My Counseling Style Essay Example for Free

My Counseling Style Essay When I first read the explanation of the assignment, I immediately thought of what my parents had instilled into me at a very early age. They would always say that God put us here on this earth to do a job and that was to help others and love each other. That really never made a lot of sense to me until I started working in the non-profit world over twenty seven years ago. I realized then that my parents had taught me to believe that every human being on this earth deserves to be loved and to be happy in their lives. I believe every person should be treated with dignity and respect no matter what their situation is. I believe that your family should come first in all aspects of your life and that each of us make conscious decisions everyday that mold our lives into what they are. I also believe that there is good in everyone, sometimes they just don’t know it. The values I live by go along a lot with my beliefs in that by putting my family first and having that closeness with people I love and care about, makes me the person I am today. This started with my parents and my grandparents that are now deceased to my husband, children and grandchildren that make up my life now. My values were planted at a very early age and have grown and matured as I have. My grandmother and mother were instrumental in teaching me and showing me that every person we meet has value and should not be dismissed. From a very early age I learned that helping others was expected of me and not just something that I could do if I wanted to do. I attended Sunday School and Church with my family on a regular basis and the Christian values and principles that I was taught parallel with what I was learning at home. These things have always been a part of my life and I hope I have instilled them into my children and can be that inspiration to my grandchildren that my grandmother was to me. I believe that every person you meet has love and goodness within them but events in their lives may have tarnished their outlooks. As a counselor I hope that when those people come to me that I can help them find their way back to loving themselves again. My grandmother always said that your character speaks volumes about you. Also my mother’s special saying to all of us was, â€Å"The Golden Rule†. If everyone followed that one thing, Do unto others as you would have them do to you, this world would be a much better space. It sounds so simple but many find it very difficult to abide by. I find myself sometimes having a hard time following this but have found that when I do let myself I am usually blessed by the outcome. I see my character as a reflection of my beliefs and values that I have learned and nurtured from my family and church as I grew up. This along with following my mother’s advice and using the Golden Rule are the basis for most of my decisions and have become a valuable resource to me throughout my life. These beliefs along with the values that my family taught me that were i mportant, integrity, honesty and respect for others, have brought me to where I am today. They are the roots to my tree of life. I recall a book that my mother would read to me as a child, â€Å"The Engine That Could†. She would always tell me after reading it that I could do or be anything I wanted if I would just believe that I could. Just like that little engine, I find myself repeating the saying, I think I can, I think I can, I think I can, whenever I let doubt come into my mind that something cannot be accomplished. I use this in all aspects of my life. I also read that story to my children and my children. I truly hope and pray that they will use that thinking in the decisions they make throughout their lives. It has worked for me! I tell them the same thing that was told to me, that anything is possible, you just have to work hard at it and believe that you can do it. My father also had a huge impact on what my values and beliefs are as an adult. My dad worked many hours at two jobs so that my mom could stay home with us kids, which meant he was not around a lot. The time he did spend with us was very special. I remember a time in Jr. High when I was struggling with my weight and how people perceived me. He would tell me, â€Å"You are what you believe†. If I believed what people were saying about me then I would become that person and if I believed I could do something then I would accomplish it. You cannot just let life happen. You have to know what you want and believe that you can have it. Then you set goals and work hard to get there. By doing all these things I have mentioned you form your own unique and special personality that shines because of your values and beliefs. My philosophy of counseling is that when working with a client you need to think of them as a whole person and that to help them in any area you need to include what they need for mind, body and spirit. All three of these are important areas to explore because you never know where the problem stems from that they are coming to you for. You must integrate life meaning into your counseling. You have to work within the beliefs of the client and respect where they are coming from. You treat each client as though they were your only one. As my mom would say, treat them like you would want to be treated. Be willing to listen and change whatever methods you are using to meet the needs of the client. There are many reasons that a client comes to you hurt and broken. It is up to me as a counselor to find out where that hurt is coming from and help the client figure out how to fix or change that area of their life. I think I would draw techniques from many models of therapy. I think that the most important thing is to develop a good relationship with the client. Then let the client choose how their own values will guide their behavior. I see myself as being flexible, versatile and having a genuine interest in helping the client. This is all based on how I was raised and truly believing that everyone has good within themselve s and really want to be happy. You just have to be willing to understand the world of the client and respect where they come from. The theory of counseling that comes closest to my way of thin king and my philosophy would be a combination of the Adlerian Theory and the Cognitive Behavior Therapy. The Cognitive Behavior Theory deals a lot with a person’s belief system and hands on types of therapy. This fits well with what my style of counseling would be because of my belief that what you learn early in life effects everything you do unless you choose to change it. I like this theory a lot because it is an active, structured therapy. Therapy is a learning process, acquiring new skills and maybe a new way of thinking. At the same time this therapy is also very present-centered. Everyone has a past but there is nothing you can do to change those things that happened throughout the year. I believe that this therapy allows the client to gain insight and actively practice changing their lifestyles if needed. The Adlerian Theory leans towards the importance of life goals. It challenges the client to make goals and accomplish them in a variety