AMBOISE, FRANCE
ZURICH, VALS AND BASIL, SWITZERLAND
ARC ET SENANS, RONCHAMP, BEAUNE, FRANCE
OCTOBER 25- NOVEMBER 2, 2007
Interviewed by Judy Hallet
Guil Almeida
Trip to Switzerland: Zurich, Vals and Basil
My favorite moments in Switzerland -- I really liked the Rietberg Museum in Zurich. It was beautifully detailed, very minimal. It was all about the materials. I also liked the collection that was in there too,. It was really cool. The biggest thing so far for me has been the Bath House by Peter Zumthor. It was awesome to just go there, just be there. It is so different than seeing it in pictures. I was amazed at the amount of people who were there. You never see people in the photographs of the place. With the people other things come along with this like the sound -- the movement of the water. It was easy to step back and hear the white noise of the water. You could definitely tell that sound was important to Peter Zumthor. Almost every room, every bathing chamber, had different surfaces on the walls. It was also amazing to see the materiality of the building. It felt very real. There was very minimal use of concrete. He mostly used stone. Everywhere your foot touched there was a different quality of stone. It was also amazing how the materials were affected by the water. The gallery walls you passed when you walked down from the entrance had different water stains -- all with different colors -- beautiful shades of red and yellow from the water marks. It was very deliberate how the walls were stained by the water. The whole point of the building working with the natural springs feeding into the walls was wonderful. Why would you reject what nature is going to do to the material or how it is going to react to the material? It puts it all on display in that hallway. I want to go back. And for a non-architectural moment, I also had a really good sandwich in the blue room or the bar.
The other highlight was going to Basel. It reminded me of going to the Netherlands. There was modern architecture everywhere and it wasn’t restrained. It was very advent guard. You could tell that not just in the buildings but in the interior designs in the shops and cafés. For me, it is the most interesting part of being in Europe to see all these places where they are not afraid to experiment and evolve architecturally. This is very much unlike what we see back home.
I really liked the museum in Basil as well, The Beyeler Museum designed by Renzo Piano. It was one of those buildings that was beautiful in its subtlety. It was definitely very well done. It wasn’t really exciting but what was most exciting to me was how it blended into the landscape. The way he framed the landscape, he made the landscape become art. Autumn was the best time of the year to go since the colors were so vibrant. But to me it is a type of building that I can appreciate like the West Wing of the National Gallery in Washington DC by Pope. It is a beautiful building -- beautiful to be in it-- but it is not necessarily exhilarating.
The housing complex in Zurich, I could definitely appreciate how beautiful it was and how well designed it was but I didn’t think there was much emotion. I need more emotion in my architecture. I think that is what I am looking for right now. I can definitely appreciate the minimal type of architecture but I often find it not that exciting. So how do I reconcile the two? Most of my favorite architects are pure minimalists. So how do I reconcile this? Hopefully I will find out the answer in my thesis.
Back in France: Arc et Senans, Ronchamp, Belfort, Besoncon and Beaune
After being at Arc et Senans, the salt factory designed by Ledoux between 1775 and 1779, I am definitely interested in finding out more about Ledoux and his relationship to Boulee.
As for the chapel by Le Corbusier in Ronchamp, I am still trying to figure out the building. The inside of the building leaves something to be desired. It leaves me a little disappointed. The outside is great. I think it has something to do with the light right now on the outside. Inside all the little holes having to deal with light were dark so it just seemed very heavy inside. There was no illumination. It was also very cold inside. Le Corbusier could have learned a lesson or two about passive solar heating. It is definitely not La Tourette. In terms of the spiritual experience, it is at La Tourette. It is, however, one of those life experiencing moments-- the moment when you visited Ronchamp for the first time.
Tina Athanasiades
Trip to Switzerland: Zurich, Vals and Basil
The Renzo Piano museum (The Beyeler Museum in Basel) was the best. Not only is it my favorite museum, it is my favorite museum architecturally. It was the highlight for me.
The baths by Peter Zumthor in Vals were great but the Bayeler Musuem won it for me. The mixture of the art and architecture was fantastic. It was an amazing collection and yet it was not overwhelming. There was a very nice balance of artists. I also loved the fact that they gave you a sheet of paper with just one example of each artist’s work. It makes you remember more if you only have to concentrate on one work of art at a time. I could have spent four more hours there.
The baths, however, were amazing. The architecture was interesting, very minimalist but it still had nice detailing in the different spaces. One nice example were the little chairs you sat in and looked out through small squares into the woods. It looked so cold outside and the wind kept changing the view.
The Asian museum (Rietberg Museum in Zurich), I wish I had had more time inside to look around at the exhibits. I felt I was sketching the whole time and I didn’t have time to see the exhibits. There was so much to see and I only got to see half of it. The details were so interesting. I especially liked the wooden stairways. I loved looking at the crazy masks and the Buddha statues.
The housing complex in Zurich was also amazing. I really liked it. At first I thought it was a low income project but then when I looked inside some of the apartments, they looked like they came out of some well designed architectural magazines. They were definitely not low income at all. I liked the flower gardens and the steal construction. The contrast was really nice. I really liked this trip a lot. Everything we have seen so far has been much more modern and for me that is much more interesting.
As for non-architectural moments, I liked our group dinner in Zurich and our two foot long sausages. It was hilarious and also delicious. The ride to the baths was beautiful and really great. I also liked walking through the city of Basil. Zurich seemed nice but I didn’t get into it as much as I got into Basil. I couldn’t get a sense of Zurich . It was more or less closed down on Sunday. Basil seemed richer in its architecture. The Herzog building we saw by the train station in Basel was also really nice. I liked the double skin of the building.
Back in France: Arc et Senans, Ronchamp, Belfort, Besoncon and Beaune
The chapel at Ronchamp by Le Corbusier was very nice. I appreciated it a lot after having seen La Tourette. I wouldn’t have noticed the details as much if I hadn’t seen La Tourette prior to Ronchamp. After getting the wonderful presentation by Brother Mark, I could really appreciate it so much more. For example, I noticed how the light entered into the building. It was such a heavy structure for such a sacred space. He worked them so well together. I liked how we had a lot of time to sketch and take it all in at Ronchamp. It was a very low stressed early afternoon for me. After that looking for the lion in Belfort was more stressful.
