Statement

Why I want to study at the Manchester School of Architecture

I want to study at the Manchester School of Architecture (MSA) because it involves project-based learning as well as coursework-based assessments. Doing fine art for GCSE and A-Level was stimulating, working in an open studio space alongside students who enjoy art and receiving feedback on improving my projects. Consequently, I look forward to studying architecture in a similar environment as the next step in my career. Additionally, I would like to study in Manchester because of its influential art scenes and cultural diversity. Coming from the cathedral city of Winchester - known for its history - it would be an exciting adventure to explore a large historical city that was at the heart of the Industrial Revolution.

My own review of a recent building I have visited

During my holiday in Denmark, I visited Skagen’s White Lighthouse - designed by Dutch-Danish architect Philip de Lange. I thought this building fit its purpose (when it was still active) as the parabolic mirror reflected light rays to a single point, navigating sailors at sea. Due to the white paint, the lighthouse was bright and beautiful. In addition, this choice of colour helped with increasing the visibility of the lighthouse amongst the green of the forest and the grass. The top of the lighthouse seemed unsafe because the railings were not tall enough, although it provided a charming view of the houses and the town.

My favourite place

My visit to the Eden Project in Cornwall, designed by Grimshaw Architects, taught me about the significance of wellness design and sustainable architecture. It provides nourishment, education, and accessible pathways in refreshing green spaces. I was impressed to learn that Grimshaw had used the geodesic concept - inspired by the characteristics of soap bubbles - to create large, stable domes on the uneven sands of a clay pit. ETFE - the light material used to make the transparent 'windows' - has beneficial properties: strong, self-cleaning, and heat resistant. Consequently, people living in the UK can safely explore both the rainforest and the Mediterranean biomes rather than traveling overseas. 

A work of architecture that I would like to visit in person

I would like to visit the Jewish Museum Berlin which is influenced by the ideas of American architect Daniel Libeskind. This museum complex is unique because it recounts German-Jewish history in an immersive way. It has three axes representing different paths the Jews went through during the Second World War; the path of exile led to a tilted garden, the axis of continuity went upward, and the greater width of the axis of the holocaust represented the majority of people who faced this path. The slashes of windows on the titanium-zinc exterior of the Libeskind building could simulate the perspective of the Jewish people who were transported to concentration camps in cattle cars.

Sources: