whitecat
Lone Range(find)er
Planning a trip which might include Paris. I love architecture and need your opinions on the best architectural locals. France? Italy?
London?
London?
Best Architecture in Europe
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Roger Hicks
Veteran
Valletta in Malta. Actually, almost all of Malta. St. Petersburg in Russia. Pecs in Hungary.
What sort of architecture to you like? Ancient? Modern? Art Deco?
Cheers,
R.
What sort of architecture to you like? Ancient? Modern? Art Deco?
Cheers,
R.
whitecat
Lone Range(find)er
Thanks Roger, I love it all. Gothic, Old historic,
Modern. Grew up in Chicago which has great opportunities for shoots with my Olympus PC lens.
Modern. Grew up in Chicago which has great opportunities for shoots with my Olympus PC lens.
dexdog
Veteran
How about Prague? Well preserved late medieval quarter
gcardenal
Member
And Barcelona? You can combine gothic, modernism (Gaudi, etc) with new architecture, the seaside etc.
Roger Hicks
Veteran
Where else are you considering apart from Paris? For me, a major problem with 'honeypots' such as Paris, Prague and Venice is that they are overcrowded and sometimes overhyped.
The villages perchées (hilltop semi-fortified villages) of the south of France are magical. So is Daroca in Spain; indeed. much of northern and eastern Spain. Alhambra is interesting but overcrowded, expensive, a little pretentious: another 'honeypot'. Mertola in southern Portugal is a fascinating mediaeval town with a true mediaeval street layout. Lisbon is good, too, especially Alfama.
As you might guess, my interests decline around the Renaissance, though I also appreciate Georgian (Bath, of course), Victorian (Birmingham, St. Petersburg, Paris), Edwardian (Delhi, Whitehall in London, though you'll probably be arrested as a terrorist for photographing the latter, and besides, like most architecture, it's harder than it looks), Thirties brick architecture and even some modern architecture -- though not much, and not the Le Corbusier school of 'machines for living' or Frank Lloyd Wright's self-indulgent stuff.
If you're in London take the train down to Rochester: run down, turning into twee with gentrification, but still interesting. From Paris, consider going north. Do not neglect Belgian venacular architecture: excellent Art Nouveau/Art Deco, especially in the detailing. Amsterdam is good but another honeypot.
And don't forget Bristol, famously the only city with a railway station for a cathedral and a cathedral for a railway station. In fact, most railway architecture is good...
Sorry. I could go on forever. Like you, I love architecture ('frozen music') but I find the stuff I like best when I am off the beaten track. Hire a car and... wander!
Cheers,
R.
The villages perchées (hilltop semi-fortified villages) of the south of France are magical. So is Daroca in Spain; indeed. much of northern and eastern Spain. Alhambra is interesting but overcrowded, expensive, a little pretentious: another 'honeypot'. Mertola in southern Portugal is a fascinating mediaeval town with a true mediaeval street layout. Lisbon is good, too, especially Alfama.
As you might guess, my interests decline around the Renaissance, though I also appreciate Georgian (Bath, of course), Victorian (Birmingham, St. Petersburg, Paris), Edwardian (Delhi, Whitehall in London, though you'll probably be arrested as a terrorist for photographing the latter, and besides, like most architecture, it's harder than it looks), Thirties brick architecture and even some modern architecture -- though not much, and not the Le Corbusier school of 'machines for living' or Frank Lloyd Wright's self-indulgent stuff.
If you're in London take the train down to Rochester: run down, turning into twee with gentrification, but still interesting. From Paris, consider going north. Do not neglect Belgian venacular architecture: excellent Art Nouveau/Art Deco, especially in the detailing. Amsterdam is good but another honeypot.
And don't forget Bristol, famously the only city with a railway station for a cathedral and a cathedral for a railway station. In fact, most railway architecture is good...
Sorry. I could go on forever. Like you, I love architecture ('frozen music') but I find the stuff I like best when I am off the beaten track. Hire a car and... wander!
Cheers,
R.
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raid
Dad Photographer
There are many old villages worth seeing in the central part of Italy.
For Baroc churches, the southern part of Germany is great (Bavaria).
Areas around Liboa in Portugal are very ineteresting.
Plus all of what has been mentioned above.
For Baroc churches, the southern part of Germany is great (Bavaria).
Areas around Liboa in Portugal are very ineteresting.
Plus all of what has been mentioned above.
charjohncarter
Veteran
England was a favorite for me. 'Out of Town' the building were small enough to easily photograph them. Those cottages and small churches were great. But I suppose anyplace off the track will give satisfaction. I just had trouble with the cathedrals. I was always bumping into the building on the other side of the street, and cars and people were always in the way. Last fall I went to Istanbul, try to get one of those mosques with minarets into a frame. Here is one:
Pablito
coco frío
just spend all your time in Barcelona 😀
Michiel Fokkema
Michiel Fokkema
For modern architecture you should visit Rotterdam.
