Design, Art, and Fiction

GE April 4, 2016

Fondazione Prada is an institution dedicated to contemporary art and culture as well. On May 2015 they opened to the public its new permanent venue in Milan. Luckily I went to Milan just in time to visit Fondazione Prada´s exhibitions.

It is a very interesting museum, most exhibits include a lot of abstract art. What I found to be the most amusing, was the architectural design of the museum itself. I do not know much about architecture. But my family has always been very involved in it, giving me a good sense of what great architecture is really about. Every corner of Fondazione Prada has a gorgeous and fine design. Good thing I happened to visit the museum with my brother and cousin which are both architects.

My cousin Eugenio, myself and my brother Stefano.

Never underestimate de power of a gold wall.

Do you know Wes Anderson? He is the film maker behind The Grand Budapest Hotel, Moonrise Kingdom and many others. If you love his movies and style used in them, you need to go to Bar Luce. It is a café designed by the great director, located inside Fondazione Prada. Just by sitting at a table you feel like you are taking part of a Wes Anderson film set in a 1950´s or 60´s Milano.

Fondazione Prada is a bit far from the historic centre but definitely worth going.

-Greta

One of the best views of the castle and park.

Treasures of Milan

GE March 25, 2016

Walking all day in the city can get pretty tiring. Not only physically but mentally. It is a good idea to find a space in your schedule where you can relax your mind and body. If yoga is not an option, you can always rely on finding a beautiful park to let your mind rest.

I am very intense while traveling. No matter what, I have to wake up early and do as much as possible every day. I love my crazy traveling days even though I end up exhausted. This is why last summer I decided to take off an evening from being a tourist and visited Parco Sempione.

Parco Sempione is located in the historic center of Milan. So far it is my favorite park in Milan. During the summer there is so much life. People playing soccer, running or just hanging out. It is the perfect place to get away from the chaos in the Piazza di Duomo area.

The park was established in 1888 and designed by Emilio Alemagna. He created beautiful panoramic views by contrasting the Castello Sforzesco and the Arco della Pace (two of the main landmarks in Milan).

If you happen to be in Milan, do not forget to visit Parco Sempione and explore its many wonders.

-Greta.

All Roads Lead to Rome

GE September 12, 2015

Finally Roma!! I had never visited before. We all have a lot of references about what Rome looks like but what it feels like to be walking through its streets and ruins is a completely different story.

Probably one of the most recognized landmarks of Rome is the Colosseum. It was built between 70-80 A.D, started by Emperor Vespasian and finished by his son Titus. The amphitheater could seat around 50,000 people. All sorts of games and entertainment could be seen at the Colosseum, from gladiator fights to naval combats (yes, somehow they flooded the arena for this).

It truly is an architectural masterpiece. Of course the building by itself is stunning but even the small details in the inside show that Romans had brilliant minds. For example, along the staircases there is a small canal used to drain the water out of the building, possibly very useful for cleaning.

The Roman Forum was the main plaza of ancient Rome. Surrounded by government buildings, citizens would meet here for political or economical business. Being able to walk through the Roman ruins is just incredible. It gives us a better understanding of how the Roman Empire became so powerful. In my opinion the key was not only to have a strong army but to use their architects and engineers at their fullest potential.

There is so much to discover in Rome. You can be walking around the narrow streets, not really knowing where to go and all of a sudden end up standing right in front of a magnificent ancient building, like the Pantheon.

The Pantheon is thought to be almost 2,000 years old. Aside from standing in perfect shape, the Pantheon´s elegance and explicit design is a very good example of the great architecture implemented by the Roman Empire. At first it was built as a temple to all gods but later was turned into a church, historians think this is one of the reasons why it has survived. It is very famous for its dome. The dome´s weight would have been to heavy to be supported, so Roman engineers made the walls thinner on the upper part and also used lighter materials. Also the distance from the top to the floor is proportional to its diameter making the design even more impressive! (I was lucky to be traveling with my dad who is an architect).

I learned so much about the greatness of the Roman Empire but specially the understanding of the "All roads lead to Rome" saying.

-Greta

Photos by Greta Elizondo and Gabriela Garcia.

Another Pointe