31.03.11

21° C blue skies and a day with no lectures timetabled meant only one thing for me, and that was to go and begin painting. I chose the Donau Canal due to its beautiful surroundings and close location to home. I packed up my spray cans, put on my painting clothes and headed out.

I chose a spot which was in a bad condition, but for me it was a perfect spot. It was in the sun and just underneath a set of stairs from the street level down. When I paint I work with the existing fabric of the walls, from brick work to previous pieces, existing colours and patterns. I have a strong belief that with legal walls you should not paint over work that you can not do better; this means that walls are only improving and if artists where to paint using each other’s pieces then it forms a unified, interesting and constantly developing work of art. Over the years this is what I have tried to do and I hoped to be able to continue and improve further in Vienna.

My work was a direct response to my thoughts from Will Alsop’s set task and the existing urban fabric. I wanted to create an artistic illusion that would convey a hidden message. Many people use the stretch of the canal I was working on for jogging and riding bikes. These people move past along the stretch of river at quite a speed, even people walking do. Wall Art reads differently in the way Impressionists work does, from up close to far away. Forms, letters, colours are completely different as your views, angles and distances change. I wanted to test these.

Can You See (Focus on the Orange)

Can You See Revealed

As I painted a number of people stopped and just focused on my work, allowing me to continue; some looked at the way I painted, others came and spoke to me about my work. A few enquired into the meaning behind it. It was interesting how the reactions ranged from different people and how perceptions of these individuals changed. This I believe may be the direction I am moving in regards to not only my Wall Art but possibly my Architecture.

Hidden Illusions in response to the people I experienced using the Donau Canal

My Piece, working with the existing urban fabric

30.03.11

Arriving at university was a very different experience today. It was our first session with Will Alsop in his Hochbau Department. A group of nervous students sat waiting to be called into the studio space, the atmosphere quite tense. None of us knew what to expect or how the session was going to work. Once we were called I could feel my heart rate increasing as the reality of the situation came to light; the group squeezed into the small room with Will Alsop sat calmly smoking a cigarette. He smiled at the group and began to comment on the size of the group. He then asked for people to sign the registration list and as the list went around noticed a number of students who were not officially registered. Once the list had gone around he began to ask those that were not registered why they wanted to be in his class. He put these individuals on the spot and some managed to reply and others found the initial pressure of being under the spot light very difficult to handle. I was even more nervous at this point as even though we were registered he was exerting his authority and testing how people were reacting to this. The mood then changed as he explained that he would allow everybody that has turned up to the session to attend but he also made it very clear that if anybody wanted to leave they should. We then each in turn introduced ourselves and where we were from. When he heard he had three of us from Portsmouth University he commented that he remembered Niall and Paul from last year and that it was nice to have students from Portsmouth back. I expect we have high expectations to fulfil!

After the introductions he began to talk to us about Fog, Illusion and Space. He began to discuss feelings and how humans experience places and how this can be affected by elements such as atmosphere. He then started to talk about Illusions and the range of these that have been produced in the past. He asked us to invent an Illusion, to test it and see if we can do something unique. He told us the task would be difficult as we would all fall into using past precedent but that our results of this task would then influence the next, as well as our focus and direction of our project work.

Will Alsop’s character and approach to teaching is something I have never experienced before and nerves slowly turned to excitement. His thoughts and ideas were all extremely clear, he spoke slowly and articulately, pausing often and keeping eye contact with his students. His ideas of experiences, how to explore ideas and the importance of being ourselves and to never loose this was inspiring.

The session then moved into us engaging and asking questions. I asked a few, mostly about his art and which individuals had been important influences for him. The momentum of the session was steady, a number of people sat quietly, others engaged and some sat with their notepad and pen. Overall the atmosphere that he generated and the attention he gave us, I believe was appreciated all around. His clear and steady approach and thoughtful answers and questions highlighted occasionally with a very direct statement was something I will never forget. I hope that I can grow and improve as a student and a person with his influence.

In the afternoon my mind was ticking over, reflecting on the morning session and the task at hand. I was feeling quite drained and had felt that I needed to get out and go for a walk. I took my ‘Urban Guide to Vienna’ and went hunting for a paint shop and for legal walls to paint on. My Wall Art is something that I have been developing over a number of years and have only very recently began to refine my technique away from the usual styles of Wall Art and Graffiti. I began to think of my Illusion task and how I could possibly do this in an art form. It was a beautiful day and I visited around 7 legal walls but decided that the Donau Canal was my favoured spot.