of ways. One of the key values that I had growing up was that you decide what you want, set goals on getting there and then work hard to make it happen. Anyone can do this if they really believe they want to change. This therapy stresses that all humans are motivated by social interest and one must deal with what life deals you. The difference is in how each person deals with this. This therapy uses the techniques of gathering family history and looking at the life experiences of the client. I believe that you are shaped and made up of those experiences. They are important to who you are. I also like that this therapy is one built on joint responsibility, mutual trust and respect between the therapist and the client. There is a true emphasis on equality and not one where the therapist is better than the client. This works very well with the collaboration idea of the Cognitive Behavior Therapy. I think that you need both the past and what is happening in the present to be able to look at what your problems are and figure out how to deal with them. I am sure that I would probably pull other techniques out of other types of therapy but I see myself staying true to the two above and using them in some type of combination. They seem to work best with my way of thinking and my personality. If I am comfortable with the style of counseling that I am using then my client will be the one to benefit in the long run.

Relationship Between Museum and Cultural Identity

Relationship Between Museum and Cultural Identity THE MUSEUM AND THE CITY: AN EMBODIMENT OF CULTURAL IDENTITY OF THE CITY IN WHICH IT STANDS INTRODUCTION As society enters a new century, many cultures have recond to an age of globalisation and, in turn, are embracing the idea of contemporary living. This results in the development of cutting-edge technology, new methods of communication, and the rapid growth of cities, causing indigenous culture of cities to increasingly blend. The desire to embrace this dynamic compels many architects to consider ways of creating architecture truly representative of a wide range of humanity. These new advances create city growth, impacting on urban form and the design process of the public institutions, including museums, which is what this dissertation will primarily explore. The result is to extend the range of materials, forms, cultural references and social thinking available to museum architecture. But does this create an uninspired sameness, where some identities are being ignored and/or distorted? Where the notion of cultures integrating really means the identity struggle between the dominants and the dominated? One could speculate that now, more rapidly than before, the architecture of the museum and the city simultaneously evolve to meet the cultural identity of the people. But are these buildings, in fact representative of the national identity of a city or the individuality of the architect? This dissertation investigates the architects role in designing museums, establishing to what extent the design reflects or stems from the cultural identity of the city. The relationship between the museum and the city in which to belongs is complex. In order to establish an understanding, the study consults a wide range of resources that address issues of cultural identity within a museums national and civic perspective. Additionally, the research made reference to economic and political issues regarding museums, the study of how globalisation is reflected within a cultural and affects architecture, and case studies to support the statement that architects may intend for their museum designs to be representations of a cultural identity within the city. There are now new ways of experiencing, interpreting and remembering. The contemporary architecture of museums are a strong medium of cultural memory, developing from the museums traditional forms as monuments symbolising the power of key individuals within a society, into an expressive entity that creates dialogue between its contents and urban context. The otherwise conventional manner of designing develops into a world of contradictions, assorted rhythms and new ideas of beauty in the design of museums. The physicality of the building represents that of theatrical effects, incorporating contemporary elements of architectural form as a method of entertainment, whilst engaging the interest of the citys individuals and of those from further afield. Millions are drawn to what is no longer a dying institution, but a visual destination for the public, in a form that encompasses the societys identity. One can assume this is influenced by the cultural pluralism within the buildings city c ontext, and considering the many identities as a plural identity. The diverse elements are woven into a sustainable, integrated spatial fabric that contributes to the life of the city. An approach which allows architectural freedom for a building type that has been described by some sources as overlooked by the public. Due to this studys word restriction, it is not possible to evaluate in detail more than four relevant case studies. This limitation resulted in the careful consideration of case studies varying in terms of locality and architect. Furthermore, due to time restrictions, it was not possible to carry out additional primary research which could have entailed supplementary site visits to the investigated case studies and additional data found in initial research methods such as interviews and questionnaires. The dissertations methodology consists of individually exploring and studying four case studies against the dissertations argument, in order to then properly conclude whether it can be proven to be accurate. These case studies pose as cultural barometers, where during investigation they help assess the extent in which they fulfill a citys cultural identity. The examination method entails drawing on a combination of primary research such as site visits to secondary research, drawing on existing written information from books, articles and online sources. The case studies follow a chronological order, beginning with Chapter One: Frank Gehrys Bilbao Guggenheim, a museum which initiated an influence on the case studies that have followed such as Chapter Two: Daniel Libeskinds Jewish War Museum, Chapter 3: Herzog and de Meurons Tate Modern London and Chapter 4: Zaha Hadids Contemporary Arts Centre. To further develop whether an architects design of contemporary museums truly reflect the citys cultural identity, each case study is analysed in th light of the following issues: Globalisation outlines whether certain cultural identities are lost or just changing within the museums civic context, especially as cities more than nations contend to draw global attention through these culturally significant public buildings. The sub-chapter concerning National and Civic Identity explores how culture influences in terms of the architectural context of the museum in a national and civic perspective. This provides a framework for exploring how architects use ideas about culture and cultural contradictions to create the structures and spaces to engage a society. The issue will discover how the design of the museum is a