Building Designer Extraordinaire
by Tirzah Tyler
Henry Hobson Richardson, one of America's greatest architects, was born in Louisiana in 1838. He grew up speaking French fluently. He attended Harvard, but he moved to Paris, France, in 1860 to study architecture. He left school early because the Civil War created financial hardship for him and his family.
After he returned to the United States in 1865, Richardson began designing buildings. He developed what is now called the Richardsonian Romanesque style of architecture. Richardsonian Romanesque buildings are usually very large and have colored stone with arched windows. Using this style, Richardson designed libraries, train stations, and courthouses. Trinity Church in Boston was built from 1872–1877. This building is Richardson's masterpiece.
During most of his career, Richardson suffered from kidney disease. This condition took his life in 1886. After his death, Richardson's architectural firm completed his unfinished projects. Other architects, such as Frank Lloyd Wright, were inspired by Richardson's work. Frank Lloyd Wright was one of the most celebrated architects in the United States. Many of Richardson's buildings are still standing today.
Passage 2
Maya Lin
by Pilar Garcia
"I try to give people a different way of looking at their surroundings. That's art to me." --Maya Lin
Maya Lin is an artist and architect who is well-known for her memorials. In fact, one of Maya Lin's most famous works is the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Since then, she's gone on to design more incredible memorials, but did you know that she also designs buildings, sculptures, and landscapes?
Wave Field is one stunning example of her work in landscapes. Completed in 1995 for the University of Michigan, it was her first major project working with earth. She was inspired by ocean waves, and wanted to create that effect using earth. The end result is deep green field of waves with which people can interact.
Another example is Input, which she completed for Ohio University in 2004. She to create a large park that looks like an old computer punch card. This means the landscape is almost the opposite of Wave Field. Instead of wave-like formations, there are a number of rectangular shapes of green grass, bordered by concrete. Her brother Tao Lin's poetry appears on the concrete.
Though very different in concept, both landscape pieces certainly offer people "a different way of looking at their surroundings." Both also hold true to Maya Lin's idea of letting people experience the landscapes for themselves: "You have to let the viewers come away with their own conclusions," she says. "If you dictate what they should think, you've lost it."
1
Select ALL the correct answers.
In which two ways is the author's style in Passage 2 different from the author's style in Passage 1?
The author of Passage 2 focuses mostly on the work of the architect.
The author of Passage 2 focuses mainly on the life of the architect.
The author of Passage 2 uses quotations by the architect.
The author of Passage 2 is written in a formal style.
The correct answers are:
- The author of Passage 2 focuses mostly on the work of the architect.
- The author of Passage 2 uses quotations by the architect.