Beaune was very nice and relaxing. The Hospices de Beaune, the medieval hospital, was interesting but I liked walking around the town of Beaune more. I liked having some free time to explore the town.
Ryan DaSilva
Two days in Amboise
I liked the whole thing. I loved the bike ride back from the chateau Chenonceau. There were no restrictions on us. You could just go. I liked the Da Vinci House. This was where he lived. It was his house. From Van Gogh in Arles to Da Vinci in Amboise, these are amazing experiences for me. Another great moment was the magic bus ride we took with Sebastian through the orchard and the vineyard the last night we were in Amboise. Sebastian is like an energizer bunny rabbit or Jar Jar Binks the character in the new Star Wars movie.
We first tasted the “Barnache” the first day at lunch. I asked Sebastian if we could find some more. He looked for two days trying to find someone who was making it. It turned out it is only made for about a month. “Bernache” is the first pressing of the grapes before the sugar begins to ferment. Sebastian took us the last night to the garage where the “Barnache” was made. It was my first experience in wine tasting and to have it in a cave was amazing. The wine was siphoned out of a small bucket on the ground with a plastic tube. The owner of the wine making cave had to get on a ladder and scoop out of the metal vat the rosé. Then he gave us some homemade champagne that was already bottled. It was two years old. He poured the rosé into big plastic water bottles. I liked getting together at the park the last night to drink our “Barnache”, rosé and champagne. We had intellectual conversations and good wine tasting. It was an intense day.
Architecturally the caves were what I liked the best. I liked the description of how they carved our their narrow passage ways on the side in order to carve out the blocks of stone. It was very similar to how they did it in Egypt to make the big blocks. They took out the blocks to make the chateaux and then they used the caves to live in. Sustainable design at its finest. It was also interesting to hear how they used the wood from sunken ships in the Loire to make the beams.
Trip to Switzerland: Zurich, Vals and Basil
What did I like architecturally about Switzerland? I liked The Beyeler Museum by Renzo Piano. The simplicity of it, the simplicity of the concept, along with the complexity of the construction, along with its collection made it one of the best museums -- probably the best museum-- I have ever been in. It was the total package. The architecture wasn’t trying to outdo the art work which was very nice. But at the same time, the architecture was at the same level as the art work. All around it was a great place. I do wish I had had 15,000 Euros to buy a Picasso print in the museum shop. That would have been nice.
What I liked the most at the baths by Peter Zumthur again was its simplicity. It was one massive cube with smaller spaces carved out of it. Whatever kind of stone materials he used, they were in complete contrast to the feeling of tranquility and softness that you felt while in the pools.
The food and the drink Greg, Eric and I had in the bar was fantastic. The drink was made out of some local fruit blended with, I think, rum. It tasted like strawberries but it wasn’t that. It was really good. I would have liked to have another one. It was a Miami drink in the middle of the Swiss Alps.
At the Asian art museum (The Rietberg Museum), the construction of the entire building was impressive. The glass beams that spanned across the foyer and the bookstore were amazing. I have never seen that before. There was no steel. It was all glass and the way that the wooden stairwell was joined together was very impressive. They were like a chain interlocked with each other but it looked like it was one piece of wood.
The housing complex in Zurich was nice. Just the use of materials -- they used aluminum and steel and not the usual traditional American use of brick and wood. The spaces inside were really nice. It looked upper middle class. Each apartment had its own style. There were some places that didn’t even have television in the living rooms which says they have something better to do with their lives than we do.
I bought a fifteen dollar internet card to watch the world series game but when I got home and logged on, I fell asleep. When I woke up I had used all the minutes on the card even though I didn’t see one pitch! Celebrating Sarah’s birthday was nice. We were the only ones in a bar -- the five of us -- listening to 1980s pop music. In the bath houses, I liked jumping in the13 degree Celsius pool. Jumping into that cold pool was surprisingly not too cold. It felt invigorating and very nice when you got out of there. The lavender peddle pool was also nice as was the hot tub. I liked the fact that we could swim from the inside to the outside.
Back in France: Arc et Senans, Ronchamp, Belfort, Besancon and Beaune
Ronchamp, the chapel of Notre Dame du Haut by Le Corbusier. You can’t get any better than going to Ronchamp. It was like seeing the Eiffel Tower for the first time. I had that same feeling of excitement-- that same feeling when looking at Ronchamp for the first time. I have always liked this building. To me this building says, “I am a artist”. It says this was done by an artist and not an architect. Seeing it, it was alive. It actually did exist and it wasn’t just something I was looking at in a book or in a slide show.
I liked experiencing the gardens in the dark at Arc et Senans, the salt factory designed by the 18thy century architect Ledoux. It was fun. Stanley, Sarah, Greg and Eric and myself all explored the gardens. I would run up ahead of them and then scare Sarah when they all got close to me. I liked the room of models where they actually showed each individual building that Ledoux had done during his time. It was nice.
The most memorable experience was Halloween at Arc et Senans. Seeing Vanessa as Stanley’s clone too much. Everyone’s costumes were great. And Narciss as Guil coming in the door and saying “A for audit” was great. To get Narciss to dress up as Guil was fantastic. She put on the little mustache with eye liner and then coming in and saying “A for Audit”, it was hilarious. It was definitely the “attack of the clones” night.
And then to finish off our trip back in France in the caves in Beaune drinking and learning about wine was great. Greg, Eric and I found ourselves in a 400 year old cave or wine cellar. The bottles were covered with dust and spider webs. It was out of a movie. There was a locked cage and inside that there were wine bottles from 1915 to the present. 600 Euros was the highest priced wine. Wine bottles from the year I was born, 1977, were 160 Euros a bottle. It was a great circle, we started in a cave in Amboise having lunch and we ended in a cave in Beaune tasting wine.