task of seeking an image essentially of ourselves. Style and Identity of the Architect briefly examines how the architects own identity, who themselves are either travelers or immigrants, insiders/outsiders of the city in which they design for, influences the ultimate design of the citys museum along with their own architectural style. Economy and Poli tics is a sub-chapter concerning who pays, owns and benefits from the establishment of these institutions. How cities acquire signature museums in order to stimulate their economic and ultimately cultural development. The museum building boom has been accelerated by what has become known as The Bilbao Guggenheim Effect . The sub-chapter investigates how Frank Gehrys museum has influenced these case studies to replicate their own â€Å"Bilbao Guggenheim Effect† within their cities. By putting up a museum with architectural credentials, Gehry revitalised a civic and cultural image, demonstrating that a single building could energise and enhance an entire city and region. DISCUSSION THE CONTEXT OF THE MUSEUM: INVENTION AND REINVENTION Layer upon layer, past times preserve themselves in the city until life itself finally threatened with suffocation: then, in sheer defense, modern man invents the museum. [Lewis Mumford, The Culture of Cities] These words from Lewis Mumfords The Culture of Cities depicts how the museum was manifested as a commodification of a citys overpowering history (Giebelhausen, 2003 p. 1). The design development of this building type has been changing since the museum was established in the 18th century, beginning as a space for private collections of wealthy individuals, only accessible by the middle and upper class (Giebelhausen, 2003 p. 4). Presently, the museum is a response to contemporary social change, a space that wishes to connect within its urban fabric surroundings and open to all. A museums design acknowledges the way in which it can order, store and display its belongings, the institutions relationship to a city and surrounding cultures lacks investigation, leaving questions about the museums role in an urban context (Giebelhausen, 2003 p. 2). Culture surpasses the ways in which something can be represented and housed, it can be seen as an expression of us. Today, culture is challenged i n a world struggling for established institutions such as schools, libraries etc., which often are said to lack in relation to the people (Zukin, 1995, p. 11). Museums are no longer seen as fixed frameworks, but a place for public interaction and exchange. One could consider that one of the buildings functions is to absorb the cultures within the city, and then reflect and shape this within an architectural form. The museum itself visually exemplifies its roles within a city, for instance unlocking urban memories, reconfiguring the past, aiding in touristic rediscovery and exploitation of a place to the whole urban environment, roles that challenge the museums attempt to reconnect culture and a citys built form (Giebelhausen, 2003 p. 2). There is an ability to recon a city with the use of museums, from â€Å"systematically inserting them, to salvaging or reconstructing them† into the urban fabric (Giebelhausen, 2003 p. 2). Therefore the museums cultural significance surpasses that of any other building types. In The Museum Transformed, by Douglas Davis (1990, p.14) asserts that, â€Å"no building type can match the museum for symbolic or architectural importance† because it is so often redefined due to its stimulation from cultural development. The museum can be considered as an entity that defines, represents and creates cultural trends ahead of its own place in time. As quoted from MacLeod (2005, p.1), â€Å"As museums have come to be consciously recognized as drivers for social and economic regeneration, the architecture of the museum has developed from its traditional forms into often-spectacular one off statements and architectural visions.† Architects persuasively argue for a new type of ex perience, aiming to appeal to a general audience rather than the scholarly advisors soughing to replicate tradition (Giebelhausen, 2003 p. 3). This is an aspiration expressed from an analysis of contemporary society and its future direction, that being cultural diversity, resulting in the commissioning of strongly conceptualised museums to devote to multiplicity. As Relph (1976, p. 33) claims, †¦for each setting and for each person there are a multiplicity of place identities reflecting different experiences and attitudes; these are molded out of the common elements of appearance†¦through the changing interactions of direct observation with preconceptions. In the past however, the significance of museums were solely to serve a refined function, transcending the thinking of the scholars and academics, along with manifesting the power of a city (Giebelhausen, 2003 p. 4). Relph (1976, p. 35) provides evidence to this claim in mentioning, Public places which achieve their publicity through high imageability are not necessary innocent- their distinctive appearance or form maybe capitalised upon or even created as a statement of grandeur and authority to be regarded in awe by common people. The museum was considered a monument, take examples such as The Louvre in Paris, or the Uffizi in Florence, they are models of the grandeur museums encompassed (Merkel, 2002, p. 66), significant in urban context, deliberately chosen to emphasise a citys status, and drawing attention within a public space. Traditionally understood as temples of knowledge, the architecture itself could be said to represent the value of knowledge. This belief was prominent in the early period of museum founding where the scale of buildings also symbolised power, so much so that the museum evoked the metaphor of a cathedral. Historian Jayne Merkel (2002, p. 66) writes, Not surprisingly, palace architecture-grand, classical, urban, and horizontal-was a principal influence when the first museums were designed. But like most public buildings at the time, they were built in the classical style for other reasons as well, including classicisms associations with government, law (Roman basilicas), with the sacred (Greek temples and Italian Renaissance churches) and with the culture and art of the past. Today, the museum could be considered as a building type that satisfies a citys need for symbolic signification, and an indicator of metropolitan aspirations such as world-wide recognition. A desire to entertain and educate society, along with a â€Å"sensitivity that refuses to bore, alienate or pander to the public† (Zieger, 2005, p. 17). If this is the case, then the status of a great city can entail in encompassing several of these institutions, thus the spread of museums witnessed during the nineteenth and twentieth century indicating the start of city rivalry. At the start of the twenty-first century, the museum as architecture has been reinstated as an evocative entity, as opposed to decades devoted to neutral, voided spaces lacking symbolic significance and strict functionality termed as â€Å"white box† (Lampugnani Sachs, 1999, p. 15). Museums began to create dialogue with their content and urban context. They can be seen as similar