Lens Artist, Tina Schell hosts us this week to find interesting architecture in Challenge #73. You can’t imagine the wonderful treasures in her post. The artists hope you’ll join them this week with some interesting architecture from around the corner or around the world. She also reminds us to “as always please stay safe and be kind.”
I’m going to add a little Public Art for Cee’s 21st post since art and architecture often go together.
Public art encompasses any form of art you see in a public place, large or small, statues, murals, graffiti, gardens, parks, etc. The art should be visible from streets, sidewalks, or outdoor public places. Let your imagination and photographic eye show us diverse samples all over the world.
Early New World Brick Buildings
“Even a brick wants to be something.”
-Louis Kahn
A Little History
Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia served as the capital of Virginia as well as the hub for the Revolutionary War. You can’t see the plan of the Capitol building from this perspective, but if you could look down from a plane, you would see it is shaped like an H. This H-shaped Capitol Building accommodated the governmental division between the upper and lower legislative houses.
In this Capitol, Virginia lawmakers pledged their lives and fortunes by declaring their freedom from England and forever changed the course of history in the New World.
During the week our group of teachers stayed in Colonial Williamsburg, some of us had the opportunity to make bricks by squishing mud and straw together with our feet.
Both residential and commercial buildings in Colonial Williamsburg were also made of brick.
During our teacher institute in Colonial Williamsburg, we researched one influential person in the late 1700s and (sort of) remained in character throughout the week. I was honored to become Clementina Rind, one of the first female newspaper editors in the country. This was her home.
“Architecture is inhabited sculpture.”
– Constantin Brancusi
Newer Old Architecture
If you have been to New York, you probably saw the Empire State Building. I don’t know whether it’s insulting or complementary to copy, but Las Vegas has made a fortune doing it. There’s an unexplainable attraction to squeezing so many replicas of the world’s architectural wonders into a walkable distance.
Outside of the building are my examples of public art for the week – a fake Statue Of Liberty and a rollercoaster. There is much to say about Las Vegas in general, but one thing about the architecture on Las Vegas Boulevard is that the buildings are inhabited sculptures.
“I like ruins because what remains is not the total design, but the clarity of thought, the naked structure, the spirit of the thing.”
–Tadao Ando
Ancient Architecture
The final examples of architecture I want to share with you are here in Arizona in a place called Tuzigoot National Monument. Click the link to read my response to an early Which Way Challenge of Cee’s about Tuzigoot.
Cliff Dwelling foundations 
Cross-section of Tuzigoot home 
Looking out of a Tuzigoot home
Now it’s your turn.
Do you enjoy writing challenge posts? Some people like to tell their personal stories with pictures. This is one way to tell your story or share your photos and have instant responses. Don’t forget to include links back to the hosts, so they (and their other participants) can respond back to you.
Marsha Ingrao - Always Write 
38 responses to “LAPC #173: Architecture and PPAC #21”
The architecture along Las Vegas Boulevard is so interesting with its high rises, iconic replicas, and influences from various styles– it’s almost like a big kid playground.
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That’s exactly what it’s like, Julie! 🙂
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I spent quite a while searching through my main supply of photos and labeling them architecture in Bridge. But so many of my architecture pictures are not fabulous. Either the picture is not great, or the architecture is not stunning.
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Excellent variety and a bit history as well! Love your Tuzigoot and the dividing of the text into different periods of architecture.
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Thanks Leya. There’s is so much interesting architecture, and it’s so hard to decide what to share, isn’t it?
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It really is. Only sometimes it is easy!
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Thanks for joining us this week Marsha. Williamsburg was a great idea. I’ve not been there in many years but remember it well. We have a similar spot here, not nearly as extensive, at Middleton Place. Always a fun visit. Your images are a fond reminder for me and your post is an excellent mix of themes!
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Thank you, Tina. It’s always a challenge to support all the challenge hosts without overwhelming your readers with too many posts. 🙂
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You are right, art and architecture do go together real well Thanks Marsha 😀
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It’s funny, though I couldn’t find too many pictures I hadn’t already used of the two together in which they were both good pictures. And I didn’t take additional pictures of the buildings if I did of the statue or vice versa. 🙂
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I love “architecture is inhabited sculpture.”
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Isn’t that a great quote? This was a fun post to do. You could do a great post on architecture, my dear friend. 🙂
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I loved Colonial Williamsburg and not just for the buildings – the costumed enactors were wonderful, staying so in character and in period 😀 Tuzigoot looks really interesting too. We went to similar places in NM but missed out on this when in AZ years ago!
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Yes, I didn’t give them any credit, but they were amazing. When teachers go through this week-long program, they interview these actors, and they have professors speak about various topics in classroom settings. The days started at about 7:00 am with breakfast at one of the taverns with a lecture from the “tavern owner”, and ended at 9:00 pm with a dance, or concert, or night walk through town. It was AMAZING! Tuzigoot was amazing, but no guides. 🙂
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Oh, excellent variety!
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Masonic lodge looks grand!
Love your collection
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Thank you, I’ve never taken the time to share them and use that experience to the fullest in my blog. It was an amazing week and I have hundreds of photos.
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Fantastic!
Hope to see them soon.
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So many ideas! 🙂
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Great selections Marsha. Williamsburg! I was there when I was smmmaaaallll. 🙂
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What a great introduction to the history of our country, John! Glad you got to see it. It was a highlight for me.
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To enhance your choices even more, imagine an actual pic of Manhattan, think about the number of types of architecture would be in that image. Wow! Way to meet the challenge, Marsha.
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Yes, I wish I had a picture like that. 🙂
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The Vegas one also works.
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I have a ton of Vegas building pictures. I even have a set of pictures I did close up of the statues outside. I’m just not sure where they are.
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This is a great response to the Lens Artists challenge Marsha!
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Thanks, Anne. I sort of followed my quotes and let them guide my choices. 🙂
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Colonial Williamsburg is such a wonderful place to visit…
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Isn’t it? I loved it so much that Vince and I went back the next year.
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I’ve often wondered what it would have been like to have taught at WIlliam and Mary…
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Did you ever have the opportunity? That is not something I ever thought about! 🙂
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it is one of the schools I had given some thought to, but never followed through with. I was quite happy, and lucky, to get a job at Villanova…
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I am glad that you had a fulfilling job, Jim. I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work in a place that would allow me to attend an institute in Colonial Williamsburg. My sights did not go any higher than that, nor did my credentials. I stopped at a Master’s Degree. 🙂
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sounds like a rewarding job, and a master’s degree is quite impressive!
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Really??? I worked hard to get it, and it allowed me to have a job that I loved, but now, I don’t think I’m impressing too many people. I’m still me. 🙂 But thanks for being impressed. You made my day, Jim! 🙂
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it’s always nice when hard work pays off!
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Yes, it is. I feel very fortunate to have had those opportunities.
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👍
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