Unit 2: Visiting a Classical Style Building: Pre-visit research

I have been reading the general tips for visits in the Open College of the Arts guide.

• Read articles, books and watch videos about the place you want to visit
• Think about these questions when you arrive: Do you find what you expected? Does the place impress you?
• Write some notes, make plans and diagrams of the place.
• Take some photographs: pinpointing detail, unusual views
• Make some drawings so that you will be concentrating on the details that you are drawing
• Make comparisons of the building you are visiting with others.
• Get some opinions from other people such as children, reactions of people from other periods in history

I have chosen the British Museum as the classical style building for this visit.

I started my pre-visit research by looking at the official website http://www.britishmuseum.org. There is a section on the architecture of the British Museum.

The core building was designed by the architect Sir Robert Smirke (1780-1867) in 1823 and completed in 1852. It was a quadrangle with 4 wings: north, east, south and west wings.The building was designed in the Greek Revival style which emulated classical Greek architecture. This is especially prominent in the monumental south wing entrance which had stairs, colonnade and pediment, to reflect the wondrous objects displayed inside.
The building was built on a concrete floor, the frame was made of cast iron and filled with London stock brick. In 1853, the quadrangle building won the Royal Institute of British Architects’ Gold Medal.

The South entrance of the British Museum © Trustees of the British Museum

I am reading through the brief for the visit of classical-style building and for project 2

• Looks for ways which works of art give meaning to a building: sculptures in the facade, works of art displayed
• Looks at the way in which the elements of the building make up an architectural whole: how are the various classical features combine, count the columns, spaces and windows on each level
• Investigate the purpose and status of the building
• Learn about the people connected with building's history
• Make a report to yourself on what you observed about the architecture during the visit
• Make some drawings or use a camera to take long views and detail of exterior and interior
• Is there any difference in the classical order between this building with another?

I will make a few visits to the British Museum during my trip to London since it is just a short walk away from my accommodation.