Walt Disney Concert Hall Essay Example for Free

Walt Disney Concert Hall Essay â€Å"Why cant we have those curves and arches that express feeling in design? What is wrong with them? Why has everything got to be vertical, straight, unbending, only at right angles and functional? † ? Charles, Prince of Wales. (Quotes) Three years ago I was studying high school in Los Angeles, and during vacation I travelled around and explored the city. I still remember out of all the locations that I have toured, Walt Disney Concert Hall probably is the one that stands out most in my memory. Although I didn’t visit the interior of the Concert Hall, the exterior appearance left a profound impact on me influencing my view regarding the society and art. I feel astounded by how Gehry’s work can beautifully allow art and architecture to collide into a piece of functional aesthetic structure. Among all the nearby and typical buildings in the city of Los Angeles, Walt Disney Concert Hall, designed by Frank O. Gehry, becomes a prominent infrastructure and representative of the area. It reveals an eye-catching comparison as it unconventional, curvaceous, irregular and stirring style contrasts with the surrounding proportional, balance, symmetrical and straight buildings. Through the critical examining of its construction styles, design, social manifestation, and public response which I am going to evaluate in this essay, I want to expose an understanding of how architecture reflects on its symbolic function and societal progression. â€Å"I know I draw without taking my pen off the page. I just keep going, and that my drawings I think of them as scribbles. I dont think they mean anything to anybody except to me, and then at the end of the day, the end of the project they wheel out these little drawings and theyre damn close to what the finished building is and, and its the drawing, the hand eye coordination which starts to generate this, the beginnings of this kind of ephemeral image, and its the way from those drawings I organ , its strange what I do, I organise the space of a building. † Frank O. Gehry (BBC radio) The architect Frank O. Gehry made the above statement during a radio interview. He begins the design with sketches and after many refinements, finally produces a massive building formed by titanium, steel, glass, wood, brick and concrete (Guilfoyle). The use of stainless glass has always been an attractive element of Walt Disney Concert Hall and is also Gehry’ signature. Not only because of its lustrous appearance that attracts the public, but also delivers a positive message to the world. As titanium is a material mainly used in aeronautics, it implies the embracement of the future (Barnet 92). Additionally, other materials such as glass suggest a sense of understanding of the world and connecting two materials in harmony through its transparent quality. Brick implies warmth, simplicity, unpretentiousness and hand-craftsmanship. And wood associates with nature and the outdoor environment, giving a sense of pristine, rudimental, and original properties (Barnet 93). It shows that even materials can contribute to the meaning of the building. Furthermore, besides the materials that convey meaning, the site that is chosen to build an infrastructure also creates specific connection and meaning to the public. As the Disney Hall is built beside the street, it allows convenient and easy access which benefit the crowds. This location promotes a welcoming sign to everyone, showing art is available to different culture, race and class. If the construction site had been chosen in Beverly Hills, an extravagant tourist attraction in Los Angeles, it definitely will not advertise the same accessible atmosphere. Likewise, rather than locating the Hall in a quiet, isolated and distant area, the government decides to situate it inside the city, which reflects its important connection with the citizens or as an international display. It emerges as a symbol to reflect the diverse culture, unique characteristic and hot climate of downtown Los Angeles (Dal Co 442). The hospitable nature of Walt Disney Concert Hall also initiated from Gehry’s desire to create a â€Å"synergy† via intimacy and inclusion within and outside (Leigh). He hopes the musicians and performers will be able to feel comfortable and easy on stage and â€Å"the orchestra and the audience would have an intimate connection with each other† (Leigh). Under this goal, Gehry makes use of modeled Douglas fir and cedar to surround the auditorium and concave wood panels to generate the audience seat. As a lot of timber materials are placed inside, it results in a perception of vibrating sound, enlivening the musical performance. Thus, any small sound from the audience will be amplified and intermingled with the actual orchestra. Moreover, the stage is designed a bit higher than the orchestra seats in order to provide a better view for the audience. It seeks to provide a cozy and intimate acoustic experience (Leigh). The usual concert halls normally provide private boxes appealing to the promising and affordable audience, but Gehry eliminates this design as he believes every seat in the Hall provides a different sensational experience (Leigh). Once again, I think this message aims to promote equity in art and that none is able to purchase or own it. The design of Walt Disney Concert Hall is based on Deconstructivism, contradictory to Constructivism; both are attempts to invent a new style of post-modern architecture in the 1980s resulting from the imperfection of Modernist conventions (Melvin 136). Deconstructivism, identified by the concept of fragmentation, deviation, unpredictability and under-controlled chaos, functions to create distorted, irregular and broken shapes to alter the traditional elements of architecture. It is influenced by the modern art cubism and minimalism, it deformation style implies a detachment of cultural differences (Citizendium). Just as Gehry said, he likes to â€Å"control chaos and relate that to the urban world† (Leigh), which is one of the characteristic of deconstructivism. Overall, I find the design of Walt Disney Concert Hall as a great representation of contemporary architecture. Evaluating its materials and design, it successfully generates a positive image as a landmark of Los Angeles city. However, I think the shortcoming is that the stainless steel forming the exterior of the Hall brings out a negative impact to the surrounding climate. As the residents of surrounding buildings complained about the increase in temperature and visual glare affecting their daily life, which cause high temperature on the path and even soften plastic objects around (Valmont). Although it doesn’t cause problem to visitors of the Hall, but produce a long-term affect to people living around. Last but not least, some critics also claim that Walt Disney Concert Hall displays a sense of detachment, with inconsistency, showing an absence of social attention. They argue that the simplicity of Hall has abandoned the values of past and present art works without a clear intention (Citizendium).

