Life Changing Experience

When I was in preschool I was an active and noisy little girl. During that time a have lots of friends that surrounds me. I was so happy when I attend school to see my friends.

            But when I was in my 2nd grade, I already experience bullying by my boys classmates. At first I let them do whatever they want as long as they don’t physically hurt me. At first I thought I can handle it, but I was wrong inside it was so painful it hurts so much, that’s why I learn to defend myself from them but it become worse every single day. I didn’t tell to my parents about that, but my mom notice something different and she talks to me I cried to her that I can’t handle it anymore it was when I was in my 4th grade already. Then I was transferred in different school. I thought it will be different this time. I try to gain my old self. But it becomes worse, worse than the last time to the point he tag along the name of my mother into his crazy game. I was so pissed that I cried out loud in to me classroom that I almost want to hit him. And at that time I told my mom what king of torture that they do to me. They called into guidance and they were forced to say sorry to me but I know they will do much torture to. So I requested to change classroom so that I will not see them anymore I stay at that school for 2 years until I graduated from 6th grade.

            When I was in high school I was so scared to be a new student. I was scared if it will happen again, if that will happened again I can’t handle it anymore. But it turns out no one does that and by the time I gain again the true smile that I was lost during my elementary days. And also my dad became strict at first I don’t really get it but when I heard him that during I was in elementary I always cry because of the boys that bullying me. I think that’s also the reason that he doesn’t want me to be near from the boys, maybe he was thinking I cried and had taken so much pain from the boys that it will not happened again. And he always says to my brother to take care of me that no boys can hurt me. 

Cultural Center of the Philippines

          Last time during our THEDES2 class, we were tasked to make a critique for the CCP or also known as the Cultural Center of the Philippines. I will give brief background of the CCP. It was built during 1966 by Arch. Leandro Locsin, who is the national artist of the Philippine Architecture during 1990. It was made for promoting and preserving Filipino arts and culture. And this is also a place where the best of the best artist all over the country and even in the world were gathered and graced the CCP galleries and theaters. As the years past the cultural Center of the Philippines or CCP become an iconic structure in the Philippines.

     Leandro Locsin was known for his style in his structure. His style was very transparent in his works. He was known of using concrete materials, floating volume and simplistic design. And this style of him was applied in Cultural Center of the Philippines. His style that his using can be defined as the Brutalist Architecture, it was because of the presence of the raw concrete that his using and also the presence of the characteristic of a brutalism style. We can say that most of his works are massive and simple.

CCP or Cultural Canter of the Philippines    

 It’s me in the photo :)

Start of the tour with my blockmates

       Last Wednesday, June 29, I and my friends decided to visit the CCP, it’s not my first time to see CCP but it’s my first time to see it up close and personal. I just always see it far away from me, but I always struck by its simplistic beauty. And that day I took the opportunity to go and feel the building. When we were outside of the building I feel great, because everything that I see please my eyes and even the feeling that the structure that is throwing out in me. By looking at it I felt the mystery, the hardness and most of all the difference. This is what I always feel even I was in distance.

Right side of the CCP

     We go around the building for a while. And for a moment I observed the structure, the structure itself still throwing that kind of ambiance that a can feel when I was looking it in distance. At first I thought when I come closer it will be different that it will change my first expression of it, but no, it still the same, at first I’m kind of confused about it. But as I go on at took some pictures it become clear for me why I get that king of ambience again and again. 

                     

My mysterious feeling:

            For the entire tour outside even I only see limited parts of it, it was enough. Every angle that I look at it can see the mystery of the building. This is just what I can feel and also based on my observation, that CCP was surrounded by a mystery it can be good and it can be bad. We cannot predict what always happened inside because of its features of limited windows and the whole building was enclosed that you as a normal person you don’t have any idea how important or how interesting the event that is happening inside. The only clue that we can relay is the poster that’s the mystery. In a way it can be positive because of twist that you don’t know what kind of event it is you can feel the excitement. For me mysteries also an important feeling for a structure because you cannot predict what is going on until you, personally know it. This is the feeling that keeps the building alive, being unpredictable and throws the feeling of excitement or which can us also say the curiosity of the viewer.

