Sunday, November 30, 2014

Hayden Smiley - Week 12 Blog Post


Elizabeth Tower
(Architect: Augustus Pugin)

The Elizabeth Tower, also known as "Big Ben", is an iconic symbol of London. This tower was completed in 1858 for Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee. The tower is attached to the Parliament building, and stands at 315 ft tall. This beautiful structure was designed by Augustus Pugin, and was his last creation. The tower is composed of brick and cast iron, and the clock at the top of the tower is famous for its reliability. 

As a tourist, I of course had to visit Big Ben. When I arrived at the tower, I was a little underwhelmed, and disappointed that I could not go inside. The tower was beautiful but I expected it to be much larger. But despite the size, the nostalgia of the tower and the sheer age of the parliament structure, was enough to keep my attention. The detailing on the tower is impeccable, and the attention to detail is something I was able to appreciate in much of European architecture. My experience of the Elizabeth tower architecture was positive and enlightening. I was able to appreciate the age, beauty, and craftsmanship of the structure and found the entire parliament structure to be quite impressive. Big Ben represents tradition, reliability, longevity, and strength. The stout shape of the tower eludes to a stable and lasting government, and I am glad I was able to experience this architecture in person.

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