Christina Lemley
Two days in Amboise
There were so many wonderful moments. I enjoyed the whole town of Amboise and how friendly everyone was in the town. I liked being there in autumn with all the leaves changing. I enjoyed the chateaux Chenonceau. I thought it was beautiful. It was one of the best I have been to. It seemed so unique spanning the river. I also liked going inside and seeing the fire in the fireplace and the fresh cut flowers in each room. The chateau felt welcoming and warm. It seemed unusual for such a big old building to feel so welcoming and warm. I definitely want to go back.
The whole weekend was wonderful. The biking and being outdoors in the countryside was great. I didn’t think I was going to go back from the chateau on the bike but when Greg said: “How often do you get to bike in the French countryside?” I thought he was right and so I said to myself I could certainly deal with a few hills. It made the day so much more fun being on a bike instead of being in a bus. I also liked the lunches we had in the caves. First the one we had in the large cave the day we arrived and then the lunch we had in the cave restaurant the second day across the street from the Da Vinci home.
Trip to Switzerland: Zurich, Vals and Basil
It is very tough to choose what I liked best in Switzerland architecturally because I found everything so interesting. The baths in Vals by Peter Zumthur were definitely great. It is so much better to go and explore the building on site than to just see pictures of it in a book or in a slide presentation. I got so much more out of the building by just being there and experiencing it. One of those moments that I will always remember will be sitting in the water in the outdoor pool looking out at the Alps beyond. It will be one of those highlights in my life. It is one of those moments I will never forget. The water was so hot and the air outside so cold. It was such a contrast on my body and then to look out at the mountains, it just overwhelmed all my senses at once.
The cold bath was a lot of fun too. It was 14 degrees centigrade. Just trying to get ourselves into the cold water was a big challenge. It took three times but we finally went in all the way.
I liked both of the museums (The Beyeler Museum in Basil and The Rietberg Museum in Zurich) but with each of them I was most impressed by the collections they had displayed inside. I think there is a fine line with display -- if it hadn’t been so well displayed, you wouldn’t have appreciated the art work as much. The architecture creating the backdrop to the art made you appreciate the content so much more.
In the Renzo Piano museum, I saw a lot of parallels between his building and the baths in terms of the architecture. In both they used plain surfaces. There was also something about the quality of space and how they used light and its reflections that was great in both buildings. They would be good buildings to compare one to the other. In the Renzo Piano Museum the part I liked the best was the room with the large Monet water lily painting. It was hung on one white wall and it was the only painting in the room. You looked at the painting and then you looked out the window and saw the pond with water lily pads floating in the water. Amazing!
Our bus ride going up into the mountains to the baths was spectacular. I couldn’t believe how beautiful it was just getting there. And then coming back down the mountain, I couldn’t believe how frightening it was. I had to close my eyes. I didn’t not want to see how dark it was nor how deep and far down those canyon gorges were.
The other great moment for me was the ice cream I had in Zurich-- a double cream Gruyere cheese and meringue flavored ice cream. It had cream and bits of meringue cookies. It was probably the best ice cream I have ever had in my life.
Back in France:
Arc et Senans, Ronchamp, Belfort, Besancon and Beaune
The chapel at Ronchamp by Le Corbusier was my favorite part. I liked the windows with the light coming through. I thought it was beautiful. The roof was great. It isn’t my favorite Corbu project but it was interesting to see it especially when I could compare it to La Tourette.
I liked Beaune a lot. Staying at the salt factory (Arc et Senans by Ledoux) worked out well. It was fun since we were all together for three nights. It was a good trip. I am excited about getting back to Paris.
Jessica Sticklor Lipson
Two days in Amboise
The lunch in the cave was awesome. I also like the biking to Chenonceau.
Trip to Switzerland: Zurich, Vals and Basil
The baths in Vals by Peter Zumthor were amazing. I felt we were really experiencing space and we were utilizing every one of our senses. The more time I spent there, the more I appreciated it. I also liked the drive up into the mountains. We were really experiencing Switzerland and the Alps.
I liked the Beyeler Museum we visited in Basil designed by Renzo Piano. When I was in the museum, time fled. It just flew by. Between the architecture and the building and the collection itself inside, it was almost overwhelming but in a great way. The materials, the details, the geometry, the lines, I just enjoyed looking at it all in both the Baths and the Beyeler Musuem.
As for non-architectural moments, we had fun riding on the rides at the carnival in a square in Basil. I also liked the group dinner we had together in Zurich eating the foot long sausages. The weather has also been great. I like the crisp air. Finding my favorite beer ever was also a great moment. It was a Czechoslovakian beer called “Staropramen”. We had it in an English pub in Zurich when we were watching a soccer match.
Connie Magnuson
Two days in Amboise
I really liked experiencing the hospitality of the people in Amboise. For me practicing my French with the woman who sat next to me at our first lunch in the cave was amazing. I realized that I could communicate and now we are going to e-mail each other. But most definitely the best was seeing Chenonceau. I’ve always wanted to see this chateau since I was a little girl. When I saw it, I let out an “Ah, I can’t believe I am really here. I have dreamed of visiting this place for so long!” There have been two castles that I have always wanted to visit, this one and the one in Lichtenstein. I can now check Chenonceau off my list. The interiors of the chateau were a lot better than I had imagined especially since there was a roaring fire in the main entrance and fresh flowers everywhere. Being inside the castle was really great. I have seen so many pictures of the outside that there was no surprise there but I did like taking my own pictures of the place. It made it special.
Sebastian was a highlight for me. I liked last night and our “Bernache” experience. Sebastian said he was taking us to this cave where they make the “Bernache”. He got out of his truck and went to see if we could visit the cave. He came back and at first told us, no we couldn’t go in. We all looked disappointed. Then he said, yes we could all go in. He was just kidding. It was like we were being taken to a forbidden place. The gentleman, Patrick, who owned the cave was extremely welcoming. He was so eager to share with us his wines and the “Bernache”. He let us all taste his “Bernache”, his rosé and his champagne. He wanted to only charge us 9 Euros for all our bottles of “Bernache” and rosé. We insisted on giving him 20 Euros. He disappeared and brought us back a bottle of champagne. Sebastian then wanted to show us the vineyards and took us through the grape fields on a tiny dirt path. It was a good weekend.