in some ways to churches, to shopping centres and other places of gathering, but they have a function different from these examples, they contain things of enquiry. The museum has made a considerable contribution to a city, adding historic and cultural significance along with contributing to a citys metropolitan status, presumably due to the transformative possibilities of museums (Giebelhausen, 2003 p. 9). The city and its museum are in conjunction to one another, one could believe the museum is a citys method of revealing cultural meaning through its architectural forms. This belief is an advanceme nt from the words of the theorist Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, ridiculing museums as cemeteries, stating that they were â€Å"truly identical in their sinister juxtaposition of bodies that do not know each other,† along with a judgement that cultural institutions were dilapidating. (see Zieger, 2005, p. 7) A society today uses the museum to represent a new dynamic form of culture, reflected through an innovative physical form that is often considered a visual spectacle of the city, that one could believe draws visitors to it in theatre like fashion. Consequently it can be theorised that they are quickly becoming radical buildings constructed in a world driven by the need to address new concepts of diversity and equality (Zukin, 1995 p. 2). Rather than just â€Å"cultural cemeteries piling up gilt frame paintings† (Zeiger, 2005, p.11), they are spaces of social condensing- a space attempting to build a community rather than filling a city with volumes of emptiness. As Dan iel Libeskind was quoted in saying â€Å"†¦its not just some sort of container, some abstract piece if glass and concrete, it is part of a communicative system.† The design challenge in the multicultural growth of cities is to find an architectural expression that goes beyond the conventional, while something relevant to contemporary life. Contemporary museum design can be deemed as a physical entity of cultural trends developing within the city (Zukin, 1995 p. 2), either recognising which cultures are integrating or if the city epitomises a specific one. No matter what conclusions are drawn out from a citys cultural make-up museums are a place where people go to mix with others unlike themselves, by having a broad appeal they must aim to please a vast variety of people. Libeskind confirms this in his words, †¦(museum) architecture is what is common between people, and what a contribution it makes to the viability of a city, and to civic space. †¦we might as well make in inspiring environment, an environment that is more than just a shallow faà §ade of something inauthentic. (Cathcart, 2001) To avoid the idea of an undistinguished environment is by physically fitting in the cultural identity related to the city. The museum in a physical setting is a structural body of city understanding and city change. There can be no denying the importance of its architecture in the urban environment in terms of regeneration, tourism, symbolism and so on (Zukin, 1995, p.2). Society as a whole has been persuaded that museums are agents of social economic change. There has been an unprecedented period of radical reshaping, building, rebuilding in the design of these institutions that cannot be disassociated from the drive for cultural inclusiveness and diversity. A building with space that can be considered with endless possibilities for use when â€Å"escaping the straitjacket of conforming to a giving role and move into a sharing mode† (MacLeod, 2005, p.25). In other words, a diverse audience needs a diversity of spaces that reflect, provoke and thrill. CHAPTER ONE : FRANK GEHRYS BILBAO GUGGENHEIM CHAPTER TWO: DANIEL LIBESKINDS JEWISH WAR MUSEUM CHAPTER 3: HERZOG AND DE MEURONS TATE MODERN LONDON CHAPTER 4: ZAHA HADIDS CONTEMPORARY ARTS CENTRE CHAPTER ONE : FRANK GEHRYS BILBAO GUGGENHEIM Frank Gehrys Guggenheim museum is acknowledged worldwide as a magnet for tourism, but can it be truly considered an expression of the Basque peoples cultural identity? Or is it just an architects expressionist gesture in an industrial city? The New York Times depicts The Bilbao Guggenheim as part of an ambitious plan to revise the city as an international centre of culture. The museum is not just a neutral container where art is stored and presented, but a place where the institution itself is in relation with the public. GLOBALISATION It could be said that globalisation creates struggle between the dominant and the dominated cultures within a society and the search for a reconstructed identity of a society. (AlSayyad, 2009, p. 22) Within the Spanish Basque region, it is evident that their identity has been burdened with tension in their attempt to stress their own regional identities and singularities from the rest of Spain (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005, p. 74). However one can argue that in this case globalisation has become a force in strengthening and proliferating a cultural identity, allowing the idea of identity to change into a more universal commodity represented by the museum itself. But how do issues of globalisation affect the architecture itself, especially in terms of the Bilbao Guggenheim? The new advances of technology, communication and construction methods create interventions for local cultures and establish the identities of a place. Gehrys use of cutting-edge computer design technology enabled him to translate his forms into reality (Chulvi, 2007) (see 1.1). Architectural statements such as the Guggenheim Bilbao are often questioned at times in whether or not they have relation to the place and identity. There could be two sides to this argument, one side could be seeking to safeguard and extend already established indigenous architectural traditions, promoting historical continuity and the preservation of identity through traditional decorative forms. The other side which is in more relation to the Guggenheim Bilbao, considers globalisation as a force that seeks to encourage invention and distribution of new forms using new materials and technology in response to changing needs to have relation to the place and identity. Gehry has been quotes in saying, â€Å"Democracy is good for architecture. Pluralistic ideas are what we want presented in architecture, the lead to a visual chaos is part of our lives† (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005, p. 58). There is an opportunity for growth in unique architectural forms in all of its diversity and 2903687145_5cb25af9b6 inclusivity. NATIONAL AND CIVIC IDENTITY The Basque people have been able to preserve their distinct culture and language while flourishing in an environment of globalisation, post-modernity, and European integration (Castillo, 2008). Currently, integrating the two social collectives of nationalists and non-nationalists within the region is growing (Castillo, 2008). However how does a group of people who have never had a country to call their own continue to hold on to their own cultural identity? The Bilbao Guggenheim is a phenomenon of cultural development employing â€Å"the three successive phases posited by the theory of cultural epochs- a period of