East Asian Civilization :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Civil Service Examination System of Imperial China served as a qualification system for scholars who wanted to become officials in the Chinese government. Many young men spent their entire lives studying the Four Books, the Five Classics, and memorizing Chinese characters in order to attempt to pass these examinations. The book, China’s Examination Hell, written by Ichisada Miyazaki and translated by Conrad Schirokauer, describes the lengthy, and often rigorous process of taking Civil Service Examinations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The book begins by giving an account of how a young boy prepares for the examinations, learning his first Chinese characters at the age of three. Girls could not take the Civil Service Examinations, and from birth were treated in a way such that they would learn to be submissive. Boys began their formal education at age seven. From that point on, they spent every moment memorizing the Four Books, which included the Analects, Mencius, the Great Learning, and the Doctrine of the Mean, and the Five Classics, which included the Book of Changes, the Book of Documents, the Book of Poetry, the Book of Rites, and the Tso Chuan. Young men had the opportunity to take their first Civil Service Examination around the age of fourteen or fifteen, and particularly bright males would most likely continue taking different levels of examinations for the rest of their lives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Also described in the book are the hardships endured by both the candidates for examination and the examiners themselves. The test-taking compounds were not very conductive to rational thinking, as each man was assigned a small, door-less cubicle in which he had to spend three days and two nights at a time. The examiners, by the end of an examination session, had thousands of papers needing to be graded. As a result, even the smallest mistake, such as a stain on the paper or a misprinted character would lead to failure of the examination. The book describes in detail how the Chinese believed in, and in some cases relied on, supernatural intervention in passing the examinations. There are many accounts throughout the book telling about candidates and examiners alike being visited by ghosts, and dreaming about the King of the Dead and the King of Heaven. It was believed that if a candidate was virtuous and performed good deeds, he would be rewarded by passing the Ci vil Service Examinations. Conversely, if a candidate did not have a good moral character, he would fail the examinations, regardless of the quality of his work. East Asian Civilization :: essays research papers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Civil Service Examination System of Imperial China served as a qualification system for scholars who wanted to become officials in the Chinese government. Many young men spent their entire lives studying the Four Books, the Five Classics, and memorizing Chinese characters in order to attempt to pass these examinations. The book, China’s Examination Hell, written by Ichisada Miyazaki and translated by Conrad Schirokauer, describes the lengthy, and often rigorous process of taking Civil Service Examinations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The book begins by giving an account of how a young boy prepares for the examinations, learning his first Chinese characters at the age of three. Girls could not take the Civil Service Examinations, and from birth were treated in a way such that they would learn to be submissive. Boys began their formal education at age seven. From that point on, they spent every moment memorizing the Four Books, which included the Analects, Mencius, the Great Learning, and the Doctrine of the Mean, and the Five Classics, which included the Book of Changes, the Book of Documents, the Book of Poetry, the Book of Rites, and the Tso Chuan. Young men had the opportunity to take their first Civil Service Examination around the age of fourteen or fifteen, and particularly bright males would most likely continue taking different levels of examinations for the rest of their lives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Also described in the book are the hardships endured by both the candidates for examination and the examiners themselves. The test-taking compounds were not very conductive to rational thinking, as each man was assigned a small, door-less cubicle in which he had to spend three days and two nights at a time. The examiners, by the end of an examination session, had thousands of papers needing to be graded. As a result, even the smallest mistake, such as a stain on the paper or a misprinted character would lead to failure of the examination. The book describes in detail how the Chinese believed in, and in some cases relied on, supernatural intervention in passing the examinations. There are many accounts throughout the book telling about candidates and examiners alike being visited by ghosts, and dreaming about the King of the Dead and the King of Heaven. It was believed that if a candidate was virtuous and performed good deeds, he would be rewarded by passing the Ci vil Service Examinations. Conversely, if a candidate did not have a good moral character, he would fail the examinations, regardless of the quality of his work.

