I can't even begin to tell you how much we have! Bin upon Bin upon Bin.
It is the primary toy my boys ask for for Christmas and Birthdays- along with money so they can buy.......... more LEGO!! There isn't a day that goes by when I don't step on a piece, kick a piece, find them on MY bedside table (not put there by me!).
So where am I going with all this? Well...... LEGO has sets for those of us that are huge fans of Architecture-most notably buildings.
My favourite out of all of them are the following by Architect Frank Lloyd Wright. I love Frank Lloyd Wright! I love his use of line and his connection to the environment with which he builds. I could write a posting or two just about him- maybe I will, hmmmm..........
After seeing these LEGO sets I got to thinking about the ones I would love to see as part of the Architecture Series. Here is a list of the ones I would love to own. They are not in any particular order:
I Love Frank Gehry (fellow Canuck!). He thinks so differently. To me his architecture looks like a beautiful puzzle box that has been sprung open-and his use of metal just adds to the architecture-LOVE IT!
This building in Dubai is an engineering wonder. I love how it twists- It is the furthest leaning tower in the world, further than the Leaning Tower of Pisa! It was built to lean 18 degrees westward- AWESOME!
There are 12 slabs/panels that are stacked on top of each other consisting of saturated hues that contrast with white. The colors are stacked in a way so that they transition in color until they disappear into the sky- how cool is that?
I remember studying this Mosque in school- it was orginally a Christian Cathedral but later became a mosque. It is currently undergoing a huge reno inside. If you think it is stunning on the outside you should see whats inside- gold, soaring arches and Mosaics everywhere- can't wait to see this in real life one day!
This building was constructed with 6 sections interlinking to create it's shape- how amazing is this? Love it!
I don't think my list could be complete without including some ancient architecture. I have always admired the Parthenon. It's so majestic, so strong. It's so hard to believe we still get to wonder at it, that it is still here. Just think- they didn't have cranes, they didn't have computers, they didn't have re-bar! But here it still is. I would love to have this one on my shelf.
Again, another wonder. It leaves me in awe-it really does! I would love to build this one-what with all of it's arches!
I can't even imagine how they would do this one- but it would be one of my first choices if they were able to do it! Antoni Gaudi was one of the most amazing Art Nouveau artists of all time. Have you ever seen something that was so organic that wasn't made by Mother Earth herself? It started to be built in 1882 and is STILL being built/finished today. Hopefully it will be finished in my lifetime.
Now for my final pick. There are so many other Architectural Wonders I could have picked- maybe I will do another post about them sometime! But I think I have saved my favourite for last. I love Cathedrals- I could go into every one of them in Europe and NEVER get bored. Have you ever had the chance to be in one? Words cannot describe what it is like- it is so overwhelming to be in such a grand space. There is so much to take in and look at. I have been lucky enough to be in a few- Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral and Peterborough Cathedral. But there are so many others I want to see. Some like Cologne Cathedral in Germany-now that is an architectural wonder. Or Notre Dame in Paris-isn't that a required stop when in Paris? But I think my favourite stop would be AMIEN CATHEDRAL in Amien, France. It is the biggest and tallest Cathedral in France. It is also a World Heritage Site. Oh how I would love to see it- if I had to pick between Notre Dame and Amien- I would take Amien anyday my friend. The carvings alone could keep me busy studying and looking all day. The height-oh the height! The Flying Buttrusses! Those are arm like structures that are attached to the outer walls to keep the structure together-and they are called "flying" because they have arches in them and are not solid like regular buttresses. It is the greatest example in my humble opinion you will ever see of flying buttresses anywhere. You can thank Gothic architecture for providing the world with 3 major things- The Gothic Arch-without this you could not have soaring arches,it provides support, The Buttress-again provides support, and finally Ribbed Vaulting. There are other things that Gothic architecture provided-however without these 3 vital things Catherals in particular could never have soared as high as they did. And again-without computers people! Can you tell I am a huge fan of Gothic architecture and Cathedrals in general?
Well I think that is it for now. I have shown you a small glimpse into our little world of LEGO and that LEGO isn't just for little guys, but is for Kids of all ages! Can't wait to get some of these sets and start building-will keep you informed as to how that is going!
Talk to you soon. Have a great day.
Megan
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