chaos, a period of adjustment, and a period of equilibrium in cultural change† (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005, p. 74). All around the world culture operates as an engine for new regional and urban development, one could say that no strategic growth of a city would take place without the role of culture (Zukin, 1995, p.11). In the case of the Basque region, it was sufferin g deterioration caught up in a decline in inspiration along with cultural institutions progressively being abandoned. Simultaneously, the Guggenheim Foundation was in need of a new concept of the museum, capable to withstand the achievement of Guggenheim in New York, yet gaining its own recognition abroad. Co-operation between two considerably different cultures occurred in recovering the identity of a small society (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005, p. 77). As Frank Gehry himself explains , the museum embodies two different cultures, the Basque culture and American, which is considered as a melting pot used to extend its arms to everybody (Farnsworth, 1997). The Bilbao Guggenheim is proof of culture being a key strategy in not only providing a physical renewal but a new injection of self-esteem within a city and an entire region. (see 1.2) Culture in the case of the development of this building, can be seen as something essential to humankind and above all to a society in regaining values and providing a sense of identity. Rather than ignoring the cultural context of the city entirely, the fabric is restored, connecting any form of cultural isolation with the new building. The curving forms of the building glide over the River Nervion, a main bridged entry to the Spanish city, shattering strict perpendicularity and ridged geometry regularly associated with museum architecture, providing a new model of collective identification (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005,p. 42). The rejection of these norms is emphasised by the titanium cladding, making the building appear as a single entity that intertwines the city around it. Like the Basque region the building is a place of â€Å"contested borders† (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005,p. 42). (see 1.3) Whether Gehrys building actually erases the citys cultural heritage is debatable. Bilbao is famous for its maritime history, after Barcelona, it has Spains largest port. The Bilbao Guggenheim pays tribute to its own surroundings as it edges onto the riverfront. Its exterior sculpted out of steel, which is traditionally the main industry of the city (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005, p. 154). The museums relationship with the city is conceived as the outcome of a perceived social need, as society changes and new social needs arise, new building forms will be produced in order to fulfill that need. The Bilbao Guggenhem facilitates a complete urban facelift, a driver for the citys urban regeneration, communicating not only its importance to the city as a powerful foci, but the citys mark in the cultural world. As a result, after Bilbao every city aspires to its own Guggenheim effect the â€Å"build it and they will come† (Barreneche, 2005, p.6) belief is what cities have taken on for their museums after untitled STYLE AND IDENTITY OF ARCHITECT Frank Gehry is widely recognised as a North American architect whose combination of steel, high-tech and flowing designs have broken the rigid hold of rectilinear design that has dominated most of Modern architecture (Zieger, 2005, p. 8). However the question remains: is it a good idea for the city to have an international museum built by a foreign architect? Gehry was quoted as spending a lot of time trying to understand the culture and trying to understand the Basque people. He explains, I related to them because I was raised in a Jewish upbringing in Toronto, Canada, so I was an outsider into the culture when I was a kid. And I understandI empathized with this outsider role, andbut I cant put my finger on a piece of the building and say this is Basque, but they seem to think I captured their spirit. I tried to use the materials of the region to build the building. The stone in Spanish. The steel structure is Spanish. All the work people were Basque. (Farnsworth, 1997) One can assume to Gehry a rich piece of architecture would combine elements in a way that preserve the coherence of their origins. At its best, the process of gathering cultural elements and marrying them to the sensitivities of a gifted architect can result in a powerful work of architecture such as the Bilbao Guggenheim. According to the Bilbao Revitalization Plan, the natural slope running down to the riverfront was to be transformed into a green valley, but Gehry did not want to lose the industrial feel of the existing waterfront. (see 1.4 1.5) People say that the design of the museums architecture was inspired during Gehry climb up the Mundana, one of the highest mountains in the outskirts of Bilbao. â€Å"Seen from the river, the building appears to take the shape of a boat paying homage to the port city that has given its home. The museums bright, shining panels resemble fish scales, reflecting the influence of natural forms and shapes.† (Chulvi, 2007) One could argue that the architects use of abstract, free-form components from local materials are reminiscent of Modernist Spanish sculptures, a cultural aspect valued by the Basque, or how the architects design of the enormous boat-shaped gallery is a dedication toward Bilbaos past as a centre of shipbuilding and trade (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005, p. 154). Many would argue that Gehrys design for the Bilbao Guggenheim truly reflects the identity of the Basque people even though the architect himself has no relation to region. However, there is a degree of sensitivity to the regions character that can be witnessed through the architecture. The city of Bilbao places an emphasis on the institution Gehry has designed, as having an important role in defining public culture. This has been achieved through the architects process of negotiating what architectural expressions could be accepted by the people. ECONOMY AND POLITICS Gehrys museum was hailed an as instant landmark, bringing a sense of relevance to architecture in the transformation of cities. (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005, p. 7) The Basque region was in need of local development due to its rustic city appearance and distinct regional identity compared to the rest of Spain. Primarily, the Basque region was in need of distancing itself from the negativity that it was associated with, such as being recognised as a terrorist region. Bilbao, the largest city in the Basque country, is a stronghold for the separatist group ETA (Basque Fatherland and Liberty), which seeks independence from Spain through often violent behavior (Farnsworth, 1997). For the Guggenheim Foundation this was an opportunity to fund a centerpiece of huge urban renewal for Bilbao. Previous museum concepts were of a private space for seekers of wisdom, philosophers and historians. Currently the museums directors are in favor of new futuristic architectural visions that were