The Beirut Terraces were desined by Herzog & De Meuron back in 2010. Anyone up for a club sandwich? The terraces were meant to showcase the Lebanese rich historical roots. The terraces are located in the Center of Beirut and offers a beautiful view of layered apartment complexes.

The top of the layered building features the sky villa which is 4 large luxury duplexes per floor. The emphasis on layering was even on the landscaping.

The Perez Art Museum was designed by Herzog & De Meuron in Miami, FL. The museum was completed in 2013  and showcases the landscaping  marvels by Patrick Blanc & Arquitectonica Geo.

Given the Miami tropical climate the landscape is covered in native tropical plant life. The construction topped out a 131 million has been visited by millions. Once construction was completed a record 200,000 visitors for the first year.

The museum unfortunately was a casualty to the Maximo Caminero protest for local artists. An extremely rare Chinese vase was smashed because the art gallery refused to allow local art displays.

The Barcelona Forum was designed by Herzog & DeMeuron in 2004.  The Forum was the symbol of the controversial Universal Forum of Cultures.  The building was commonly referred to as “The Blue Cheese Cake”. Glass was intricate and decorates the bold blue exterior. The build was one of the most expensive buildings topping 144 million.  There were several protests and harsh criticisms by the public during construction. The forum can seat up to 3200 seats.

The London Art Gallery in Neo Bankside luxury flats, London was built by Herzog & De Meuron. The ten story building sports complex brickwork . It was intended for the instrustrial look matching its neighboring buildings but at the same time providing a screen for light to come through during the day and shine at night.

The interior is curvy and sexy.  The windows are patterned and intricate ensuring privacy.  There have been changes since the it was first built back in 2000. The Tate Gallery has called it home since 2011. There is a school on the premises and of course and art gallery.

The Vitra Campus in Weil am Rhein  was one of the most famous homes built by Herzog & De Meuron. A fire back in the 1980′ s devastated the Vitra Campus. They were lacking a place of showcase.  These structures  did nothing short of doing so. They are stacked on top of each other elegantly and bravely. There is a mystifying way of uniqueness that brings the structures together but at the same time contrasts them apart.

The angles make it look as though they are separate buildings stacked on top of each other but in fact they are one structure with an elevator and such commodities.  All I could think of was the childhood game of Jenga.

The Kierland Westin hotel and resort, Scottsdale AZ.  We arrived at night and the street curved into the hotel without much lighting. Nothing was marked very well, but the arrangement of the establishment made it easy to get to the parking lot. Palm trees, lime trees, and smooth sandstone rocks set up the walk from the parking lot to the hotel. Spotlights were aimed to accent the landscape and certain parts of the resort; making the resort look taller. The entrance doors were made of thick glass and automatically opened as you walked up. As you walked in, the marble floors were slick and smooth making the rolling suitcases glide. There was a pleasant smell coming from nowhere. The concierge was opened up to the lobby and a bar with very warm ambient lighting. Our room had a very modern and clean feel. The view out of our balcony was of a fountain in the middle of the golf course. There was an adult pool that was very dry cut and boring; no slides, just squared, and private. The family pool had splash pads, a beach like pool, and a very tropical lazy river with a swim up bar. It was a very relaxing but uplifting getaway.

Formally The Sears Tower, The Willis Tower was a very impressive visit. The black window skyscraper took hold of the skyline.  I have family in Chicago, so I used to visit often. During our visits, our 2 goals were have Giordano’s pizza and visit The Sears Tower sky deck glass floor. You enter the tower through revolving glass doors that lead you to the lobby. The elevator ride to the top was faster than I would have ever imagined. Everyone had warned me about the nausea when you looked down into the city from the sky deck and the rumor quickly set into my stomach. We would visit downtown to admire the scenery; the glass, metal, and concrete jungle.  No matter where you went, the Sears tower was always visible.

Las Vegas was part II of my family’s summer vacation. Out of all the casinos on the strip, the Excalibur casino caught my eye the most. The enormous fairy tale-like castle structure brought me back to my childhood. Every movie I remember from my childhood had the Disney trademark; a castle and a shooting star. This hotel was what I always imagined the castle would look like. The size of the castle was unimaginable. When you looked at it from afar, it seemed as if it would take ages to get from the entrance to the actual castle through all of the colorful towers. The walkway that took us form the street entrance to the door is what I could imagine it would be like to have walked into a fairy tale palace. Though it was still a casino inside, I just couldn’t get enough of the outside detail.

The Carson Building was where the very first class I ever took at OU was held. I parked at the Lloyd Noble Center and quickly discovered the importance of a bike, given the 2 mile commute. This building was my first impression of the university; outdated and dispersed.  The narrow halls of the Carson Building produced an echo that transcended from elevator to elevator, which are located opposite of each other in the outstretched hallway.  On one side of the building there are plaques of famous engineers covering the walls. The upper floors showcase project boards displaying the work of current students, making it feel very intimate and familiar. I hope to take part in the displays of this building one day.