Donaul Canal Legal Walls near Schottenring

29.03.11

The morning session with Arnold Faller was once again a success. We learnt a number of new tools and tricks for Photoshop and the time flew by. In the afternoon we were introduced to Margret Rudy’s Forms of Practice unit. In this we spoke about a range of things from Accessibility in design and also how to measure or test the success of buildings after they have been completed. Many architects do not review the positives and negatives of their projects once completed and lived in; we are trying to formulate a plan on how to test these through questionnaires data collection and research.

28.03.2011

This morning Oliver Schurer began the Technic and Civilisation session by telling us what he wanted from us as students. He began to explain how the theory department would review us and how we should approach our work. His approach is very different to what I have been used to, but to be honest I believe is better. He believes that we should not be limited by word counts, layouts and formatting as this in his opinion only hinders and restricts student’s development. The theory department want to read and fully understand our work and findings; and how we present it should be in the format that we feel most comfortable with to put our points across. The aim for us is to research, discuss and then focus on a key topic within our studies. He also gave us the option to blog our research and evolving hypotheses. He encouraged us to share our knowledge and sources as most students are very protective of their findings and unwilling to share information. From his perspective learning is the most important thing; not just learning from the tutor or from our own findings but from our fellow students, this way we learn not from a few people but as a group. The atmosphere he creates is open and friendly, there is no tension or worry about saying the wrong or right things. The mature approach and feeling that everybody is equal is something which is difficult to achieve and so far in the TU I have finally seen this and how beneficial it can be. He really makes our sessions a pleasurable learning experience, for that I am very grateful and I know in these conditions I will do my best to perform as well as I can.

After the lecture I decided to visit the Museums Quartier area to have a look at the surrounding buildings and grounds. My eye was drawn to the Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Art History) and Naturhistorisches Museum (Natural History Museum). The two buildings face each other with the Maria Theresia Platz as the focus in the middle. The statue of Maria Theresa is by Kasper von Zumbusch and shows the empress holding the sanction of 1713 that made it official for a woman to succeed to the throne. The two main buildings have matching facades (except for a few details) and were designed by Gottfried Semper and Karl Freiherr von Hasenauer and built between 1872 and 1891. The two museums on the Ringstrasse were originally built to house the Habsburg’s formidable art collection and for it to be available to the public.

The Naturhistorisches Museum

Statue of Maria Theresia with her Generals, Nobles and Advisors

Tomorrow I have Image Processing in the morning and then the first Forms of Practice seminar of the term, I am looking forward to these so I better get an early night. On Wednesday we also have our first design unit session with Will Alsop which I am very excited about and intrigued as to what Fog Illusion and Space holds in store for me!

My A5 sketch of the Kunsthistorisches Museum Entrance

27.03.11

A week has flown by since my last blog. The time here is really starting to disappear quickly! A combination of university work and beautiful weather is always hard to balance! On Tuesday this week I had the next session of Image Processing where we focused on the basic sciences of photography. Once again this was a fantastic session for me, opening my understanding and ideas for such a great subject. Arnold Faller looked at the past and present technologies, how they were and are used and the practicalities behind these; overall I was very happy and thoroughly enjoyed the session. The rest of the week has been spent doing a mixture of research for my Technic and Civilisation unit as well as trying to catch up on my Havant project from the first semester which I need to represent for my portfolio. It took me quite a while to get back into the flow of using Micro GDS (my chosen CAD system) and has reminded me how time consuming drawing is.

On Friday we had our second lecture from Petra Hirschler on Spatial and Environmental Planning in ECC countries, this time introducing us straight into the Danube project we will be studying. The scale of the proposals and number of countries it involves was a shock; especially how different strategies in Europe are due to the number of places they affect. Coordination seems to be the key, but the reality of this over such a large expanse of river is quite unrealistic – especially when each country has its own ideas and proposals. At the end of the session we were told to get into groups and begin thinking about a comparative study that we can look at and begin formulating across to the Danube.

The weekend has flown by, but during the week we were lucky enough to have blue skies and temperatures reaching 18 Degrees Celsius! When you are blessed with such conditions it would be rude not to enjoy it especially seeing as we are located just across the road from the Prater Park!