unimaginable years before, representing a museums city and forming the basis of urban regeneration such as Bilbao Guggenheim. The titanium shapes flourish through Bilbaos dark cornices and nearby smokestacks, as Andrew Friedman (see Zieger, 2005, p. 9) explains, †¦the nearby smokestacks and cranes; they seem†¦to be Gehrys whimsical idea of visually rendering the tumultuous and violent process by which a once-working industrial waterfront is brought to heel-an actual enactment of the grim process that the Guggenheim makes a point of capitalising on. The capitlisation Friedman mentions is the transformation of Bilbao from living city to an architectural destination. In other words the city acquires a signature building in order to stimulate a citys makeover (Zeiger, 2005, p.9). The design of the museum is recognised as a drive for social and economic regeneration, from traditional forms, to, in this case, a spectacular one off statement that challenges architectural preconceptions and creates a visual feast while maintaining the integrity of the site. Why have contemporary museums become a favorite tool of urban regeneration and redevelopment schemes since the Bilbao Guggenheim? Referred to as the â€Å"miracle,† (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005, p. 7) Frank Gehrys Bilbao Guggenheim changed the face of the Bilbao city, and set up to give a new purpose to an abandoned industrial estate. â€Å"Since the Guggenheim was built, Bilbao has never been the same again the museum has helped create pedestrianised areas that run from the t own hall to the port on the shores of the river.† (Chulvi, 2007) The answer is that museums allow an opportunity for growth in unique architectural forms in all of its diversity and inclusivity. CHAPTER ONE : FRANK GEHRYS BILBAO GUGGENHEIM CHAPTER TWO: DANIEL LIBESKINDS JEWISH WAR MUSEUM CHAPTER 3: HERZOG AND DE MEURONS TATE MODERN CHAPTER 4: ZAHA HADIDS CONTEMPORARY ARTS CENTRE CHAPTER TWO: DANIEL LIBESKINDS JEWISH WAR MUSEUM The Jewish War Museums design is so powerful that it can be considered as an artifact in its own right. Even as it was unveiled in 1999 with nothing in it, the building was said to evoke a sense of loss and dislocation inflicted on Europes Jewish population the Holocaust in World War II (Barreneche, 2006, p.121). Through the buildings brief and urban site, Libeskinds Jewish Museum echoes the history of Berlin creating an emotional effect on the visitor. GLOBALISATION Cultural identity is something people have, and a form of traditional inheritance that is shared, something that needs to be protected and preserved. In contemporary society, globalisation has been portrayed sweeping through diverse cultures, and bringing a homogenized cultural experience (Tomlinson, 2003, p. 270). However, one can argue that globalisation, instead of destroying, has become a force in creating and developing cultural identity, allowing the idea of identity to change into a more collective entity. In terms of how this relates to the Jewish Museum, the building is not just seen as a response to some traditions, it is also open to new ones, a link to the past and the future (see 2.1). The mission of the Jewish Museum, and for all new museums, is not just for the city themselves but for the wider public, in which it becomes a communal existence. Around the globe, in every corner, new museums have appeared, coming in every shape and size, appealing to various preferences (Barreneche, 2005, p. 6). As Victoria Newhouse notes (see Barreneche, 2005, p.6), â€Å"One intriguing aspect of the current proliferation of museums is the ‘museumfication of seemingly every phenomenon†. The Jewish Museum is an example of this, and one could assume that through the guidance of globalisation, there are Jewish Museums in cities from New York to Sydney stemming from Libeskinds prominent Berlin museum. (Barreneche, 2005, p. 6). NATIONAL AND CIVIC IDENTITY Culture is cumulative and changing by additions of successive generations, reinterpreted from one individual or group to another. The designed environments of contemporary museums create a setting and representation of particular cultural identities. Daniel Libeskinds Jewish War Museum in Berlin encompasses these attributes, it is a building that engrains Jewish history. The design is based on a process of connecting lines between the locations of historic events and the locations of Jewish culture in Berlin. This is evident from the buildings plan with the zigzag footprint, symbolically derived from a fragmented Star of David (Barreneche, 2006, p.121). (see 2.2) The architect has created metaphors for the absence of Jewish communities in Berlin where the lines slices the plan (Barreneche, 2005, p. 121). The concepts of absence, emptiness and the invisible express the disappearance of Jewish culture in the city. Libeskind proves there is a powerful faith in the ability of people to l earn Relationship Between Museum and Cultural Identity Relationship Between Museum and Cultural Identity THE MUSEUM AND THE CITY: AN EMBODIMENT OF CULTURAL IDENTITY OF THE CITY IN WHICH IT STANDS INTRODUCTION As society enters a new century, many cultures have recond to an age of globalisation and, in turn, are embracing the idea of contemporary living. This results in the development of cutting-edge technology, new methods of communication, and the rapid growth of cities, causing indigenous culture of cities to increasingly blend. The desire to embrace this dynamic compels many architects to consider ways of creating architecture truly representative of a wide range of humanity. These new advances create city growth, impacting on urban form and the design process of the public institutions, including museums, which is what this dissertation will primarily explore. The result is to extend the range of materials, forms, cultural references and social thinking available to museum architecture. But does this create an uninspired sameness, where some identities are being ignored and/or distorted? Where the notion of cultures integrating really means the identity struggle between the dominants and the dominated? One could speculate that now, more rapidly than before, the architecture of the museum and the city simultaneously evolve to meet the cultural identity of the people. But are these buildings, in fact representative of the national identity of a city or the individuality of the architect? This dissertation investigates the architects role in designing museums, establishing to what extent the design reflects or stems from the cultural identity of the city. The relationship between the museum and the city in which to belongs is complex. In order to establish an understanding, the study consults a wide range of resources that address issues of cultural identity within a museums national and civic perspective. Additionally, the research made reference to economic and political issues regarding museums, the study of how globalisation is reflected within a cultural and affects architecture, and case studies to support the statement that architects may intend for their museum designs to be representations of a cultural identity within the city. There are now new ways of experiencing, interpreting