Narciss Nesari
Two days in Amboise
The lunch we had the first day in the caves was wonderful. We were all standing outside and then Sebastian opened the big door to the cave. Inside was the table all set up for us for lunch. Never before have I had such an experience. It was a nice moment. I liked the Da Vinci house. It was a great feeling to know Da Vinci had lived there and had painted the Mona Lisa there. I also liked the miniature chateaux. It gave you a feeling of what all the chateaux looked like and it was nice seeing all of them in one place. Biking was good but I wasn’t really prepared for it. I wasn’t dressed warmly enough. I was cold. But it was a nice experience to have us all together as a group biking to Chenonceau.
Trip to Switzerland: Zurich, Vals and Basil
This was my first time visiting Switzerland and I have to admit I had a different idea of what it was going to be like. I had something else in mind. I thought it would be filled with tall buildings and skyscrapers and I didn’t see much of that. The city was very cold and there wasn’t any traffic. It seemed quiet and well organized.
The Asian Musuem (Rietberg Museum), the building was really simple, minimal and it was a very nice design. I liked the entrance made of green patterned glass. The building sat in a beautiful natural setting and the patterns on the building were very well designed. The patterns of glass were interesting. When you looked through the green glass it contrasted with the colorful leaves of the trees in the background. It was a nice contrast. Inside, I liked the way the exhibitions were exhibited. It was really nice. I saw some pieces from Iran that were really nice.
The Bath House by Peter Zumthor was something special. I have never had such a nice experience. The way he build the different rooms and the different feelings I felt in the different rooms -- from hot to cold were wonderful. And then in the steam rooms I went from mildly hot to really hot. I experienced the different temperatures and different smells and sounds. There was the rose bath, the lavender room and the sound room. All these different feelings, I don’t think you can find this anywhere else. When you are inside the building, there is such nice framing of the outside landscape. The contrast between hot and cold gives you such a beautiful feeling. I really liked the boundaries between inside and outside. When I was going outside, I experienced a different feeling. My body was warm and my head was cold and then I was looking at this beautiful perspective of the outside landscape. The lighting was also nice. I liked the slits of light coming through the walls.
The Renzo Piano museum in Basil was very simple, very calm. The lighting system in the roof or ceiling was very interesting. The reflecting pool was very nice. Basil, the city, was very nice. I thought it was more crowded and had much more activity going on than in Zurich. In the city I saw a lot of the older generation -- older people -- walking around. There were many more older people walking around in Basil than in Zurich.
The only bad moment I had was when I was late meeting up with everyone at the train station in Zurich. I misunderstood the time. I never saw Stanley so stressed as he was waiting for me. We had seven minutes before the train left. For a non-architectural moment, I liked eating Fondue the last night in Zurich with some of the other students. It was something special to eat this in Switzerland but I could never eat a whole meal of fondue anywhere else.
Greg Plavcan
Two days in Amboise
There were so many great moments during this trip. I liked the lunch we had in the cave the first day. Bike riding on the country roads where you couldn’t see any people or cars, I also liked. You could just experience the countryside. We even saw two donkeys on the way back -- a gray and a brown one. I liked the Da Vinci house, Clos Lucé, and the gardens there. This is where Da Vinci spent the last four years of his life. Walking outside in the gardens and seeing the oval Da Vinci anatomical drawings hanging from the trees was interesting. Last night was great when we went to the cave to get the “Bernache”. This is the first pressing of the grapes before it ferments. The Bernache period only lasts one month and you have to drink it immediately. Once you open the bottle it only last 24 hours.
Trip to Switzerland: Zurich, Vals and Basil
I loved the last museum we visited in Basil, the Beyeler Museum. The room with the water lily painting by Monet was wonderful and how it looked out onto the pond with the real water lilies. The technology of the building didn’t jump out at you and it wasn’t forced on you. If, however, you wanted to figure it out, you could.
The Asian Art Museum ( The Rietberg Museum) I liked the storage room or the archives. I didn’t realized it was the storage room. It reminded me of library stacks. You could view it as a museum display in itself. I also really liked the wooden stairs in the museum.
The Baths by Peter Zumthor, I really liked the use of sound in the baths. I thought it was great to see how in the sound bath the stone was rough all the way up the walls. It was the only room like that. The other rooms incorporated a smooth concrete. I went into the sound baths three times. The first time we encountered a group of loud guys basically screaming at one another. When they all got up and left, Christina, Vanessa and I were left all alone in the room and it was silent. Basically the room is not made to be silent. The second time we went in, we all began chanting and that was really great. The third time Vanessa, Christina and I went in, it was again a different experience. I loved how you had to enter into the room through a corridor that turned and then you discovered the bath pool. We tried spending time in the cold baths. In the other bath rooms, the walls went from slate to concrete but here in the cold bath room, it went from concrete to a pebble-like texture. It was as though the water had melted away the concrete. I was studying the walls in the cold bath but then my legs got so cold I had to leave. The whole place was great. It felt like the spaces were enclosed but then at the same time they felt really open.
Vanessa Rai
Two days in Amboise
The chateau was the best moment architecturally for me. We got a pamphlet explaining some of the history of Chenonceau and that really helped. I really liked the long tree lined promenade that we walked down before we reached the castle. It looked small at first and then when you turned the corner to see it from the side, it was so big. It was so breathtaking to see the chateau spanning over the whole river. The whole experience of seeing the chateau, of walking up through the lane of trees was much more impressive than the chateau at Vaux-le-Vicomte. I was very interested in the stories about the women who were so influential in the building of the chateau. I liked it that Henri II gave the chateau to his mistress, Diane of Poitiers and then when he was killed Catherine of Medicis, his wife, demanded that the castle be given back to her. Since we had some history lessons with Mary in Paris at the Louvre about Henri II and Catherine of Medicis and Diane of Poitiers, it all made more sense. It was like we were connecting history. We saw the same initial D and C interwoven into the H. No one knows if Henri is referring to his mistress, Diane, or his wife, Catherine.
