History and cultural context of two significant buildings of the same Essay

History and cultural context of two significant buildings of the same typology - Essay Example Fig 1. Aerial view of the Imperial War Museum North Courtesy of www.wabbaviation.co.uk Cultural conditions The Second World War which began in 1939 and ended in 1945 had a major impact on society and the lives of people. The war saw several people from different countries die and countless others maimed. The destruction of property and infrastructure that resulted from the modern war is practically beyond description. Today, memories of the Second World War and its effects remain etched in the minds of many people who lived at the time of the conflict. Although many people living in the U.K. today never witnessed the war, they have an opportunity to see its effects by visiting the Imperial War Museum North, one of the five braches of the Imperial War Museum (David 2002). The Trafford Park area in which the Imperial War Museum North is located played host to several factories including those that produced Avro Lancaster heavy bombers and engines that were used in combat aircraft owned by the British government. The museum building is situated in an area that was a major industrial centre during World War Two (Sophie 2009). During the Manchester Blitz that occurred in 1940, the industrial centre was heavily bombarded by enemy forces. The Museum was established in the area hence to display the impacts of modern wars on society and people (David 2002). The museum contains displays of several artifacts that were used during the Second World War including a 13-pounder field gun, Russian T-34 tank, and U.S. AV-8B Harrier jet. The museum is a major attraction in London with tourists and scholars being its main customers. Given its design and the additional features that it has, many people find the place interesting. This is coupled by the fact that the museum features different media which suits various interests. Design Principles and Theories The Imperial War Museum North building takes the untraditional form of a globe that has been reassembled after being shattere d into pieces (Libeskind 2012). The building is formed by three interlocking fragments that represent water, air and earth. These three make concrete the wars that rocked the 20th century with men and women participating in the conflicts with the sea, sky, and land being the settings upon which the wars took place. Better stated, the building is formed by three shards of space that interlock to form a constellation (Libeskind 2012). The open, earthly sphere of the war is represented by the Earth Shard. On the other hand, the Water Shard is the platform upon which the Canal can be viewed. This shard also contains a cafe, restaurant, performance space and deck. Yet again, the Air Shard which leads into the museum is stringed with observatories, education spaces and projected images. Owing to financial constraints, the original design of the museum building was altered and a number of features excluded in the actual construction (Sophie 2009). The auditorium for example was removed and the exhibition content altered. The permanent exhibitions of the museum are featured in the main gallery space in the Earth Shard’s first floor. The exhibitions are displayed chronologically around the gallery that covers a perimeter of about 200 meters, and feature six thematic displays (Sophie 2009). The floor of the gallery is curved in shape and looks like the earth’s curvature from an imaginary north pole. The design of the mus

Death as a Theme in Dickinson's Poems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Death as a Theme in Dickinson's Poems - Essay Example In ‘A long-long sleep’ Dickson indicates that there is no revival from death. Unlike sleep where one has the probability of waking up, death has no dawn. There is no movement of the body. One, just like stone, is stiff. Eye lids do not move, and limbs are immobilized. This tells us that death is part of life and when it comes we have to accept it. We should pay our respects and move on. We will have our chance with death, and. (A long-long sleep) (Wegelin 56). Death does not only affect the dead. Those left to bury the dead also have their fair share of sorrow. Emily in her poem, ‘I cannot live without you’, she shows deep grief of a spouse left too soon. The mourner says’ I could not die with you for one must wait to shut the others’ grave down’. This shows that in as much as we would want to die with the dead just to avoid the pain; someone must be left behind to take care of the dead. The poet likens the departed’s remains in t he porcelain to a fragile cup. A cup that can easily be broken and although it is replaceable, the old cup’s place can never be taken by the new one. This shows pain of loss by the widowed spouse. The memories of the dead haunt us and break our hearts. We hold on to things they treasured. Memories are what connect the dead from the living. Only those left behind grief and cry. The dead are at peace. They sleep the centuries away. This is illustrated in ‘Death sets a thing’. ‘Now when I read, I read not, for interrupting tears obliterate the etching too costly for repairs.’(I cannot live without you and Death sets a thing) (Wegelin 87). In ‘Her last summer’ Emily depicts death as highly unpredictable. No one is ever ready for it. In the poem, ‘Her final summer was it, and yet we guessed it not’ shows that they did not see death coming. The lady was industrious going about her life when death struck. The people around her are shocked as her busy life is easily shut down by death. ‘The busy darling lay, so busy was she, Finishing’. This showed that death does not have boundaries. When it strikes, it cannot be avoided. Once dead, one has one more duty, to decompose. (Her final summer) (Dickinson 43). In such death as above, the lesson learnt is that we have to value our lives and that of those we love. This is because when we or they are gone, there is no return. It is a long sleep. Another type of death is also explained. When one gives up a part of their lives such as an item or a hobby they adored, that is death. The rehabilitation from undesirable behaviour is also death. This is the rebirth into a new being, out with the old and in with the new. In her poem, ‘I died for beauty’, Emily shows that people die for what they stand for. In the conversation between two tomb neighbours, one man who died for truth asks the other what they died for. The response is, they died for beaut y. The two, although physically expired exchanged their lives for the things they loved so much, truth and beauty. This is a deep expression of individuality. People are defined by what they hold as sacred in their lives. This can be education, money, politics and in the case of the tomb neighbours, beauty and truth. (I died for beauty) From this poem, the evident lesson is that people have to find their purpose in life. One must be able to know their purpose. Once they know that, they should pursue their dream or purpose because even after death, one will be held accountable for