There is also a very fine architecture institute.
Cheers,
Michiel Fokkema
There is also a very fine architecture institute.
Cheers,
Michiel Fokkema
R
RML
Guest
Michiel Fokkema said:
And don't forget Amsterdam, even for contemporary modern architecture not just for Berlage and the Amsterdam School.
Toby
On the alert
I'd have to go for Rome over pretty much anywhere else in Europe.
alcaraban
Established
There are lots of very interesting towns in Belgium (Leuven, Gent, Brugge, Brussels), Netherlands (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht) and Northern Germany (Bremen, Hannover, Hildesheim). Even Frankfurt-am-Main, Mannheim or Köln are easily reachable, just going slightly more south. If you come from Paris, you could pass by Amiens, Laon, Reims or Épernay (where you could visit some miles of cellars, btw).
That covers last 1000 years' of European non-Islamic architecture pretty well.
That covers last 1000 years' of European non-Islamic architecture pretty well.
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nico
Well-known
From pre-romans towns and ruins up to neoclassic style buildings you can find everything in Italy, but I think you already know it.
If you already planned to visit Paris, and you have enough time and budget, I'd add Berlin for contemporary architecture and Rome for anything else. Three different cities three different faces of the same Europe.
Anyway, whatever you'll choose, enjoy your trip!
Ciao
If you already planned to visit Paris, and you have enough time and budget, I'd add Berlin for contemporary architecture and Rome for anything else. Three different cities three different faces of the same Europe.
Anyway, whatever you'll choose, enjoy your trip!
Ciao
Holmz
Established
Been to Prague and Barcelona - and they were both good - but naturally very different.
Might be going to Berlin this spring - dunno yet.
When might you be going?
That could be a factor.
We went to Prague (via Pilsen and then to Linz)... Cheske Budewis (Where budweiser is from) was pretty nice. Did that trip in May just prior to the vacation season, and it was low paced.
Barcelona was post New Years.
Might be going to Berlin this spring - dunno yet.
When might you be going?
That could be a factor.
We went to Prague (via Pilsen and then to Linz)... Cheske Budewis (Where budweiser is from) was pretty nice. Did that trip in May just prior to the vacation season, and it was low paced.
Barcelona was post New Years.
wdenies
wdenies
Only one objective answer possible:
Europe is one large open air museum for architecture
Europe is one large open air museum for architecture
RF-Addict
Well-known
I agree with wdenies - it is hard to go wrong anywhere in Europe. Tons and tons of great old and new architecture. Berlin is fascinating, expecially for modern architecture, but so is Paris - just go to the new Arch fe Triomphe area - you can take pcitures all day of some of the most modern and extravagant architecture there and then coem back to the old Paris. Yes, Paris is crowded, but there is a reason for it......
Tarzak
Well-known
Another vote for Rotterdam. If you like modern. Kijk Kubus houses are insane and definitely worth a visit http://www.kubuswoning.nl.
Very good craft/manual arts museum too.
Very good craft/manual arts museum too.
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uhligfd
Well-known
For modern and 17 - 1800 architecture: DEFINITELY bERLIN. The amount of film you can waste in 3 hours in the Regierungsviertel (modern) and around Potsdamerplatz is more than your whole baggage allowance. The views around Reichstag and Haupbahnhof are breathtaking, ... For old stuff, go to Unter den Linden, and then there is the Hansaviertel, and so forth forever and a day of architecture. This is the most recently built up city in the world ... Think fall of the wall and what that brought 20 years ago ... CONSTRUCTION! Beautiful to boot!
Could I suggest you take a satelite preview through google earth? Easier done than said. Enjoy!
Could I suggest you take a satelite preview through google earth? Easier done than said. Enjoy!
Nando
Well-known
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I'm completely biased but I really like Portuguese Manueline architecture from the late 15th century to early 16th century. It is a late Gothic style but heavily influenced by architecture that Portuguese explorers discovered in the orient and especially in India. It was a celebration of Portugal's newly found economic and maritime power. It is named after the Portuguese king that reigned during this period, Rei Dom Manuel I. It is a style that is unique to Portugal.
Eastern influence found its way into other things during this time too. For example, in the Monastery of Santa Cruz in my hometown of Coimbra, there is a room that contains very important artwork and artifacts. In this room there is a statue of St. Anthony of Lisbon (of Padua to Italians), who found his calling at this monastery. It is very much fashioned like statues of Buddah - the posture, the clothing look and even the facial features looked very Chinese. I find it a very fascinating period.
Some more info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manueline
Eastern influence found its way into other things during this time too. For example, in the Monastery of Santa Cruz in my hometown of Coimbra, there is a room that contains very important artwork and artifacts. In this room there is a statue of St. Anthony of Lisbon (of Padua to Italians), who found his calling at this monastery. It is very much fashioned like statues of Buddah - the posture, the clothing look and even the facial features looked very Chinese. I find it a very fascinating period.
Some more info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manueline
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