Blog 1

 

Blog 1

1/7-1/23/23

    In comparison to Geneva, staying in Berlin has been like living on another planet. While it has been relatively easy to get accustomed to the changes and barriers, it is still an entirely new experience for me. Having traveled to Europe before and briefly stayed in Germany, I did not expect to be caught off guard by the different cultural practices or worldviews. These differences however, have shed new light on to how Berlin operates but also how the cultural gaps throughout the world are not just labels, but tangible differences in how people live and think. 

    While I have noticed countless differences between American and German culture, I have also noticed differences between myself and the Norwich students who I am abroad with. It is interesting to note how small changes such as schools can inform larger decisions you make. Most notably, our approach to problems within our studio class. The architecture studio is the heart of our curriculum.  While the design process usually follows certain key steps there are noticeable differences in my approach to work within the class compared to my classmates. At Hobart we have a more old school analog program, which shows with our work. I tend to rely more heavily on my pen and paper whereas other students will rely on computers and programing. The reason I bring up these differences is to show how even in a group from the same country, at the same age, studying the same topic, in the same program there are glaring differences. If in a group this small there are differences imagine the differences in a country halfway across the world. 

    

   As an architecture major I have been approaching the city's infrastructure and buildings through that lens. I have noticed many differences in the styles and typologies of buildings throughout the city, especially in comparison to the US. I will be dissecting these differences throughout the course of the semester with my blogs. One of the most obvious and glaring differences between the US and Berlin's architecture is the lack of uniformity in style. On one block, every building can be from a different architectural movement or era. On Adalbertßtrasse, where we live, there is communist, brutalist, modernist, early Bauhaus, post modern, and even classical architecture. The city is an amalgamation of every typology, which gives it a unique feel. One of my professors described the city as a palimpsest, a piece of paper that is superimposed upon or reused several times. It is because of this variety in style that Berlin is great case study for architecture.  I will be able to see the successes and short fallings of these different styles.  While in America there is a larger sense of uniformity in style, and significantly less variety.  Take New York City for example, the city has numerous modernist and post modern skyscrapers and buildings, which stand juxtaposition to the many classical simple brick buildings that are equally prevalent throughout the city. However there are mostly these two styles with various other forms sprinkled in. Furthermore these buildings tend to be grouped within the respective territories, whereas on any given block in Berlin you are confronted with these numerous styles at once. All together it is an incredibly interesting combination of styles that I look forward to exploring further.