Stephansdom on Wednesday evening

20.03.11

After the miserable weather yesterday, Vienna was once again transformed into spring. I took this opportunity to travel to Karlsplatz to do some more sketching. I sat myself in front of the Karlskirche and began drawing in my little A5 sketchbook.

During 1713 Vienna suffered from a plague epidemic. The emperor at the time Karl VI promised that he would build a church dedicated to the patron saint of the plague St Charles Borromeo once the plight was over. Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach won the design competition with his high Baroque piece. The church took nearly 25 years to complete and the architect’s eclectic style is very evident. The two columns that rise up to either side of the main portico were inspired by Trajan’s column in Rome and are decorated with scenes of St Charles Borromeo’s life. The portico also has reliefs on the pediment showing the suffering of the Viennese during the plague. Overall in my opinion the church is compositionally and proportionally quite unique; it was a pleasure to study and sketch the church which I have passed so many times going to and from university.

My A5 sketch of Karlskirche

19.03.11

Seeing as it was raining today it was definitely a wise choice to go to the Albertina Museum to see the Mel Ramos, Roy Lichtenstein and Der Blaue Reiter exhibitions. Ellen and her sister who was visiting Vienna also wanted to go so we travelled together.

The Albertina entrance at Ground Level with the Wiener Staatoper in the background

 

The Albertina Museum in the rain at First Floor Entry Level

The first exhibtion we went to was 'Mel Ramos - Girls, Candies and Comics'. Mel Ramos was an important artist in the Pop Art movement; on display were many of his paintings and preliminary sketches from his early comic imagery such as Wonder Woman to his famous commercial pin-ups. His stylish approach and clever use of depicting brands in a stylish and sexy style was a reflection of American culture and consumerism. The larger than life popular images were all very well executed and well presented in the exhibition. I personally found his ‘Salute to Art History’ the most interesting. He had taken a number of nude pictures by classical masters and represented these using modern poses and figures. Although my initial reaction to the exhibition was not great I began to appreciate his artistic qualities, techniques and development.

The second exhibtion was 'Roy Lichtenstein - Black & White 1961-1968'. Roy Lichtenstein’s iconic imagery is known across the world. He was also inspired by advertising, consumerism and the popular cultures of the 1960’s; over a number of years he began to refine his technique of painting down to a very graphical and impact driven style. What made Lichtenstein interesting was taking subjects and objects from every day life into art. His aim to draw people’s attention to things that would never have thought to have been art – and turning into art, was very successful. Although now like so many famous artists and architects before us, his thought process has been forgotten by many. In my opinion what made his work special was his unique thinking and choice of subject that had never been done previously; now that so many people repeat and reproduce work in his style has really made these more recent works meaningless. We have seen this with the use of glass and steel being taken from Mies van de Rohes ideas of purity and light and being ravaged by the commercial market as a technique of producing buildings quickly and cheaply.

I thoroughly enjoyed the exhibition and was intrigued by the details and complexity of some of his images. I studied his work previously but seeing it at first hand has once again reinforced my respect for him and my appreciation of less sometimes being more.

The main attraction for me to visit the Albertina had been to see 'Der Blaue Reiter - From the Lenbachhaus and the Albertina'. Der Blaue Reiter (the Blue Rider Group) was a group of artists who all followed similar artistic ideas, it is said that the name came from Franz Marc’s love for horses and Kandinsky’s enthusiams for riding, combined with the idea of blue being the colour of spirituality and unity in their work and in the world. Der Blauer Reiter, alongside the Cubists and Futurists are some of my favourite groups and movements in art. I was heavily influenced by these in my art work at school and up to the present day. The range of techniques and approaches from the group is astonishing but unlike many other movements most of the artists had very different styles.

The exhibition had works from August Macke, Franz Marc, Marianne von Werefkin, Alexej von Jawlensky, Wassily Kandinsky, Robert Delaunay, Heinrich Campendonk, Gabriele Münter, Paul Klee, and Alfred Kubin. The common theme of all these artists was the common desire to express spiritual truths through their art works. Each section of the exhibition revealed works that I had never seen or associated the group to previously. There were clear connections to music, nature, life and death; with all of the results drawing me into understanding the movement even more. I was impressed and in some cases even a little disappointed with some individual pieces but as a collection and seeing it all together was incredible.

