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