St John's Church

- One of the oldest churches in Latvia, St John's Church is currently under renovation. The sad thing about this is that the interior is planned to be ultra modern, therefore taking away from the traditional aspect of Architectural design that is currently shown within the walls of the church located in the old town of Riga. I wasn't allowed to take any photos inside of this church, but I really think it will be a shame to replace the religious paintings and intricate woodwork with modern wooden beams and cream walls... I admire a lot of modern design, but I think some things should just be left as they are...it would be such a shame to see the soul and character replaced by something beige.  

Zaha Hadid

- Zaha Hadid exhibit, Design Museum, London, 29th June- 25th November 2007.

- Design Museum Exhibition first full scale show of Hadid's work in the UK.

- Was largest single exhibition shown by the Design Museum

HISTORY

- Born 1950 Baghdad, Iraq

- Graduated from Architectural Association, London 1977.

- Competiton winner in Hong Kong, Cardiff, Germany, Rome

- Hadid won the Pritzker Prize 2004

- Work can be found worldwide.

London Buildings

- Photos taken summer07 

Ellis Island

-Photography showing the difference in architecture from within walking 2m in one building. Walking through the main hall past the arch windows, you immediately enter the 'medical wing' where thousands of tests were undertaken on both future residents of New York and the 'aliens' that did not meet the criteria. This area also includes a section where those who were deemed mentally ill were kept. 

- Walking through the medial wing feels very eerie thanks to the tiling used from floor to ceiling and the tunnelled corridors that seem everlasting. I think this would be a great setting for a horror movie!!

St Peter's Church, Latvia

- one of oldest Lutheran churches in the Baltic States

- construction began 13th century

- view shows Old City, centre of Rega and Daugava River

- said to be jinxed as it has been burnt down and rebuilt many times, first in 1666 and last on St Peter's Day in 1941 and last restored in 1973

- looking through the church, you can tell there has been many attempts at restoration at different periods of time due to the mis matched interior. A lot of money has been spent on the altar area, however there are areas that are still left to be fully restored

- the steps to the lift feel like you are about to fall off them, and the lift feels like it could snap off at any moment

- once you are up there, your breath is taken away by how beautiful the landscape is and how far you can see, from the central Art Nouveau architecture, across the river and even the dark, vast border forests that surround a large part of Latvia.

- there is a great sense of peace at the top of the tower, and you get this feeling of warmth that Rega has managed to rebuild and empower itself after its troubled history.

The Museum of the Occupation of Latvia

- AIM: SHOW what happened to Latvia, its land and people under two occupying totalitarian regimes from 1940-1991

       REMIND the world of the crimes committed by foreign powers against the state and people of Latvia

       REMEMBER the victims of the occupation: those who perished, were persecuted, forcefully departed or fled the terror of the occupation regimes.

- Museum Exhibits 51 years (1940-1991) of the occupation of Latvia: Historical documents, artifacts and pictures to show the impact of two totalitarian regimes on Latvia as a state and nation. Personal keepsakes testify to oppression and persecution, but also to defiance and resistance, to inhumane conditions in prisons and Siberian exile, but also to the strength of the human spirit in extreme adversity.

- established and mostly financed by Latvians living abroad.

-the feel when you walk around quickly becomes one of a depressed nature, as the pictoral evidence and personal accounts of what happened are tragic and disturbing. However, when you leave the museum and walk back around the streets of the Old Town, as soon as you turn a corner you hear a new musician playing an accordion, violin or tuba and you walk past one of the many parks and see how society has found a happy medium of all spending time together without friction, and it leaves you comfortable with the thought that, with the right spirit, culture is something that cannot be oppressed and defeated, and that hope sometimes does bring success. Walking around Latvia today you would never know that not so long ago, all traditions were banned, including music.