Shedd Aquarium Chicago IL

When I was growing up I visited this aquarium almost once a year, so much so that it started to seem common.  The front facade is roman and matches the nearby Field Museum.  The columns are a few stories tall and the building is on the Lake Michigan shore.

The entrance is very grand with ceilings that are several stories high.  This room is very memorable, almost more interesting than the exotic fish inside the tanks.












Much of the rest of the aquarium is what I assume most aquariums are like, though I have not visited very many.  The amphitheater that they have shows with some of the larger animals has a row of windows that overlooks Lake Michigan.  I think that this is a classic version of what an aquarium looks like.

360 Bridge Austin TX

This bridge, officially named the Pennybacker Bridge after the designer, spans Lake Austin through Loop 360.  Coming from the south there are limestone cliffs that the road cuts through, then it opens to a view of the surrounding hills and lake with the bridge.

The bridge is constructed of steel that has a rusted finish with
out support beams that touch the water.  In the Texas hill country there are a good number of bridges, but most have supports that go down to the water.  This bridge has lines that reach down from the steel arch to support the road.

I think that it complements the surrounding area very well, the bank of the lake along one side is a golf course so its always green.  It's a beautiful piece of architecture for the public.

OSU CononcoPhillips Alumni Center Stillwater OK

We talked in class about how the architecture at OU was diverse throughout the campus, but Oklahoma State's campus was fairly uniform to a certain style.  I attended OSU during my freshman year and living on campus I spent time in several buildings.  This building I actually mostly just walked or drove past, but I went to some sort of event there during my first visit to OSU.  My dad attended OSU during graduate school, though I grew up knowing little about the school. When I was applying to schools during high school he mentioned that I should apply just to see if I got any scholarship offers.  I applied and got an offer, but I had never visited Stillwater.  They were having something for alumni so my parents and I visited the campus.  There really was not much to do in Stillwater, so this event somewhat sticks out.

The outside of the building does not seem to match the surrounding buildings due to the outer walkway.  Unless seen from above it sticks out somewhat on that campus.  I often used the walkway because I had a few classes nearby and it always seemed to be raining in Stillwater that year.

The inside has a large ballroom for these alumni gatherings, with windows along one wall which was nice.  Outside of the ballroom there is a huge living rooms with a massive fireplace.  There is kind of a alumni museum down a large hallway.

The fireplace is the almost the height of a one-story house, with a staircase behind it that goes to an upper loft floor.

Perla's Seafood and Oyster Bar Austin TX

There is a lot of architecture in the city of Austin that is very interesting.  Many new constructions or renovations in South Austin use a modern approach, with certain touches that draw it back into the style of the region.  Both of my brothers live there so I'm in the city quite often and when I was trying to think of a good example of architecture in Austin I thought about this restaurant.  It was opened five years ago, I've only been there once to eat with one of my friends that recently moved to Austin.

When I went there I actually did not experience the things I like most about this restaurant's architecture.  We went at night, during the winter, so we did not sit on the patio which is the best feature of this restaurant in my opinion.  The patio is very inviting, it's a little oasis shaded by spanish oaks just steps away from one of the busiest streets in Austin, South Congress.  When we went it was winter, they actually had a pavilion constructed around the patio so that it could still be used.


The building's construction is modern, but not in a jarring way, to me it almost complements the trees and the intimate nature of the patio.  The windows let in light, though when I went it was night and the light system is quite dim.  The inside is very classic, with clean colors and little touches throughout.  The design is reminiscent of any seafood restaurant, but a little nicer.  There is a large fish tank in front of the concrete bar.  I think that this restaurant is a very good example of how modern design can be used to complement regional design.

Cain's Ballroom Tulsa OK

I listen to music constantly though out the day, live music is really a passion but it's hard to go to concerts in the Midwest I feel like.  Acts might play in Dallas, but many musicians avoid Oklahoma by the large.  Luckily there is one venue in Oklahoma that actually draws artists to play there, I've been there twice.

The first time I was a freshman at Oklahoma State, I actually went to a concert there with four or five people that were going to OU.  We went to see a band called Ghostland Observatory, the show being great, even though we had not planned the trip out very well.  We ended up staying in a motel for the night, even though we had planned on driving back to Norman after the concert.  I was not overly impressed with the appearance of Cain's, but I've realized at this point that appearances aren't always the deciding factor.

The acoustics in Cain's are great, they have a great sound system and I guess the general layout just works great for music shows.  It's one of the best places to see live music in my opinion, because music just sounds good throughout the whole venue.  One of my friends from Tulsa has mentioned to me that apparently the dance floor is spring loaded and moves up and down. I was skeptical of this being true, but apparently the maple dance floor rests on some Dodge truck springs.

Red Prime Steak Oklahoma City OK

I love to eat, but being a broke college student it's not often that I get to go to fancy places like this.  My mom and some more of my family came to visit me on her birthday, for some reason she decided that's what she wanted to do for her birthday.  I figured it was a good enough excuse to go somewhere nice and one of my friends had told me about this place in OKC so I suggested we try it out before a concert.

I think this place usually books up pretty quick and they are open some weird hours, because we luckily got there right when they were opening so we were able to sit at the bar and eat before everything became reserved.  I think that the experience would have been much cooler if we had gone at night but we had plans.  The design utilizes these red light bars throughout the restaurant that act almost like corridors of light.

I really like how the lights and the "wine rack" are used basically as walls, the restaurant is very open.  There aren't many decorations, though the abundant light use makes the space appear very colorful.  The front is very simply designed, during the day it's not extremely noticeable.  At night it draws the eyes towards it.  Probably my favorite thing about this restaurant's architecture is the "wine rack" that is made of a grid of metal wires, it separates the bar from the rest of the restaurant.

Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium Norman OK

Football is such an integral part of American culture, although I've never been a football player I suppose I can be considered a lifetime fan.  Going to school here at OU, I've been immersed into a culture that is rooted with a strong tradition of football pride.  Few football programs can measure up to the program that OU has, I think that in many ways the stadium reflects that.  Being inside for a game is truly an experience to rival any other football game, the size of the stadium being a large part of that experience.

It's a little odd, being around such a stadium everyday, for such a huge thing to become commonplace.  Driving by the Oklahoma sign everyday makes me think about how weird it will feel when I don't see it daily, or walking by the clock side of the stadium.  It's presence is constant, something I will remember about my college days for my entire life.

On game day the stadium's presence is alive and vibrant, almost every weekend during football season seems to be an event.  Being outside of the stadium is as impressive was being within, though the fervor of a game makes the inside more exciting.