My highlight was seeing Franz Marc’s works. His dreamy images and in some cases very complex compositions seemed to sooth and slow the pace of the exhibition down after moving through the Klee and Kandinsky sections. In particular my favourite pieces were actually the smallest and most subtle compositions in the form of postcards that Marc had written to the likes on Kandinsky and Kubin. His expert application of paint and refinement of detail on the 10x15 bits of card really captured the essence of the group and the relationships within it.

I left with a spring in my step and itching to get drawing. Overall each exhibition was a wonderful experience but for me the series of Kandinsky, Klee and Marc were the most moving. Seeing the doodles, sketches, paintings and prints that were clearly meant for nothing but the artist’s pleasure was a real honour to see.

The Wiener Staatoper from the First Floor Entry Level of the Albertina Museum

15.03.11

The morning lecture ‘Image Processing’ was focusing on using Photoshop. I have been using this programme for a few years but was surprised on how many techniques and tools I had been missing out on. Arnold Faller once again not only spoke about how to use these but also the process behind it. We worked on image sizing, layering and colour modes. He went into detail of most of what he has introduced us to in his first lecture (see 08.03.11) and left us with a task to complete before the next lecture.

After the lecture Zoe, Jane, Ellen and Leanne had planned a trip to the woods just outside of Vienna. I was invited along and although very inappropriately dressed for hiking in the woods I went along! We took a train to Ottakring (the last stop on the u3) and then a 10 minute bus ride to the beautiful Kierlinger Forest. I was surprised at the change in landscape and scenery and how close the centre was to such beautiful natural surroundings. We hiked up to one of the peaks where we climbed the Wintersperre Tower to take in the stunning views of Vienna and the surrounding landscape.

At the top of the Wintersperre Tower

 The view back towards Vienna

We followed the trails and stopped for lunch by a peaceful meadow. The sun was shining and the warm weather had us all in a jolly mood. After our long walk we found ourselves having a well deserved drink in the Aurora Bar before heading home. It was a great trip and we all returned to the city centre later that day in high spirits!

Walking through the beautiful surroundings

14.03.11

This morning I attended Oliver Schurer’s ‘Technic and Civilisation’ lecture. The course was taught in both German and English, he would switch confidently between the languages and I believe that I managed to engage well with the lecture. It was difficult at times but it seemed that he would explain in one language and conclude in another, so I felt confident that we were not at a disadvantage in his class. 

He talked us through how ideas in architecture had played a large influence in the creation of technological systems. He explained that some systems were more successful than others and many initial ideas were not brought to fruition until years later when the technology was finally available or invented. He spoke passionately about how science and engineering has been a benefit for people and our lives. Schurer was just as interested by the ideas that had not ever reached the stage of actually working, as to those that were worked through to final concepts or products.

We were then given a list of theoretical and architectural schemes that he felt encapsulated or fulfilled these; we were then asked to research on a chosen scheme and prepare a presentation for discussion at the next session.

The next lecture was with Andreas Hofer on ‘Architecture, Construction and Settlements’. Last week we had discussed formal and informal markets. We had looked at countries across the world and how they had reacted or transformed to political changes – especially to those in Europe.

This week he had decided that due to the earthquake that shocked Japan he wanted to focus on settlements that grew or were created due to disasters. Although not a natural disaster, he chose to look at Tschernobyl, the effects of the disaster, how the government and people reacted to this and then the settlements that were created to re-house those that were affected by this.

I must admit that the lecture made me realise how little I knew on the subject. We spoke about the ecological, cultural, social and economic changes and focused then on the development of Slavutich (built to re-house and re-structure lives after the disaster). The lecture looked at design influences and models used and applied, then moved onto its present state.

The openness of his lectures means that all of his student’s engage willingly with him and the subject. At the end of the session he asked us to prepare a statement and short presentation on ‘Informality in my surroundings’. This related more to our first lecture but was to encourage us to think about types of informality, the advantages and disadvantages to the people involved and how we view these in our lives.

13.03.11

Today I spent the afternoon sitting on the ground outside of the Upper Belvedere Palace with my sketch book. I managed to sit myself in the prime 'photo spot' much to the annoyance of many people, but with headphones in I zoned out for a couple of hours and sunk into studying the facade of the palace. I notice the variety of details and clever techniques used to break up the facade. This was my second visit to the Belvedere Palace (see 22-23.02.11) but my first sketch since arriving in Vienna as up until now it had been too cold to sit out and sketch. Hopefully this will be the first of many!

