The Gate of Europe Towers, also known as the KIO Towers after its first tenant Kuwait Investment Office, are the world first inclined skyscrapers and the second tallest twin towers in Spain. Located in Madrid, Spain, architect Philip Johnson designed the towers to straddle the Paseo de la Castellana, one of Madrid’s most important boulevards. The towers mark the north end of Madrid’s business district.
One of Philip Johnson’s last designs was the Chapel of St. Basil, on the campus of the University of St. Thomas, in Houston. The Chapel its composed of three basic geometric shapes: a cube, plane and sphere. Johnson’s postmodern style contradicts with the red brick style of the rest of the campus. The inside of the chapel has no artificial light, and relies on sunlight during the day and candles at night. The ceiling has a feeling of openness to depict a pathway to Heaven. The Chapel is opposite the the library on the academic mall, to symbolize dialogue between faith and reason.
Architect Philip Johnson’s biggest design is PPG Place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. PPG Place is a complex of six glass buildings that sprawl out over 5 acres in the downtown area. The buildings consist of nearly 20,000 glass panes, and are most recognizable by their 231 glass spires. PPG Place is the most desired office location in Pittsburgh, with occupancy at nearly 90% at all times.
Located in upscale Orange County, California, the Crystal Cathedral is the world’s largest glass building. Being one step ahead of mother nature, architect Philip Johnson used silicone-based glue to attach the glass panes to the structure so that it could withstand earthquakes. The Crystal Cathedral is currently under ownership by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange and is being remodeled to accommodate Roman Catholic liturgy. It is expected to re-open in 2017, and renamed Christ Cathedral.
The final project for the late architect Philip Johnson might be one of his most immaculate. The Urban Glass House, in the SoHo district of New York City, is an upscale apartment complex that has been home to many of New York’s finest. While the name bears much resemblance to Johnson’s Glass House in Connecticut, it bears little resemblance in design. Johnson passed away before the completion of the Urban Glass House.
The Glass House was the design of renowned architect Philip Johnson. Known for his postmodern style, the Glass House is one of his most well known works. Located in New Canaan, Connecticut, Johnson called the Glass House his permanent residence. It say on the edge of the estate and overlooked a pond. Since Johnson’s death, the Glass House has been designated a National Historic Landmark (1997) and is owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. It is open to the public for guided tours. 
This past summer, my family traveled back east to Upstate New York to attend the wedding of a family friend. The wedding was at one of the most premier country clubs in the United States, the Westchester Country Club. Upon arriving to the WCC, you drive up a long driveway past the extremely well kept grass tennis courts, and up to the front of this massive, yet rustic, building. The main clubhouse consists of a dining hall, a dining parlor/vintage bar, and a hotel for guests of the members to stay overnight in. The WCC also has a beach club and two golf courses that are up to PGA standards, and have hosted many PGA tournaments. The WCC is the kind of country club where men always have to be wearing a jacket during the day, and a tie at night. Using a cell phone is also prohibited in many parts of the clubhouse. The WCC is home to many, many affluent members of society, ranging from professional athletes to CEO’s of Fortune 500 companies. Being able to live the life of the Wall Street’s 1% for a night was something I will never forget.
Anyone that has ever been to Chicago knows how beautiful of a city it is. The downtown area and the Lakeshore area along Lake Michigan are astonishing. After my freshman year of college, my family went to visit my brother in Chicago and attend his commencement ceremony for the completion of the pain management fellowship that he did. The ceremony and dinner were both on the top floor of the Willis Tower, previously known as the Sears Tower. The Willis Tower is the second tallest building in the United States, standing at 1,450 feet tall.
Standing on the look out deck of the top floor was extremely nerve racking. Every which way you looked you could see for miles. Right at sunset, I was lucky enough to capture a picture of the clouds descending on the city with Lake Michigan in the background. It was a beautiful sight to see. 
This summer, a group of us went up to Chicago for Lollapalooza. On the drive up there, one of my friends checked to see if the Cubs were playing at Wrigley Field that night, and if so, could we score some cheap tickets. It just so happened that the Cubs, having one of the best seasons in their team’s history, were playing their crosstown rivals, the White Sox, at the one and only Wrigley Field. After scalping some cheap tickets and weaseling our way down to the 10th row on the 3rd base line, we had made it. We were witnessing one of the most historic franchises in all of sports play their crosstown rival in one of the most iconic stadiums in all of sports.
In between Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo dropping bombs into the “Bleachers”, I gazed around at the history that lies within those walls, the story that the iconic ivy on the outfield wall has to tell. Then there is the Bleachers, the hardest seats to get. Just over the left field wall, there are the Wrigley Rooftops. The Wrigley Rooftops are a set of bleachers that are on top of a residential apartment behind the stadium. Wrigley Field is a must see for any sports fanatic that enjoys the atmosphere of the stadium. 
My sophomore year of high school, my family decided to spend Thanksgiving break in Philadelphia. My mom, born and raised in Norristown, just outside of Philadelphia, made it her goal to show us every last tourist site in Philadelphia between Thanksgiving day and the Patriots v. Eagles game the following Sunday. The building that we saw that was the most influential to me on that trip was Independence Hall. Now if you are asking yourself what Independence Hall is, maybe you should retake middle school history class. Being in the very vicinity where our Founding Fathers penned both the Constitution and Declaration of Independence sure will send the chills down your spine.
The red brick outside of Independence Hall is what I really enjoyed. I love the simplicity of an all brick exterior. For some reason it reminds me of elegance or wealth. It is also very similar to Harvard’s campus. Independence Hall is a must see for anyone that is interested in United States History.