My favorite part was being with everybody when we bought the “Bernache” in the wine cave. I thought I was in the Blaire Witch House. I really enjoyed the lunch that they put together for us the first day in the cave. Once again, I thought the first course was the only course we were going to have and then there were four more courses. I liked our hotel and I liked the bar we went to the first night that overlooked the Loire.
Trip to Switzerland: Zurich, Vals and Basil
The highlight point for me in Switzerland were the baths in Vals by Peter Zumthur. The drive to the bath houses was one of the best rides I have ever been on. The scenery was so beautiful and I have never seen mountains of that size before with the water rushing down and snow on the highest peaks. It was breathtaking to see nature at its full force and wonder. Then to be at Vals after having seen it in the books, it was a completely different experience. It was wonderful to see it in person and to be part of that complete experience. For me architecturally, I was impressed with the use of materials and its simplicity-- its simple design. I think this is what made it so successful -- made it what it really is.
I really enjoyed walking around Zurich with Greg in the early evening. We explored a park and took silly pictures. Then Christina by chance was on a run and she ran into us. We walked around Zurich at night and looked in the window shops and walked along the river and saw the reflections of the city. The city felt enchanting.
I liked Basel because it seemed more bustling than Zurich. I think The Beyeler Museum designed by Renzo Piano was a big highlight. The power of minimalist architecture worked well. It was really harmonious -- really in harmony -- with the modern art inside the museum.
I liked the Rietberg Museum, I thought it was really well done. Again the minimalist architecture helped to show off the pieces that were displayed in the museum. There was not a competition between the art and the architecture. One of the things I thought was successful was how they used color on the walls in the different exhibition rooms.
The housing complex in Zurich was interesting to look at architecturally but I wouldn’t want to live there. It seemed too cold and sterile to me but it was definitely thought provoking.
Back in France: Arc et Senans, Ronchamp, Belfort, Besancon and Beaune
I really liked the salt factory at Arc et Senans by Ledoux. It was really a peaceful place partly because we were the only group there. The group meals were fantastic and delicious. It was nice to eat with everyone. The highlight, or course, was the costume party and the pumpkin carving. I put flour in my hair so I could be Stanley. I was worried that it would turn to paste when I washed it out but it turned out fine. It was a lot of fun. We laughed hysterically.
The chapel at Ronchamp is one of my favorite buildings by Le Corbusier. It was really incredible to see it in person. It is a completely different feeling than seeing it in a book. I also liked the poem that Stanley read from Le Corbusier’s book’s where he talked about peace, and light and joy inside. It was a perfect way to end the visit there.
There is a distinct quality of light inside the chapel -- the color. Maybe it has to do with the thickness of the walls and how the windows were placed in the walls but it felt really tranquil when standing inside the chapel. I think the scale of the building, a lot smaller than La Tourette, also contributed to me feeling more peaceful there.
I thought Beaune was the perfect little town. It seemed like the stars and the moon were perfectly aligned. You had the bright orange leaves against a backdrop of the bright blue sky. You could smell autumn. Being able to walk through the town and see everyone out drinking coffee and relaxing was wonderful. The fountains were on which make it feel like a warm place to be. I enjoyed looking at the hospital (Hospices de Beaune). I found it really interesting how the hospital beds were placed inside the same room as the chapel. They could hear Mass while still remaining in bed. I really liked looking at the equipment that they used during that time in the 15th century. My favorite part of the hospital were the tile roofs laid out in beautiful geometric patterns.
As for non-architectural moments, I had fun watching movies at night and getting to know Christina better. We were roommates. I thought we had great weather. The weather was an endorphin in itself. It was so good to be alive. Autumn is one of my favorite seasons, I get good energy from it.
Patrick Rog
Two days in Amboise
Architecturally I liked the chateau, Chenonceau the best. I liked going inside the chateau. You could read the different rooms so well. It was very clear what they were used for. You could walk through the chateau and it still felt alive and lived in. There was a fire in the big fireplace which was very nice.
I liked the bike ride to the chateau. It was a great experience to ride through the French countryside. It was like a rolling classroom. I did have a few incidences with my bike chain. It keep coming off but by the end I could put it back on in less than 7 seconds. In my opinion, any time you can have a class on bikes you should do it.
You can’t leave Sebastian out of the entire experience these past two days. When we were going home the first night, he took us a different way to the hotel. He took us through a grass field with his truck and dropped us off at the top of a mountain overlooking Amboise. Then he said, “Get out, go”. We got lost trying to find our way back into town.
Trip to Switzerland: Zurich, Vals and Basil
I liked seeing the change from the French feel to the more Germanic feel in Switzerland. The French seems warmer and more romantic. The Germanic feels harsher but not in a derogatory way. It has a harder edge to it. Maybe the materials, the glass and steal they use made it feel this way. The glass and steal were displayed in all the buildings we went to see which was great. I enjoyed all the buildings we visited.
At the Asian museum (The Rietberg Museum) I couldn’t get over the Swiss craftsmanship-- the tiny details at the micro level. The wooden staircase was a great example of beautiful craftsmanship.
Being at the baths in Vals by Peter Zumthor, I really enjoyed how the building pushed you to use all your senses. It wasn’t just visually pleasing. There was the touch, the smell, the sound. There was something magical just being in the water sitting on a mountain looking over at another mountain. It was surreal. It was an experience I am never going to forget.
I also liked stopping at the modern bathroom toilets along the highway. I think it shows how creative Stanley is -- to stop to look at stainless steal outhouses! Brittany had to speak to the bus driver in German to try and explain to him why we wanted to stop at these special modern toilets by the side of the highway.
