Places that inspire us

March 22, 2016
Architecture has a way of inspiring everyone, including architects themselves. Often something can piqué their interest early in a project, nurture their passion, or motivate them to influence the lives of others. Take a look at the architecture that inspires some of INVISION’s experts and how it impacts them.

Eric Ritland—The Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The building inspires me because of the innovative design solution within the traditional neighborhood. It is positioned and skinned to welcome natural light and is a great example of modern mid-century design that has improved with age.

Zhivko Radev—It is difficult to name just one. From Egyptian pyramids to Burj Khalifa, always and everywhere there have been architectural and engineering masterpieces created. If I need to name one that will be La Sagrada Familia. That building just fascinates me with its absurdity.

Roland Ganter—The Eiffel Tower. Climbing up something tall — a tree, a hill, a hill, a mountain, a building — has always been thrilling to me. What could be better than a view of Paris from above? The building itself was — and still is — strikingly modern but now also a great historic monument. It is a fantastic example of how the exposed structure of a building can be beautiful without any (or very little) adornment. It also has such a fascinating history and was a monumental feat of engineering at the time.

Justin Bailey—I’m drawn to the Salk Institute by its ability to soften concrete and marble by forming and rhythmically texturing at a human scale while using material and building forms to create instinctual movement. The strategic use of sunlight is incomparable to what all the textbooks talk about. Well done Louis, well done indeed.

Hovey Brom — Nazareth Chapel, Cedar Falls. It affects you spiritually, calming you and giving you a feeling of repose and peace. It is a powerful and unique space in our busy, busy world to gather your thoughts.

Xianli Zeng — Barcelona Pavilion is my favorite building. Its features minimalism that conveys an attitude of simplicity in life. The building has simple form but a hybrid structure system. It inspires me to use essential elements to achieve multiple functions, and eventually present simple and elegant architecture.