My A5 sketch of the Upper Belveder Palace

As the clouds came over and the temperatures dropped I decided to go and meet a group of friends in the 'Klienes Cafe' just off Franziskanerplatz. The tiny cafe is said to be one of the smallest, quaintest coffee houses in central Vienna. It had a lovely atmosphere and there was a range of people sitting inside from students to tourists to locals sitting and enjoying the Sunday newspaper.

Zoe, Alexa, Jane, Leanne and Ellen inside the atmospheric Klienes Cafe

11.03.11

This morning I met the BA2 group at the TU. Most of the group (including myself) had been up very late partying due to it having been their last night. I took the more subdued than usual group on a tour around the TU. I decided to show them just a few of the key aspects of the building including some of the departments. I had hoped to be able to take them to see the exhibition of student’s work which had been up the week before, but I was very disappointed when I found out that the studio rooms had all been locked up. We were lucky as one student had come to pick up her work and had borrowed the key from her tutor, so the group were able to see a few examples of some interesting models and drawings that had been left out. They were also able to grasp an understanding of the spaces and how the school was divided up.

I hope that they enjoyed the experience and were encouraged to maybe come and study here in the future!

I'm not sure what I am doing here, but I believe I am explaining something to the group

As it was the groups last day, Greg Bailey had chosen to take the group to see the Hunderwasser Apartments; here we sat down in the restaurant on the ground floor for lunch. After eating, the students presented Greg and Lynn with a beautiful book on Hunderwasser to show their appreciation for having had taken them to Vienna.

It was fantastic to see how much the students valued Greg and Lynn’s time and how grateful they were for taking them to such a wonderful city. Greg’s expertise and passion had obviously been soaked up by the students and from my perspective they all see Greg not only as a tutor but as a friend.

It was a pleasure to see this and I think that we all see and respect Greg not only as a tutor but as an amazing person and a valued friend. Thank you for your inspiration and for being a great individual. You have had an impact on all of us and nobody will forget it!

Greg and Lin Bailey with the BA2 Vienna study group outside the Hundderwasser Apartments



10.03.11

This morning I attended the first lecture by Andreas Hoffer on ‘Architecture, Construction and Settlements’. The unit is taught in English and the tutor told us that he wanted his students to engage in discussion throughout the sessions.

He began talking about the ideas and processes behind the ‘formal and informal markets’; looking at building from the initial idea through to reality and how this ranges around the world. We discussed the fine line between the legal and illegal sides of these forms and discovered how fine this line was. The group seemed to all have a very mature approach to the discussions and Andreas Hoffer had a very successful approach to his teaching; his combination of a good sense of humour and in-depth knowledge of the subject kept us all engaged.

Nearing the end of the session he began to explain that at the Masters level he expected us to bring our own approaches to the set work. He showed us examples of previous student’s work and encouraged us to start thinking about how we prefer to work. He showed us examples of students that presented work in film format, as drawing designs, as well as more traditional essays and courseworks. It seems the freedom given is to encourage his students to work to their abilities, overall it was a great session and I look forward to the next.

Later that evening we went out and a few of the BA2’s joined us. They met our social group and we all enjoyed ourselves drinking and dancing until the early hours of the morning.

09.03.11

Today Ellen, Leanne and I attended the introduction to the Theory units. We had spoken to a couple of the tutors previously (see 03.03.11) who had been fantastically helpful and accommodating. We listened to a few other tutors (mostly speaking in German) and tried to grasp the concept of their units. Oliver Schurer once again came to our rescue and introduced us to the other students and also informed us of a few other units that could be taught in English; we were introduced to Rudy Margit who happened to be an American tutor. After the introductions had finished, we went over to her to ask more about her course. She began to explain the details of her unit which focuses on architectural education, competitions and social factors with an overall focus on ‘Post Occupancy Evaluation.’ In this we would help her with her research and work towards a final evaluation of our own which would then be published! To have this opportunity would be fantastic; we are definitely signing up for her course.

Later that evening Ellen and I met up with Steve and the BA2’s to take them out for dinner. Ellen had booked a restaurant named ‘Centimeter’ which boasts a wide variety of beers and has two special ‘dishes’ on the menu; the first being a sword, and the second a wheelbarrow. The sword has a variety of meats and other wonderful things skewed onto it, and the wheelbarrow is exactly what it is described as but full to the brim with food. The beers came in 1meter high tubes with taps at the bottom and ‘went down’ very well! The group was well fed and very happy by the time we left.