At the Beyeler Museum, what I really enjoyed was the layering of light in the ceiling and the roof to create different lighting. It was very Swiss. Technically it was so well done. There were opaque pieces that tilted at different directions and it all went together so well. Nothing seemed forced in the building. There was, however, one part of the museum that disappointed me. The lower level didn’t fit in with the rest of the building. I took this beautiful glass elevator down to the lower level and turned the corner expecting to find another wonderful architectural surprise but was only disappointed. It didn’t have the same magic as the rest of the museum.
The last architectural comment I would like to make is how the buildings both in France and Switzerland seem to fit into the landscape whether with the vistas or how they sit on the topography. You can tell it was never an after thought in the design when dealing with the landscape.
As for a non-architectural moment, in Zurich I had a fantastic time one night at an English pub where Jessie, Eric, Brittany and I all sang eighties songs and drank big steins of beer and ate lots of pretzels while we watched a soccer game at the bar. It is always a great experience to see how important soccer is to the Europeans and the Brits. Even when there was very little scoring, they were all so tense. They must have smoked at least 1000 cigarettes that night. This is also where Jessie discovered her favorite Czech beer. The score, by the way, was Arsenal one, Liverpool, one.
The bus ride up the mountains to the Baths was difficult for me. I felt like we were intentionally made to suffer. I was car sick and hot but I have to admit it made the final destination all that much more sweeter. The suffering was worth it for what we discovered on top. Anytime you can see that kind of scenery, that could be the trip right there for me.
Jennie Santoro
Two days in Amboise
The cave where we discovered the “Barnache” was a fantastic moment. (“Barnache is the first pressing of the grapes after they are picked.) The cave guy, Patrick, offered us two glasses of “Barnache”, one glass of champagne and one glass of rosé. The champagne was called “petillent” (bubbly wine) since it is not from the champagne district of France. We bought six and a half bottles of the rosé and “Barnache”. He couldn’t sell the champagne since it had no label. We asked him, “How much?” and he said, “9 Euros”. We told him: “Non, non, non!” We drank all this wine and the “Barnache”. We said, “Here is 20 Euros”. He still refused. We had to put it in his pocket. He then disappeared and came back and gave us a bottle of the bubbling wine -“petillent”. It was a great experience.
The bike riding was great even though I scared the entire time. I was afraid to look to the left or to the right. I was very nervous. The changing of the gears was new to me but it was really nice. Riding a bike is still a new experience for me. I only learned to ride this summer. I liked riding through the forest when it was so dark and then coming out into the sunlight. I am really glad I went on the bike ride and went both ways. I could have gone back to the hotel in the truck but I chose to ride back from Chenonceau.
I had a great time in Chenonceau. I liked standing by the fire inside the castle with Jessie who was not feeling well. It was so beautiful approaching the chateau through the trees. The yellowish autumn colors of the leaves and the branches seemed so organic. We walked down the alley under the trees and then suddenly you saw the chateau.
Trip to Switzerland: Zurich, Vals and Basil
I really liked the museum in Zurich (The Rietberg Museum). I especially liked the visible storage. It was very interesting and very well done. I also really liked the apartment complex in Zurich. There was a funny moment when we saw a little black dog with pink booties on his two front feet. He kept barking at us and the woman kept speaking German to us and the dog. We didn’t understand a thing.
Vals, the baths by Peter Zumthor, were amazing. It was an unique experience between running around looking for every new adventure in every room while at the same time feeling completely relaxed. A highlight for me was playing in one of the chairs in front of a glass wall that looked out at the mountain with all the trees. I slowly watched the sun disappear and then I slowly drifted off to sleep.
Basil was awesome. My favorite moment at the Beyeler Art Musuem was when we walked up to the window with the view outside and I stopped for a second and looked out at the view, it was like a perfectly framed painting except that it was moving. The wind was blowing all the beautiful fall leaves off the trees. I then sat down in the next room on the big couch in front of the large three canvas Monet water lily painting. I got lost in the movement of the painting and I could see how the framed view of the outside was capturing the same movement that was in the impressionist paintings. It was as though I looked at the painting and I could understand the light and the movement in nature that the artist was trying to capture. I found it beautiful how the architect made a place for impressionist paintings and he framed the views of the scenes that were so similar. All this was done without one competing with the other. It was almost as though the architecture disappeared and these two things were left side by side.
In Basil, Guil and I found an architectural bookstore. There was so much there that it was overwhelming. I could have spent the whole day there. Basil is definitely on my list as to one of the places I want to go back to.
Back in France: Arc et Senans, Ronchamp, Belfort, Besancon and Beaune
We started off at the salt works factory (Arc et Senans by LeDoux). We arrived late at night. Before we even went to bed, there were already two highlights. The first was that Eric brought a soccer ball and we kicked it around for about an hour. This was definitely a good surprise. Then a group of us went around exploring the gardens in the dark. Although it was difficult to see the gardens at night, we could already tell there was a richness to them. It was a great way to start off Halloween by walking around in unfamiliar places in the dark.
The museum at the salt factory with all the models by Ledoux was an architectural highlight. It was very unexpected to see so many models by one architect in this place. And, of course, the Halloween costumes were hysterical. The acting out that went with them added to the fun and made it a highlight.
The architectural highlight in the France part of the trip was definitely the chapel by Le Corbusier at Ronchamp. Although it lacked Brother Mark from La Tourette, I still found a few things that were very beautiful. I enjoyed sitting outside on top of the stepped pyramid. It gave you a totally new view and perspective of the building. I thought the outdoor altar and sanctuary space was beautiful. I could imagine people gathering there for services.
On a non-architectural note, I enjoyed the cat in the bookstore at Ronchamp. We made friends. It let me pet it and it sat on my lap. To end the trip, I had a great lunch in Beaune. It was a long relaxed lunch with good people, good food, good wine and good coffee. This was followed by some good shopping (I bought a coat and a purse) to end the trip.
