Statement

My favourite building is Gaudi's Casa Mila, which I visited in 2014. I find its biomorphic form and the sculptural ambiguity of its chimneys particularly interesting and the consistent allusion to nature throughout the building makes it very engaging on an experiential level. Nature is referenced in an obvious way through the naturalistic wrought iron exterior details but also more implicitly in the arrangement of the building's two courtyards, which in plan view recall a microscopic view of the xylem and phloem structures in a plant stem. I find Gaudi's consideration of context interesting. Casa Mila is situated in the Eixample district of Barcelona which was a new development based on a grid layout, with a handful of architects responsible for the vast majority of buildings in the area. Thus aesthetically it has a very uniform character. Despite this, Gaudi has managed to create a radical structure that subverts this regularity but also complements it in an intriguing way.

I would like to visit the Bruder Klaus Chapel in Mechernich, Germany, which was designed by Peter Zumthor to honour the region's patron saint. It is built on a very intimate scale and makes dramatic use of light and surface. It has a stunning materiality to it that stems from its unique construction method: concrete was poured over a tepee-like structure assembled from tree trunks that was burnt away after the concrete had solidified. This left a charred, textured interior surface that amplifies the building's call to contemplation and introspection.

I recently visited the Royal Academy's Renzo Piano exhibition. The exhibition's selection of drawings and models were particularly good at conveying the decision making at various stages of Piano's design process and my favourite instance of this were several CAD drawings which showed how the form of Kansai Airport derived from a rigourous toroidal geometry that was chosen to provide unobstructed views of all the terminals to the airport's control tower. 

I became interested in studying architecture at MSA after visiting on an open day. I thought the collaboration between University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University would provide a uniquely stimulating environment where I would have the opportunity to meet and work with people from a diverse range of backgrounds. The facilities in the Manchester School of Art building particularly impressed me and I would be fascinated to explore how I could use different materials and creative techniques to inform my design process and my ideas about architecture. I have visited Manchester several times and it has consistently struck me as a vibrant place, home to diverse cultures and a rich history. It would certainly be an inspiring place to study in.