writing an architectural analysis

1. make observations
What do you see?
2. describe what you see
expand on observation
what can you say about your observations?
draw conclusions
3. why did the architect make the choices s/he
made?
what is effect of choices?
how do form and content interact?
Here’s a sample:
Freedom Tower
(One World Trade Center)
New York, NY

Daniel Libeskind
 Step One:
First you and your partner need to make your
own observations about the building. Fill in
as much of the chart as you can just by using
your own critical thinking and observation
skills.
„ What do you see when you look at the picture?
„ Use your terminology to help describe what you
see.
„ Start to draw some conclusions about the building
you are looking at.
 
Information 
Architect  Daniel Libeskind 
Building name  One World Trade, or The Freedom Tower 
Location  NYC 
Date  Finished in May of 2013 
Purpose  Mostly an office building 

 
 
Observations (What do we see?)  Description (Be specific and use terminology) 
  Rises from what looks like a glass parapet.  Not really coherent with the rest of 
  the building façade.  Probably an antenna.   
Spire 
  Shiny silver, reflective surface.  Probably combination of metal and glass.  
Façade  Composed of series of inverted triangles rising from a traditional cube shaped 
  base.  An unexpected shape that is interesting to the eye. 
 
 
 
Conclusions:  why did the architect make specific choices?  what is relationship between form & content in the building? 
  Creates a strong final push to the twisting of the triangular base.  Specifically used by the 
  architect to add height in order to accomplish the goal of having the building be 1776 feet 
Spire  tall, so it can symbolically represent America’s renewed fight for freedom.   
  The triangles give an unexpected shape to the building, creating a sense of motion that 
Façade  rises from the stable base.  Gives a sense of motion, like the building is twisting around and 
  reaching upwards.  Almost like it is rising from the ashes of the ruins of the previous 
building.  The architect seems to have wanted to create a building that gives off a feeling of 
motion and light in order to counteract the location and purpose of the building. 
 Step Two:
Now that you have established your own
opinions on the building, you and your partner
can harness the power of the internet to see
what other people, including hopefully the
architect, have to say about it.
„ Look your building up and see what else you can
find out about it.
„ Find pictures that showcase other facades and
angles of the building, including interior shots.
 Step Three:
Finally, use all of this information to create an
iMovie about your building that you will
present to the class.
ƒ Your movie should be 2 – 5 minutes long.
ƒ It should include both audio and visual components.
ƒ It should provide identify the building by name, the
architect, and the location of the building.
ƒ The more information about your building, the better.
 Step Four:
Sit back and enjoy a life well-lived, content in
the knowledge that you have learned about
an important building.
United States Air Force Academy
Cadet Chapel

Walter Netsch

1
Guggenheim Museum
Bilbao, Spain

Frank Gehry

2
Petronas Towers
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Cesar Pelli

3
30 St. Mary Axe
London, England

Norman Foster

4
Flatiron Building
New York, NY

Daniel Burnham

5
Casa Mila
Barcelona, Spain

Antoni Gaudi

6
Farnsworth House
Plano, Illinois

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

7
Taliesen West
Scottsdale, Arizona

Frank Lloyd Wright

8
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Cleveland, Ohio

I.M. Pei

9
Bauhaus
Dessau, Germany

Walter Gropius

10
Notre Dame du Haut
Ronchamp, France

Le Corbusier

11
Burj Al Arab
Dubai, UAE

Tom Wright

12
Crystal Cathedral
Garden Grove, California

Philip Johnson

13