Sarah Spanagel
Two days in Amboise
At the cave where we had lunch the first day there was a woman who looked just like my mother when she was a young woman. It was amazing to meeting my mother’s twin. The eyes were exactly the same. We are going to e-mail each other. Her name was Stephanie and she is a stone cutter by profession. I liked the moment when I was in the Da Vinci house garden when I had an encounter with a squirrel. It was sitting on the handle of a bridge munching a nut and had eye contact with it for a moment. It had unusual coloring -- very red fur.
I really liked the joke on us about the “Bernache” with everyone thinking it was an alcoholic drink. It turns out it is the first pressing of the grapes before the fermentation begins. It has a high content of sugar. I guess we were on a sugar high. I also liked it when Sebastian drove us through the vineyards on dirt paths.
Trip to Switzerland: Zurich, Vals and Basil
At the Beyeler Museum, I was struck by how simple it was. It could have been one of our own student projects. Renzo Piano developed a flexible language. The plan -- I felt I wanted to draw the plan. It was interesting the way Piano makes you wander back and forth through the long rows. Renzo Piano is a genius! It really makes you appreciate the simplest things and how you can appreciate the details. It is easy to go down to the detail when you have a simple concept.
The baths were -- I have no words. It was kind of an out of mind experience. It was a fully sensory experience. It made me think how you have to pay attention to every one of your senses because you are using every one of these senses when you are in a building. Being in the room of sound -- the sound chamber -- was really great. Stanley reminded me of my Dad being so goofy with his chanting. My Dad is goofy too. It was great being in that chamber with us all chanting.
The ride up the mountains to the baths in Vals was wonderful. It was a perfect time of year to go up into the mountains with the autumn leaves -- the colors. I loved looking at the countryside and seeing the vernacular Swiss architecture on the mountain sides -- the slate roofs. I liked seeing the houses perched so high up on the steep mountain sides. I wondered how could they ever built them up there and how could anyone get up there without any roads.
The Asian museum (the Rietberg Museum) I liked what was on display, the exhibits. It was incredible the way they displayed the objects. I loved the way they worked with shadows with the sculptures -- the play with shadows.
I had fun walking around Zurich. I enjoyed drawing a five foot wide alley in the old part of Zurich that opened up into a courtyard with a big red tree. I really liked Zurich. As for special moments, last night Jessie and I sat on a wooden bridge and watched the reflections in the water from the bridge and the buildings. It was a piece of music with all the reflected layering of the buildings and the bridge moving over each other in the river. My birthday was fantastic. I couldn’t have asked for much more. I have been celebrating it for two days.
Matthew Starr
Two days in Amboise
Lunch the first day in the cave was an exciting experience. I thought the house on the property was beautiful to look at and the lunch was good too. I enjoyed meeting Sebastian who set up the lunch for us.
The bike ride was nice. I have always enjoyed getting on a bike. It is always enjoyable. I kind of loose myself when I am on a bike. It is very calming to me. It is a way of being removed -- a means of meditation. I was in my own world outside in the countryside. The surroundings were wonderful. It was easy to loose myself and let my mind wander.
The last night in Amboise was a lot of fun. We really became a group. We collectively bonded when we went out to the park after dinner to drink the “Bernache”, wine and champagne.
Trip to Switzerland: Zurich, Vals and Basil
Where do I begin? I was struck by Zurich and how beautiful it looked at a macro scale. But then at a more pedestrian scale, although it was still beautiful, it became more a working city and it was a little dirtier than I had expected it to be. The modernity wasn’t really there. I expected something more modern.
The Asian Museum (The Rietberg Museum) in Zurich fascinated me. First of all because of its context but then I liked it because of its use of an open underground cavernous site. The architects created a new underground museum but at the time they also connected it to the older museum on the grounds. The craftsmanship of the building was beautiful. It was so well done, so well crafted.
The baths at Vals by Peter Zumthor was most definitely an experience of the senses. Light turned into darkness and vice versa. Sounds turned to echoes and then to silence and tranquility. It was just wonderful. I can’t put the experience as yet into words.
I am glad I experienced the Renzo Piano museum in Basil because I particularly like him as an architect. I like how he uses and maintains classic proportions, shapes and forms as opposed to other architects who manipulate form too much -- something that overwhelms me and I don’t appreciate this kind of architecture.
Not too many of my friends back in New Jersey have had the opportunity to leave their homes in the States and visit the Swiss Alps. This experience alone is more than satisfying. My mother has always wanted to come to Switzerland and now I can bring her back with some knowledge or where to go. At least I have had the opportunity to come here and now I can tell her what I saw. This always pleases me when we can relate and have something to share and discuss in common.
Eric Wyche
Trip to Switzerland: Zurich, Vals and Basil
The bath house in the Alps by Peter Zumthor was amazing. I liked how it was laid out with all the little nocks and little rooms. I liked the sound room and especially the narrow corridor that turned and led you into the room. The use of materials were great. All the framing, how he framed the landscape, was very well done and very beautiful.
The Beyeler Museum in Basil designed by Renzo Piano was also amazing both architecturally and in terms of the art inside the museum. The layout -- I loved how Renzo Piano positioned the walls. Compared to other museums, it was easy to navigate through the space. I liked how you could stand and look at the work -- to view the art. Compared to Le Musée D’Orsay in Paris where the circulation is really bad and there is no way to stand back and look at the art work, this museum is the opposite. You can stand and see the work. The building and the art work were not completing with one another. They worked together and in that way, it added to the experience.
The Asian Museum, (The Rietberg Museum in Zurich) was interesting as well but I liked the Beyeler Museum better. One of the things I liked at the Asian museum was how it was built into a hill. Surprisingly, every time I turned a corner there was more to it. I had no idea that the museum was so big. I loved the wooden stairs -- the wood -- I took pictures of the people going up and down in silhouette.
Thoughts and Observations from Professor Stanley Hallet
Two days in Amboise
Architecturally I was most interested in the interior at Chenonceau. It was a real surprise. I particularly liked the ceiling above the stairway and the entrance way with the cross vaults that were not in line. I was fascinated with the tapestries and the fresh flower displays that were in every room. This was new to me. Outside at Chenonceau, the tree-lined entrance alley was in a very special state, loosing just enough leaves to see the structure of the trees. It gave you a feeling of walking in a cathedral. I was reminded that the Gothic church is just a close representation of this landscape, this time in stone.