and remembering. The contemporary architecture of museums are a strong medium of cultural memory, developing from the museums traditional forms as monuments symbolising the power of key individuals within a society, into an expressive entity that creates dialogue between its contents and urban context. The otherwise conventional manner of designing develops into a world of contradictions, assorted rhythms and new ideas of beauty in the design of museums. The physicality of the building represents that of theatrical effects, incorporating contemporary elements of architectural form as a method of entertainment, whilst engaging the interest of the citys individuals and of those from further afield. Millions are drawn to what is no longer a dying institution, but a visual destination for the public, in a form that encompasses the societys identity. One can assume this is influenced by the cultural pluralism within the buildings city c ontext, and considering the many identities as a plural identity. The diverse elements are woven into a sustainable, integrated spatial fabric that contributes to the life of the city. An approach which allows architectural freedom for a building type that has been described by some sources as overlooked by the public. Due to this studys word restriction, it is not possible to evaluate in detail more than four relevant case studies. This limitation resulted in the careful consideration of case studies varying in terms of locality and architect. Furthermore, due to time restrictions, it was not possible to carry out additional primary research which could have entailed supplementary site visits to the investigated case studies and additional data found in initial research methods such as interviews and questionnaires. The dissertations methodology consists of individually exploring and studying four case studies against the dissertations argument, in order to then properly conclude whether it can be proven to be accurate. These case studies pose as cultural barometers, where during investigation they help assess the extent in which they fulfill a citys cultural identity. The examination method entails drawing on a combination of primary research such as site visits to secondary research, drawing on existing written information from books, articles and online sources. The case studies follow a chronological order, beginning with Chapter One: Frank Gehrys Bilbao Guggenheim, a museum which initiated an influence on the case studies that have followed such as Chapter Two: Daniel Libeskinds Jewish War Museum, Chapter 3: Herzog and de Meurons Tate Modern London and Chapter 4: Zaha Hadids Contemporary Arts Centre. To further develop whether an architects design of contemporary museums truly reflect the citys cultural identity, each case study is analysed in th light of the following issues: Globalisation outlines whether certain cultural identities are lost or just changing within the museums civic context, especially as cities more than nations contend to draw global attention through these culturally significant public buildings. The sub-chapter concerning National and Civic Identity explores how culture influences in terms of the architectural context of the museum in a national and civic perspective. This provides a framework for exploring how architects use ideas about culture and cultural contradictions to create the structures and spaces to engage a society. The issue will discover how the design of the museum is a task of seeking an image essentially of ourselves. Style and Identity of the Architect briefly examines how the architects own identity, who themselves are either travelers or immigrants, insiders/outsiders of the city in which they design for, influences the ultimate design of the citys museum along with their own architectural style. Economy and Poli tics is a sub-chapter concerning who pays, owns and benefits from the establishment of these institutions. How cities acquire signature museums in order to stimulate their economic and ultimately cultural development. The museum building boom has been accelerated by what has become known as The Bilbao Guggenheim Effect . The sub-chapter investigates how Frank Gehrys museum has influenced these case studies to replicate their own â€Å"Bilbao Guggenheim Effect† within their cities. By putting up a museum with architectural credentials, Gehry revitalised a civic and cultural image, demonstrating that a single building could energise and enhance an entire city and region. DISCUSSION THE CONTEXT OF THE MUSEUM: INVENTION AND REINVENTION Layer upon layer, past times preserve themselves in the city until life itself finally threatened with suffocation: then, in sheer defense, modern man invents the museum. [Lewis Mumford, The Culture of Cities] These words from Lewis Mumfords The Culture of Cities depicts how the museum was manifested as a commodification of a citys overpowering history (Giebelhausen, 2003 p. 1). The design development of this building type has been changing since the museum was established in the 18th century, beginning as a space for private collections of wealthy individuals, only accessible by the middle and upper class (Giebelhausen, 2003 p. 4). Presently, the museum is a response to contemporary social change, a space that wishes to connect within its urban fabric surroundings and open to all. A museums design acknowledges the way in which it can order, store and display its belongings, the institutions relationship to a city and surrounding cultures lacks investigation, leaving questions about the museums role in an urban context (Giebelhausen, 2003 p. 2). Culture surpasses the ways in which something can be represented and housed, it can be seen as an expression of us. Today, culture is challenged i n a world struggling for established institutions such as schools, libraries etc., which often are said to lack in relation to the people (Zukin, 1995, p. 11). Museums are no longer seen as fixed frameworks, but a place for public interaction and exchange. One could consider that one of the buildings functions is to absorb the cultures within the city, and then reflect and shape this within an architectural form. The museum itself visually exemplifies its roles within a city, for instance unlocking urban memories, reconfiguring the past, aiding in touristic rediscovery and exploitation of a place to the whole urban environment, roles that challenge the museums attempt to reconnect culture and a citys built form (Giebelhausen, 2003 p. 2). There is an ability to recon a city with the use of museums, from â€Å"systematically inserting them, to salvaging or reconstructing them† into the urban fabric (Giebelhausen, 2003 p. 2). Therefore the museums cultural significance surpasses that of any other building types. In The Museum Transformed, by Douglas Davis (1990, p.14) asserts that, â€Å"no building type can match the museum for symbolic or architectural importance† because it is so often redefined due to its stimulation from cultural development. The museum can be considered as an entity that defines, represents and creates cultural trends ahead of its own place in time. As quoted from MacLeod (2005, p.1), â€Å"As museums have come to be consciously recognized as drivers for social and economic regeneration, the architecture of the museum has developed from its traditional forms into often-spectacular one off statements and architectural visions.