Grant Associates, Forest of Imagination, is a pop up arts festival located in and around the UK. The interesting thing about this architectural project is that it was created with the architects along with local businesses, schools and artists. The point of this pop of festivals is to stimulate creativity and fun for a short weekend. The festival illuminates the “potential of landscape architecture.” The festival has impacted the cities positively and “increases visitor numbers, collaborators and funding.” The collaboration of architecture, art and fun makes this project a site to be seen.

https://grant-associates.uk.com/projects/forest-of-imagination

This building is the movie theater in my hometown of Orinda, California. The outside of the building has a missive, classic movie theater facade. The facade has bright neon lights that you can see from the freeway and really is the face of the town. Anyone driving by going to the city almost forced to see it, especially at night when the lights are really bright. I really like this as it almost gives the town spirit.

The inside of the building is completley different than atleast I would have expected. Instead of the modern theater, it gives off more of a god/goddess vibe. The walls are painted with old paintings of people, however the ceiling is more futuristic with the neon lights. For me this building is very nostalgic and will always hold a special place in my heart.

The Barangaroo South Public Domain is located in Sydney, Australia, and is an arts district that attracts more than 20,000 people daily. The Grant Associates are currently working on a project to build a cove and waterfront park in the district. The plans include creating a waterfront walkway and pier alongside shops and restaurants. The goal is to create a cove that will allow visitors to overlook Sydney’s Harbour. Essentially it will be a pedestrian-friendly place for people to socialize and have a good time. The project is set to be complete in 2021. Pictured are digital representations of the future finished product.

This work was designed and executed by Grant Associates in Singapore. Singapore is home to many architectural wonders and is known for its intricate and brilliant architecture. The Gardens by the Bay is a structure composed of two cooled conservatories that harbor environmental and indigenous structures. These structures attract many people all over Singapore. Some interesting design details include the use 226,000 plants from almost every continent, various sections of the gardens replicate different regional climates and there is a mountain waterfall. There are various attractions made for various groups of people. On the attraction’s website, visitors can plan their trip based on the group they are traveling with and the activities they want to do.

The creative piece by MRVDV was an instant attention grabber to me. When I first looked at the piece I immediately thought it looked like a flying carpet. My instincts were right as the architect meant it to look like a carpet. I found this to be a very intriguing design, odd in fact and that is what makes me like it even more. The architecture really speaks “modern art” to me and almost doesn’t even feel like a building which another interesting concept to me.

To top the intriguing architecture, the usage of the space is just as amazing. You can actually walk all over the top of the building, in fact its actually a park. Beneath its carpet park top layer resides a music and arts center below. The center has a music/cinema complex, a conference center, and a museum for the arts where they hold events. You can reach the carpet top from the rooftop terrace above the venue as well.

Cattle Men’s Steak House in Fort Worth, Texas, located in the Fort Worth Stockyards, is the most famous restaurant in this area. It has a very western-style design that makes it so appealing to the viewer and makes it a true experience for the visitor. I chose this restaurant to showcase mostly for the interior of the building. I remember the first time I went into Cattle Men’s and I remember the experience of the matching ambiance of the restaurant to the rest of the stockyards.

The elements that play into the design that give it the feeling that is desired is first, the exterior. The outside of the building is wood paneled and has a western-style porch look. The signage on the outside is a western font with lights, the other source of exterior lighting is the small pendant lights that are shaped like lanterns. The interior of the building has more ambient lighting and has western-style decor, as well as artwork and pictures that show history of Fort Worth and the family that founded Cattle Men’s.

While traveling through Europe my favorite activity in each new city was to walk through downtown and observe the architecture and vibe of the people. While walking through Sweden I noticed a massive orange pillar towering above the surrounding city, I didn’t know at the time but it was the Stadsbiblioteket, a Stockholm Public Library. This building was designed without a lot of ornamentation, but rather a monumentality greater than expected from a building that size. It was also designed as a public space to bring people together, and was one of the first modern libraries of Sweden. I first explored the entire exterior of the building and learned it was nearly the same from all sides minus a doorway. I also learned that it was open and I ventured inside, as I walked through the unassuming entrance I didn’t expect three stories of books 360 degrees around me, and I was amazed at the immensity of the building. The building was not quite as you’d expect a library, but rather bustling and filled with life, which was unusual for but still nice. This building made me feel comfortable, looking at the massive construction it is wonderful that such a warm atmosphere was able to be established.