impact on a nation’s architecture and landscape. An illustration of this would be my first trip to the Vatican. The city is incredibly little, and I think it might be the tiniest sovereign state in the entire planet,. Yet, the city itself is among the most stunning I’ve ever had the good fortune to view.
Some of the greatest works of art and paintings ever produced are dispersed around this tiny city in a space that isn’t even as large as Newcastle Docks. Yet, they also have the Sistine Chapel, which contains one of the most exquisite works of art ever created. The sun reflects off the buildings and the ground like it is intensified due to the city’s immaculate cleanliness and blinding whiteness.
When you travel to regions like Asia, you’ll also see how much culture has influenced architecture. Asia is known for its Shanghai-style building designs, which are frequently imitated on television or by western, and particularly American, architects. The truth is that many of the buildings actually adhere to this pattern, despite the fact that it might appear uninformed or clichéd. But, they are wildly different in Asia. Throughout Asia, some structures, particularly temples, have been gold-plated. Gilded, for those who don’t know what that word implies, it means embellished and accessorised with gold. And yes, it really is as lovely as it sounds.
Regardless of where they are located or whose country they are in, the temples in Asia are breathtaking to view. In the midst of nowhere in Thailand and Laos, I have seen magnificent and costly temples. Hence, I think culture has a bigger influence on a structure or nation than any one architectural style ever could. The outside designs and painting of these structures both clearly display the culture. I find this to be a nice experience all around as someone who enjoys travelling and experiencing new cultures.
In my experience, it is best to visit nations that are firmly rooted in their own cultures rather than those that are simultaneously influenced by a variety of civilizations if you want to fully immerse yourself in culture and appreciate architecture as much as I do.