If I Met Three Famous People Essay

If I met three famous people who I like, I would be one of most happiest people in the world. I don’t know what I would do, but I would be very happy. I will tell you about three famous people who I would like to meet. At first I would like to meet my favourite boy-band Backstreet Boys. It’s the best boy-band in pop music history. They are five guys from the USA, and they became very famous after their album †Millennium† release in 1999. I’m their very big fan since 2007. And if I met them I would be very happy. I would like to meet all of them, because I couldn’t choose one of them. Their music is so great, it helps me and all their other fans. I’m waiting for their new album release . If I meet them, I would ask them how they felt when became famous. Also I would ask them what meaning has the God in their life, because they are religious people. Of course I have more questions to them, also I would tell them about my feelings and emotions. I would tell them that their music has a very special meaning in my life. I think they are the best boy-band in the world and the best singers. After that I would like to meet Katy Perry. She is a young singer and just a nice young lady. I heard about her a half a year ago and I think she is a great singer with big future. I think she is a great singer with beautiful voice and she is also very beautiful. I like the way she sings. If I met her I would be shocked and amazed. I would ask her why her songs have such unusual names. Also I would ask her what she thinks about other singers and specialy about Backstreet Boys. I would tell her how I like her and how I love her songs, songs that make my life happier. Also who I would like to meet is the hockey player Mikelis Redlihs. Of course I don’t know him but I think he is a very nice guy with a good sence of humour. I think that he is a good hockey player and he has the future in sports. Even if he doesn’t play in NHL, he will show himself in his team . He is very fast on the ice and he can hold a puck. If I met him I would ask him how he feels playing hockey, about his life and of course about his team. I want to say all about these people who I like, they made my life better. I will never stop loving and I will respect these people for what they are and what they do. They will always be in my life and in my heart.

Pharmacological Treatment For Substance Abuse - 1761 Words

Pharmacological Treatment for Substance Abuse In understanding the use of medications in treating substance abuse, is to first have an understanding of how the body reacts to the medication, and the effectiveness of medication in the body. The pharmacological treatment of substance abuse is found to be effective based on scientific research. Those who admit that they have an addiction problem, and then making the decision to get clean from alcohol or drug abuse is significant, but can be a difficult first step. However, when dealing with symptoms of withdrawal, the effort to stay clean can sometimes be a struggle against the addiction. Common withdrawal symptoms of alcohol and drugs are insomnia, anxiousness, irritability, tremors, and vomiting (Stevens Smith, 2013). Each individual’s body reacts differently from withdrawal, especially, depending on how long the individual used the drug, and the seriousness of the addiction (Steven Smith, 2013) The effects of drug or alcohol can make the addict feel the need to keep using in order to repress the symptoms of withdrawal. This repeated process can be difficult to overpower, especially when the withdrawal process is abiding (Stevens Smith, 2013). Fortunately, there are medications available to help ease the withdrawal symptoms, and prevent cravings of addicts who are wanting to get help for their drug or alcohol addiction. Many types of substance addictions can be treated with medication for withdrawal symptoms and helpShow MoreRelatedMisorder And Substance Abuse Disorders1002 Words   |  5 PagesSubstance abuse in people with co-occurring severe psychiatric disorders and substance abuse disorder contributes to worse prognosis. 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