A new tourist hotel for the inner harbor of Baltimore, Maryland

ABSTRACT REPRESENTATION Through an abstraction of proven familiar architectural elements I shall revive the appreciation people once had for the purity of architecture as architecture. People have been intrigued with built form for centuries. They marveled at the work that went into the pyramids and tombs of Ancient Egypt. These edifices were considered architectural masterpieces and their designers were held in high esteem. The temples of the Greek and Roman periods were, and still are, revered by people as architectural jewels. The renaissance architects and designers such as Paladio, Alberti, Michcllozzo, and Michelangelo were considered geniuses for the architectural talents they displayed in their churches, chapels, and villas. People awed at the Gothic churches of England, Germany, and France and it was the architecture that was being appreciated. From Michelangelo to Mies Van der Rohe to Michael Graves architects have been designing exquisite buildings. Unfortunately, somewhere along the line this appreciation by non-architects or students of architecture has been lost. Today when people are appreciative of a structure it is usually not the 'architecture' with which they are impressed. Buildings need to be extremely sculptural, or they should look like other objects, or they should possess loud extravagant 'paint jobs'. Architecture encompasses much more than this. Pure architecture is a magnificent endeavor. It is a brilliant manifestation of forms colors materials, and technologies which create something that is functional, serving a purpose with strong conviction. It is this manifestation that I wish to represent. Architecture is not art. Art is a byproduct of successful architecture. Art is purely subjective. It is responsible for nobody and must answer to no one. In recent years art has become a pure expression of the artist's feelings. With art, beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder. However, the architect cannot purely express his feelings, disregarding all others. He must answer to clients, codes, ordinances, budgets, and a host of other parties. Circulation, lighting, drainage, siting, and temperature also play an important role. These conditions must be successfully addressed. The project must be structurally and fmancially buildable as well as aesthetically pleasing to be successful architecture. However, when well executed architecture is achieved it can be appreciated in the same way that art is. By solving functional problems artistically and abstracting familiar, traditional elements I shall achieve this appreciation. SCOPE OF PROJECT The vehicle I will use to achieve this goal shall be a 500 room tourist hotel in the Inner Harbor area of Baltimore, Maryland. The structure will facilitate visitors to the Inner Harbor which has recently become a major tourist attraction. The hotel will include restaurants, banquet halls, convention facilities and other amenities to be discussed in greater detail later.