We then moved onto a bar named ‘Donau’, which is a bit of a secret spot. There are no signs, lights or even any sign of life from outside, we actually walked past it three times without finding it. Once you enter through the large heavy doors you walk into a space with high ceilings forming into archways with hundreds of tiny acoustic panels hanging from above. There were projections all around and one wall was filled with vinyl fixed to it. The underground vibe and ‘down step minimal’ music generated a unique atmosphere. A very cool place indeed and worth visiting; if you can find it!

08.03.11

Today I attended my first ‘Image Processing’ lecture. It was with Arnold Faller, a large jolly man who always seems to have a beaming smile on his face. Even though his class was full he managed to squeeze Ellen, Leanne and myself onto the course. For this we were very grateful! The session was in a computer room with most people able to sit at computer or at least share one. He spoke to the class in English and explained his approach to teaching and told us of things we had to be aware off such as deadlines etc; he then introduced us into the course.

His lecture included raster graphics, colour modes, colour depths, resolutions, image types and software packages. Each one he explained in full detail, from the mathematical thinking behind each of these to the practicalities and how they could and should be applied.

I have worked with most of the image types that he had spoken about, but I realise now that I did not actually understand them. In the past people have shown me how to use them, but I have never actually questioned their meaning or actually searched for a full understanding of these tools. All of a sudden the ‘picture’ became clear; I really appreciated having all of these things fully explained as there is no point in using tools you don’t understand!

The course is very interesting and seems to be moving in an exciting direction involving lots of photography and image composition which will hopefully be very useful to feed back into my architectural design work.

07.03.11

This afternoon Ellen and I ventured out again to meet up with the BA2 group. We met the group at the Gastometers; these are four former gas tanks each with a 90,000m³ storage capacity erected as part of the old Vienna municipal gas works in the Simmering district. They were used as storage tanks but as the changeover from town gas to natural gas happened, they were no longer used and shut down. Vienna undertook a project to revive the landmarks and four architects were chosen to redesign the Gasometers into mixed use developments.

The first by Jean Nouvel, the second by Coop Himmelblau, the third by Manfred Wehdorn and fourth Wilhelm Holzbauer. The external works had to maintain the existing structures but internally have a range of living, office, entertainment and shopping facilities. The scheme was completed around 2001.

A view of the preserved exterior of 'Gasometers A & B'

I was amazed at the scale of the Gastometers from the exterior and very impressed by the renovation of the old brickwork and detailing, but to be honest I was disappointed with the interior works. The most successful in my opinion was Jean Nouvel’s conversion but the others seemed to lack the quality finishes and the delicate balance that you would expect between old and new; on what has the potential to be a really special scheme.

Jean Novel's retail scheme at 'Gasometer A'

Greg, Steve, Ellen and Lynn sitting down for a coffee in 'Gasometer A'

The group split for the afternoon and Ellen, Steve and I decided to head back to the centre of town. We enjoyed walking around the bustling ‘Naschmarkt’ where a variety of goods were being sold; we then decided to go and explore the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts. I wanted to see if there were possibly any courses that I could take at this university as in Austria, once a student, you are not restricted in studying in one place. The grand building was another example of Vienna’s unique educational facilities, but we had arrived too late as most of the relevant departments had shut for the day.

Our next stop was the Adolf Loos American Bar. This was my second visit (see 23.02.11) but once again I found myself sinking into my surroundings and finding new details that I had not noticed before. The tiny bar and dark smokey atmosphere is so unique that none of us could think of a place that we could compare it to. We then bumped into a group of the BA2’s who had just been to the Jean Nouvel ‘Sofitel Vienna Stephansdom-Stilwerk’ building. We were set for our next destination.

We approached the building, now glowing in the dark, from across the canal. The 5-star hotel also boasts conference rooms, a fitness club, retail center and a restaurant with a panoramic view of the city from the 18^th floor. We entered into a dark lift lit only from the ceiling; the mood was being set for when we stepped out on the top floor.

Approaching Jean Nouvel's ‘Sofitel Vienna Stephansdom-Stilwerk’ building 

The view was breathtaking. We could map the city from its glowing landmarks and on such a clear night could see the rising landscape in the distance. The hills were a perfect backdrop to the stunning city now twinkling with lights. The impressive double height back-lit ceiling reflected on the glass creating a seemingly endless pattern reaching out over Vienna.

