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A&E June 2, 2015
I. C. Architecture: Downtown Design
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By Rasmus Schlutter Students and professors alike walk downtown, enjoying the pleasant and engaging atmosphere of the diverse cityscape. Some Iowa Citians are captivated by glass clad buildings, others by the rustic charm of older architecture. “Some of the older buildings are very dull and don’t add a lot of color to the downtown scene,” Estie Dillard ‘17, said. Dillard, a fan of modern architecture, explains she likes the new additions to the area. Modern designs like the Gehry-designed Iowa Advanced Technology Laboratories facility are more popular among fans of modern architecture like Dillard. Constructed on the Iowa River, the building is made of sheets of steel and has a large limestone section facing out towards the street. “I regret that its landward face was not completed in a more interesting fashion,” Robert Bork, professor of Art History at the University of Iowa, said. “The IATL does at least create a focus of visual interest along the river.” An example of Gehry’s trademark deconstructivism style architecture, the building was met with mixed responses from both the public and its designer, with many complaining about its functionality and design. “I understand and sympathize with Gehry’s desire to break out of the Modernist box tradition, but many of his designs seem more capricious than engaging,” Bork said. The Old Capitol is another one of Iowa City’s most wellknown buildings. The building is done in Greek Revival style and was designed by the same architect who constructed the Illinois capitol. With rising columns and a golden dome, the Old Capitol is a recognizable symbol of downtown Iowa City. “I like the Old Capitol, and I find that it makes a nice focus for the city and the campus, especially given the way that the Pentacrest has been organized around it,” Bork said. Bork values the elegance of the building’s design and sees it as a reminder of Iowa City’s early beginnings. “The interior has real dignity, and the whole building anchors the city to its nineteenth-century roots in a way that I appreciate,” Bork explained. Old Capitol also brings together all kinds of Iowa Citians, and it has functioned as a meeting space for both University
students and other residents. “I really like the Old Capitol. It has a great lawn and atmosphere, and people are always playing frisbee out on the lawn,” said student Esme Rummelhart ‘17. The Englert Theatre has also remained a focal point to downtown life. A prime example of Tudor Revival style architecture, the Englert remained a theatre until 1999, when the City of Iowa City bought the property to prevent it from being turned into a nightclub, according to the Englert website. In 2004, the building was restored to its original function, and now continues to house PHOTO BY MAX GRUBER popular plays, live music, and comedies. “I am very pleased that the Englert was restored to function as a theater and to provide a focus for social life downtown,” Bork said. With over 700 seats, the Englert is the center of the Iowa City performing arts scene. “The interior space of the Englert is really nice,” Rummelhart explained. “It’s really comfortable, and it doesn’t feel preppy or too clean. It’s very homey.” Iowa City architecture has gone through many different changes and developments. Variation among architectural styles means that all residents can find buildings downtown they enjoy. Some Iowa Citians like Bork are drawn to the city’s older buildings. “Places like the Englert help to give the downtown some individuality and texture,” Bork said. Others, like Dillard, enjoy the new modern additions to the city. “I like how simple the architecture has become in recent years,” Dillard said. “It makes the downtown look very modern and neat.”
Avengers Age of Ultron: Is it Worthy?
Movie Review:
Many superhero franchises have come and gone, leaving behind nothing but cliched endings and overused plot twists, and that’s what makes the Marvel Universe so different. Marvel has lead the pack in diverse characters and villains viewers can empathize with, which is what made Marvel’s Avengers in 2012 so special. With the perfect mixture of humor and a delightfully campy amount of action, it set the bar pretty high for the second installment that premiered this year. With the expectations so high, it was hard not to feel a little disappointment when Avengers: Age of Ultron hit theatres May 1st. Some might say that the characterization and plot could be summed up in the first line said by an Avenger. Delivered by Iron Man,“Sh*t.” In the opening scene, it is made obvious to viewers that this is going to be an action movie. The focus stays mainly on conflict and artificial intelligence, but lacks in meaningful characterization, save for a few scenes shoe-horned in showing the second lives of Hawkeye and Black Widow, though their second lives don’t coincide in the way you might expect. In addition to the original Avengers team, Age of Ultron introduced a new audience to Avengers never before seen on screen. New superheroes like the Maximoff twins, The Vision, Falcon, and War Machine bring new life and extend the diversity of the initiative. Characters like the War Machine and Falcon had already been introduced, but this movie secures a spot for them in the new Avengers Initiative. Pietro and Wanda Maximoff are inducted to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe (MCU) as villains, but midway through the movie are welcomed onto the team. The Vision, brainchild of Tony Stark, makes a surprise entrance in the final quarter of the film. Along with introducing new additions to the MCU (such as Dr. Cho and the unexpectedly nuclear family of Hawkeye), Director Joss Whedon tried his hand at giving depth to characters, but ignored the previous characterization of the heroes in earlier movies. For instance, we see Tony Stark devolving back to his one-dimensional, rude, sassy character trope that we’d thought we were rid of after Iron Man 3. Another example would be “Clintasha,” the fan-coupling of Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff , who make a complete turnaround from their
accordingtoathlete: Rasmus Schlutter
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13 relationship in the first Avengers. The movie also frequently forays on the theme of a higher power. Many of the confrontations between the Avengers and Ultron take place in churches. Ultron makes frequent references to religion, and when he does, he sheds a light on how superheroes are often characterized as gods on earth. Ultron, sitting in a church, says, “They put the building in the middle of the city, so that everyone could be equally close to God. I like that, the symmetry, the geometry of belief.” With a franchise that deals heavily with gods, Thor and Loki being prime examples, Joss Whedon puts a new spin on the idea of earth being interfered with by a higher power. This material gives the movie a new appeal to adults who were dragged to the theater by younger fans. Though Avengers: Age of Ultron consistently lacks in consistency, the movie’s one liners and ridiculous fight scenes combine to give viewers a memorable experience at the cinema. If you’re a hardcore fan who wants to see a heartfelt rendition of the comics reincarnated, this probably isn’t what you’re looking for. But for casual fans, this is exactly what you saw coming.
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