I was very excited by the mini-chateaux display in the park that we first took to be a miniature golf course. To walk around and see these precious models of architecture surrounded by a carefully groomed mini-landscape, constructed at the same scale as the models was truly a new garden experience. It was like traveling in a hot air balloon over the Loire countryside. Back in town, I was also impressed by the tower and walls of the Amboise chateau. I thought it was a beautiful town. I studied troglodytic houses for years so the caves were of continuing interest to me.
I was very impressed with the cleanliness and the order of the countryside. Only in France do they plant the forests in rows. In this season, autumn, they seem to form lace-like layers of carefully placed begetation and yet and it was just a forest.
In terms of fun, I really enjoyed the lunch in the cave our first day and meeting Sebastian and his friends. Having a lecture by Patrick in the cave was also interesting. I didn’t join the students on a late at night escapade in search of Bernache --which is an oxymoron for wine since the just beginning to ferment grape juice has very little alcohol in the “Bernache”--- in fact it is 98 % sugar . They returned high on sugar. Nor did I experience the bike trip back from Chenonceau . The bike trip there was sufficient. In any case, I wanted to retain my health and sanity for the rest of the trip. I did enjoy the conversation with the students about our school of architecture in the Shaker Bar overlooking the Loire and the Amboise Chateau. I also enjoyed a great Nordic salmon salad and a fabulous beer as the students had their Zombie, Lipstick and their gallon drinks of rum. The biking to Chenonceau was fun but it was also a lot of work for me. I, nevertheless, not only stayed up with most of them, but given my weight, I was also able to pass everyone going downhill. Gravity does have its advantages.
Zurich, Vals and Basil, Switzerland
My first concern was Hotel X-Tra. As planned, it was only a ten-minute walk from the train station, but when we arrived it was surrounded by young people drinking beer and waiting to crash the big concert happening next door. It seemed like a rowdy neighborhood and this certainly did not come out in its advertisements on the Internet. But after one day, I realized that the hotel was an excellent choice as the area quieted down for the weekend and the modern facilities and forever hot showers were really appreciated by the students. The thrill started the next day with the visit to the Rietberg Museum in Zurich. During my visit last year, we only got to see the entrance but now we had “free” entry to the entire underground museum. It was a wonder of Swiss craftsmanship joined with Austrian architectural talents. Minimalist in form, it was extraordinarily complex in structural details and materials. The pavilion appeared to float into the surrounding foliage and sky. Downstairs there was an breathtaking exhibit of Asian and African art combined with a fascinating contemporary exhibit on Ankor Wat and Cambodian art. The students were quickly absorbed in studying both the collection and the exhibition.
As if on cue, the sun came out for our afternoon visit in Zurich to a housing complex. Called Limmatwest, it was constructed in metal and steal. A multitude of garden roofs and balconies defied its basic industrial look. While its ground level was cold and somewhat desolate, it seemed to come to life as you up into its upper stories and crossed over its outdoor bridges. It was one of the few if not only housing projects we ever looked at. It was a good change to the more high profile museums that were on our schedule.
That evening we had a great group dinner in Zurich with every type of sausage appearing on the different students’ plates. I will never forget Judy’s eyes popping when a two foot long sausage appeared hanging over both sides of her plate.
The next day we experiencd an incredible ride up the mountain pass to Vals where the spectacular mountain scenery was only interrupted by a visit to an equally spectacular set of stainless steal outdoor toilets. They were so completely detailed in seamless stainless and so completely worked out in their washing and cleaning apparatus that we gawked and photographed them as if they were great pieces of architecture. In some ways they were.
The Baths by Peter Zumthur continue to work their magic quickly seducing our students who rarely experience an architecture with all their senses. The smells and sounds of the bath were as important as the quality of light, surfaces of stone and careful use of materials. They seemed to feel their way around the spaces dipping into the water, closing their eyes and relishing the intimate spaces that Peter Zumthor brilliantly orchestrated. As we headed back down the mountain, several students told me that this was the best day of their lives. Perhaps they were over enthusiastic. I am sure there will be other “best days” but this one certainly touched many of our students and reminded us of the many dimensions and ways architecture can affect us.
After two great experiences at Rietberg Museum and the Baths at Vals, I was surprised that the Beyeler Museum in Basil so captivated our group. After a brief introduction by me, they quickly became immersed in the details, materials and spaces of this exquisite museum, perhaps one of Renzo Piano’s best buildings. The students were equally impressed with the collection that seemed to only stand out as an equal partner to the architecture of the museum building. In fact, a group of students decided to remain an additional hour as the rest of us toured Basil, a far more lively downtown when compared to Zurich.
That evening we arrived at the completely contrasting Saline Royale, the salt factory designed by Claude Nicolas Ledoux in the 18th century in Arc et Senans. It was such a dramatic change for our group. However, once they spread out in the dormitory rooms and realized that the entire campus of buildings was completely theirs, they began to explore the multiple gardens that circumscribe the central campus. Five or six of us formed a single line as we groped our way in the dark through the mysterious labyrinths. It was thus with many squeals of delight that we celebrated Sarah’s birthday. This adventure provided a wonderful introduction to the next day’s Halloween celebration.
The museum of models by Ledoux were beautifully exhibited and provided a great source of drawings by the students. Overall the campus provided a wonderful home for dinners and an extraordinary Halloween party that is best described by others. On the final day residing at Arc et Senans, we visited the close by pilgrimage church by Le Corbusier. The sky was blue, the light was brilliant and the extraordinary building left us all with nothing but awe and respect for this extraordinary architect.
We left the next day from Beaune. Before our departure on the fast train back to Paris, we spent a few hours in the wonderful Hospices de Beaune as well as walking through this lively and joyous city of Beaune. All in all, it was an extraordinary trip full of so many memorial works of architecture.