The seemingly endless view from the 18th floor

The bar area was filled with beautifully dressed professionals and had a genuinely exclusive atmosphere, with exceptional views all around. My eyes were constantly being drawn out into the distance and it was a pleasure to see and understand Vienna from this perspective.

None of us wanted to leave but we decided to explore the rest of the building. In true architectural student style we tried to go to the ‘restricted’ floors but did not manage as key cards were needed. We did explore every inch of the public zones within the building; we were drawn into the following and shifting lines, illuminated detailing and reflective surfaces. I had previously been critical of some of Jean Nouvel’s works; especially the recently completed ‘One New Change’ by St.Paul’s Cathedral in London but this project is truly immense. A prime example of a fine balance between uniformity and abstract architecture. A must see for anybody visiting Vienna!

The evening ended with dinner and a bottle of wine as we reflected on the variety of places we visited. A fantastic day spent with brilliant company. This was definitely one of my favourite days in Vienna.



06.03.11

Today a group of BA2 students from Portsmouth led by Greg Bailey flew out to Vienna. Ellen and I decided to meet the group in the afternoon. Greg’s wife Lynn and Steven Paradise (we had studied with Steve in Portsmouth for our first three years) were also on the trip and it was great to see them. It was lovely to meet the group and to enjoy some of the sights and encourage the BA2 group to take advantage of possibly studying here in the future!

The group was very well organised and had been split into pairs before the trip; each pair had to prepare a presentation on different sites around the city. This meant the group had researched and created a leaflet identifying key points before arriving. I was very impressed by theses and realised that this was much better than researching and presenting after the trip, as this helped generate a level of interest, knowledge and excitement before reaching the destinations.

With the group we ventured around Stephansdom and then retreated to a beautiful coffee shop ‘Demel’ for a strudel and a hot melange. After this Steve, Ellen and I decided that we would catch the last Ice skating session of the season outside the Rathaus.

Ellen, Steve and I ice-skating outside the Neus Rathaus

The ‘Neues Rathaus’ is the Vienna City town hall. It was designed by architect Friedrich von Schmidt after he won a competition held by the authorities for the best proposed design. It was built from 1872 to 1883 in a Neo-Gothic style with a huge central 100m high tower. The top of the tower has a statue of the ‘Rathausmann’, a knight in armour holding a lance. The Rathaus has curved balconies, grand windows and exquisite detailing. The interior has two grand staircases up to the ‘Festsaal’, a grand ceremonial hall that stretches the length of the building. On all four sides are Neo-Gothic arcades and statues of Austrian worthies such as prominent Habsburgs. In front of the building they have a fantastic ice-skating facility that is open for the winter months. After dark both the Rathaus and ice-skating ring are beautifully lit; there is even a route through the trees of the Rathausplatz Park that skaters can enjoy.

We had arrived before dusk and had the luxury of watching the sunset and atmosphere change as the surroundings were lit up. The experience was very special and I was very upset that it was the last session of the season!

The Neues Rathaus showing the Rathausmann tower reaching 100m high

We then decided to go to the Staatsoper to see ‘Madama Butterfly’. We bought our €3 standing tickets and enjoyed exploring the Opera House before the performance. This was my second visit to the Opera House (see 20.02.11) and even now I was overwhelmed by the diversity of people and the stunning surroundings. The Staatoper was actually hit by a bomb in 1945 and was largely destroyed. It was rebuilt and restored in 1955, restoring Austrian pride and re establishing itself as a key focus of the city. It seems the grand interior glowing in the evening light will always fascinate me. As you move up the grand marble staircase from the main entrance to the first floor, In my opinion the Staatoper even though quite recently rebuilt, has managed to hold on to a unique and original atmosphere.

The performance was quite intense and was my first Opera. Initially it was difficult to follow but after the first act I became engrossed in the and thoroughly enjoyed it; even if my legs were like jelly by the end of the three hours!

 View from the first floor looking back towards the main entrance of the Staatoper

I returned home content and pleased to have met up with the group. It was an enjoyable day and I was looking forward to seeing them all again and engaging in some more sightseeing!



03.03.11

Ellen, Leanne and I set off in the morning with our list of courses that we were interested in and the room numbers of the respective lecturers. We decided to go to all of them together so that we would have a better understanding of the options and to meet the lecturers.

