University Of Manchester Architecture Portfolio Lucas Rogers UCAS: 1883645009

My interest in Manchester School of Architecture is rooted in a variety of reasons. Not only was I deeply impressed by the exceptional facilities and engaging tutors I met at the Open Day, but I am also interested in the historical significance and architecture of the city itself, especially post-industrial revolution. I would also be deeply interested in the modules offered, such as the humanities modules that explore the historical, social and cultural contexts of architecture.   

I have recently been lucky enough to explore Berlin for an architectural research trip (December 2024). I greatly enjoyed visiting the Fernsehrturm (Berlin TV Tower), and enjoyed researching both the political significance of the building in the Cold War, and the materials used to construct the tower. I was also interested by the architectural theories used throughout construction, and found this building to be incredibly complex, yet enjoyable to research. This trip also nurtured a personal connection I have to German architecture; my Dad served in West Berlin during his time in the RAF. From a young age, I was shown images of Berlin and the Fernsehrturm itself from his trips, and seeing it in real life made a great impression on me.  

I was also lucky enough to see my favourite building on my trip to Berlin; the Reichstag. I enjoy engaging in the political history of the building, but I am also fascinated by the glass dome that crowns the building. Designed by Sir Norman Foster (1993), the Reichstag holds so much history within its walls, from the raising of the Soviet flag during the Battle of Berlin on 2 May 1945 to the bullet marks still engraved in the beige stone bricks. It is this historical significance that has led me to choose the Reichstag as my favourite building.

Finally, a building I would like to experience in person is the Santiago Bernabeu stadium (Home to Real Madrid). The renovation and changes seen in the stadium over the last twenty years inspired me to explore the development of football stadiums for my Extended Project Qualification, and I would greatly enjoy seeing the building in person. In my opinion, the changes made to the Bernabeu have not been positive; at the start of the 21st century, I think that the building was full of personality, underpinned by the four towers that cornered the building. I believe that, despite the £1.76 billion restoration process, the building has lost a great deal of that personality. The avant-garde shell now covering the building does not suit the purpose or emotion of the stadium. Despite this, however, the building encapsulates my two main passions, architecture and football, and thus I have always wanted to visit it.