            And also the color ad’s up the thrill of the building. Leandro Locsin use a natural color of the concrete was applied in the whole structure. This tone of colors added the mysterious feeling that gather inside my body.

  

The enormous ramp in the façade, I may say it also adds up the mystery. Many different kind of people is always to drop off. It feels like you were very important guest and the people around you doesn’t know what is your status that gives the mystery we never know who is dropping of in that enormous ramp. But still it gives you the importance. That one of my favorite features in CCP.

The feeling of Hardness:

     Personally speaking I’m not a fan of Brutalist Architecture. I have different view of my style “I’m still searching it” but not really fan of it. That way I feel this way the hardness of the structure. For me it’s not easy, it’s like that I lifting something inside me that it’s hard, it’s heavy. This makes me uneasy in the whole building. The reason behind this is the volume of the structure, especially to the hang over in the façade. It’s huge that gives you the illusion that it is floating. This is what I feel, the feeling that any time it can be collapse and fall in you. But as I observed the reason why it still strong is the curve columns and beams that is placed inside and maybe it was also connected to the curve column that surrounds the whole structure. But I can say that I didn’t expect that the style that was applied in CCP can make me say wow to brutalist Architecture. This experience let me feel what you will feel in this kind of style. And this is a great example and knowledge to know or to find your style. You can form different perspective in your life by this kind of experience.

              

The feeling of Difference:

            What it made different? I may say it because of its elements in design. The elements that the arch. Leandro Locsin used are the lines (straight and curve), texture, shape and movement (repetition). He used two different types of line to represent the edge but flow; he used also two type of texture that pops out the structure, as I observed he used different kinds of materials in the body of the building and to its overhang, in this he emphasize the overhang to its body. He applied two types of shape the rectangular and the curve shape. And also he used repetitions in the building as I notice there is always contrast in the building. It always shows difference, for me as the viewer this kind of contrast help the building to become a great structure. As this contrast applied in the building it makes the illusion of floating. It makes the whole building floating into air. And that is one key feature in modernist style that is present in brutalist style.  

   And every time I pass through CCP it always stands out, it’s like the building has a charm that can catch the attention of the viewer. It always calls your attention, that the charm that it has. And what also it makes stand out, it also because of its surroundings. Thankfully the government didn’t put huge buildings besides the CCP that can take over its attention.

 As we finish observing the outside, we now go to its interior. The first thing that amazed me is the stairs. It was so awesome that it was made of pure concrete it’s my first time to see concrete stair case that is remands me of Zaha Hadid’s work, it’s because of its shape the curve shapes that connects to the upper floors and also the flow of the stairs. It was elegant and massive. The stair case is my favorite element in the ccp. When I walk in the stair I feel like I’m a very important person that is walking in a huge and elegant stair case. And it also become stand out by the using of the red carpet it adds the elegance in the stair case.

view from the ground floor

view from the 4th floor

At the first floor we have seen this wall art of Jose Rizal. This wall art was beautiful and full of meaning and representation of what the artist want to tell to the viewer. But the combination of the lighting and the color of the carpet give also the elegance in the hallway. It still has the connection of the feelings in the staircase and over views the huge chandeliers. As we go deeper inside the CCP, we go through museum which we look at the works of the great artist. As we entered inside the museum I started the feeling of being uncomfortable, I think because of the art works that looks like they staring at me, that’s creeps me. But as we go inside I see the difference of the inside and the outside of ccp in outside it was well preserved but in some part inside it was not taken care of well and the style that is shown outside was not really well shown inside its looked they already taken of the past interiors. And as we explore more we smell the unpleasant smell that is running around inside the whole building and that’s what makes me more uncomfortable.

But over all I had fun in exploring the building and I’ve so some new things that can help me in designing a structure. This building must preserve because it is the pride of the Philippine artist like us.