I had been interested in a Module named ‘Urban Matters Pool’. There were a few courses in this module that focused on art and architecture, aesthetics and methods of implementation. The descriptions were intriguing and the type of work that they were going to explore sounded exciting. We went to find the tutors, but we were told only one was available. We greeted her in German and began to explain that we were Erasmus students who were interested in the module and would like to find out more information about it. We must have come at a bad time as she was very abrupt and quite unhelpful. She gave us no guidance or further explanation of the courses. She did tell us when the lectures started but said that they would all be in German. Overall, I felt a bit down after this as that had knocked my top 3 course choices immediately off my list.

We moved on and went to find more lecturers from different departments. A number where not around and even when speaking to secretaries from individual departments, we did not get any closer to finding where or when they would be in. Once again I realised how lucky we are in Portsmouth having a central office and nearly always being able to track tutors. We remained positive and continued ploughing through our list. Finally we had some luck. We met Oliver Schurer in the theory department, he was both pleasant and helpful. He said that he understood our positions and wanted to help; he explained to us further about his course and said that for us he would focus work to be taught in English and that we could present, and write in English. He warned us that fellow classmates may not be so confident in engaging with us in English but that he did not think it would affect our learning. After speaking to Oliver Schurer we met Kari Jornakka who was also an extremely polite and attentive individual. He remembered Paul and Niall from last year and carefully explained the course options to us and had a few anecdotes to go along with that. He made us feel calm and confident and finally we left the Theory department feeling much better.

The day was intense and quite draining, but we had learnt a lot about the university system and about the range of tutors and courses. We now had a list of options with only a few more to chase up. Next week will be another test, the introductions to the individual units. I hope that by the end of next week I will have my timetable arranged and be ready to fully engage with the tasks.

02.03.11

I left early today to make sure I beat the queue for my student travel pass. I had waited an hour in line yesterday evening with the completed form and my student ID just to be told that I needed a printed confirmation (as I paid online and not at the bank where you receive a stamp) that I had paid my student fee. I purchased the ticket and now no longer have to worry about constantly buying travel passes!

I made my way up the ‘HS 11 Paul Ludwig Horsaal’ lecture theatre. Here we were given a series of presentations from lecturers on their ‘Modules’. The modules are made up of a series of courses. The freedom of study is once again highlighted in the fact that you do not need to attend all the courses in a module and you can choose a number of courses on different modules.

The downside to what initially would have been an interesting morning was that all the presentations were in German. The speed and technical language used was extremely difficult to follow. For the first half hour or so I made a huge effort to try and understand the lecturers but my concentration and lack of knowledge of the language soon had me feeling a little disheartened. I wrote down all the references to their homepages online and thought I would have to go through these in my own time with the handy tool of ‘Google translator’.

In Portsmouth at the end of a lecture, students quickly pack up their books and run for the door. The Austrians show their appreciation for the lecture or presentation by tapping loudly on the tables (clapping it seems is not a custom at university) but showing respect and gratitude is.

The morning had been a little draining but Leanne, Ellen and I decided that we would individually search online for courses that we were interested in and then go and speak to the respective lecturers to find out more about the course, what language it was taught in and when it would be held.

01.03.11

Today Ellen, Leanne and I returned to the TU for our afternoon introduction session. We had to confirm our details (again…how much administration can you have!) and we were introduced to the Deans of the departments. This was very useful as we were shown in more detail the list of available courses and design units. We were asked to email our chosen option as soon as possible, I only had one in mind! Will Alsop’s ‘Fog, illusion and space’. Will Alsop was one of the main reasons for coming to study in Vienna. His reputation as an artist and architect and his array of impressive projects immediately caught my attention. To have the opportunity to be taught by him would be a dream. Finger’s crossed!

After the introduction session we were informed that there was an exhibition on. There was a variety of student’s work up and this was useful not only to see the type of projects they had undergone but also see the quality of work. The different design studios had taken a number of approaches to presenting their work. Most were in the classic form of sheets and boards on the wall; although some had models to accompany this and others had booklets as well.

One studio interestingly presented their work on the ceiling; initially I found this frustrating as I could not easily scan over the work. It forced me to stand still and lean my head back, but as I did this I realised they had achieved the desired effect of stopping the viewer and forcing them to focus on their work.

Overall the exhibition was to a very high standard, the work was thorough and the final models and sheets were very well laid out and presented. I know what is expected here and I hope I can deliver.