† Architects persuasively argue for a new type of ex perience, aiming to appeal to a general audience rather than the scholarly advisors soughing to replicate tradition (Giebelhausen, 2003 p. 3). This is an aspiration expressed from an analysis of contemporary society and its future direction, that being cultural diversity, resulting in the commissioning of strongly conceptualised museums to devote to multiplicity. As Relph (1976, p. 33) claims, †¦for each setting and for each person there are a multiplicity of place identities reflecting different experiences and attitudes; these are molded out of the common elements of appearance†¦through the changing interactions of direct observation with preconceptions. In the past however, the significance of museums were solely to serve a refined function, transcending the thinking of the scholars and academics, along with manifesting the power of a city (Giebelhausen, 2003 p. 4). Relph (1976, p. 35) provides evidence to this claim in mentioning, Public places which achieve their publicity through high imageability are not necessary innocent- their distinctive appearance or form maybe capitalised upon or even created as a statement of grandeur and authority to be regarded in awe by common people. The museum was considered a monument, take examples such as The Louvre in Paris, or the Uffizi in Florence, they are models of the grandeur museums encompassed (Merkel, 2002, p. 66), significant in urban context, deliberately chosen to emphasise a citys status, and drawing attention within a public space. Traditionally understood as temples of knowledge, the architecture itself could be said to represent the value of knowledge. This belief was prominent in the early period of museum founding where the scale of buildings also symbolised power, so much so that the museum evoked the metaphor of a cathedral. Historian Jayne Merkel (2002, p. 66) writes, Not surprisingly, palace architecture-grand, classical, urban, and horizontal-was a principal influence when the first museums were designed. But like most public buildings at the time, they were built in the classical style for other reasons as well, including classicisms associations with government, law (Roman basilicas), with the sacred (Greek temples and Italian Renaissance churches) and with the culture and art of the past. Today, the museum could be considered as a building type that satisfies a citys need for symbolic signification, and an indicator of metropolitan aspirations such as world-wide recognition. A desire to entertain and educate society, along with a â€Å"sensitivity that refuses to bore, alienate or pander to the public† (Zieger, 2005, p. 17). If this is the case, then the status of a great city can entail in encompassing several of these institutions, thus the spread of museums witnessed during the nineteenth and twentieth century indicating the start of city rivalry. At the start of the twenty-first century, the museum as architecture has been reinstated as an evocative entity, as opposed to decades devoted to neutral, voided spaces lacking symbolic significance and strict functionality termed as â€Å"white box† (Lampugnani Sachs, 1999, p. 15). Museums began to create dialogue with their content and urban context. They can be seen as similar in some ways to churches, to shopping centres and other places of gathering, but they have a function different from these examples, they contain things of enquiry. The museum has made a considerable contribution to a city, adding historic and cultural significance along with contributing to a citys metropolitan status, presumably due to the transformative possibilities of museums (Giebelhausen, 2003 p. 9). The city and its museum are in conjunction to one another, one could believe the museum is a citys method of revealing cultural meaning through its architectural forms. This belief is an advanceme nt from the words of the theorist Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, ridiculing museums as cemeteries, stating that they were â€Å"truly identical in their sinister juxtaposition of bodies that do not know each other,† along with a judgement that cultural institutions were dilapidating. (see Zieger, 2005, p. 7) A society today uses the museum to represent a new dynamic form of culture, reflected through an innovative physical form that is often considered a visual spectacle of the city, that one could believe draws visitors to it in theatre like fashion. Consequently it can be theorised that they are quickly becoming radical buildings constructed in a world driven by the need to address new concepts of diversity and equality (Zukin, 1995 p. 2). Rather than just â€Å"cultural cemeteries piling up gilt frame paintings† (Zeiger, 2005, p.11), they are spaces of social condensing- a space attempting to build a community rather than filling a city with volumes of emptiness. As Dan iel Libeskind was quoted in saying â€Å"†¦its not just some sort of container, some abstract piece if glass and concrete, it is part of a communicative system.† The design challenge in the multicultural growth of cities is to find an architectural expression that goes beyond the conventional, while something relevant to contemporary life. Contemporary museum design can be deemed as a physical entity of cultural trends developing within the city (Zukin, 1995 p. 2), either recognising which cultures are integrating or if the city epitomises a specific one. No matter what conclusions are drawn out from a citys cultural make-up museums are a place where people go to mix with others unlike themselves, by having a broad appeal they must aim to please a vast variety of people. Libeskind confirms this in his words, †¦(museum) architecture is what is common between people, and what a contribution it makes to the viability of a city, and to civic space. †¦we might as well make in inspiring environment, an environment that is more than just a shallow faà §ade of something inauthentic. (Cathcart, 2001) To avoid the idea of an undistinguished environment is by physically fitting in the cultural identity related to the city. The museum in a physical setting is a structural body of city understanding and city change. There can be no denying the importance of its architecture in the urban environment in terms of regeneration, tourism, symbolism and so on (Zukin, 1995, p.2). Society as a whole has been persuaded that museums are agents of social economic change. There has been an unprecedented period of radical reshaping, building, rebuilding in the design of these institutions that cannot be disassociated from the drive for cultural inclusiveness and diversity. A building with space that can be considered with endless possibilities for use when â€Å"escaping the straitjacket of conforming to a giving role and move into a sharing mode† (MacLeod, 2005, p.25). In other words, a diverse audience needs a diversity of spaces that reflect, provoke and thrill. CHAPTER ONE : FRANK GEHRYS BILBAO GUGGENHEIM CHAPTER TWO: DANIEL LIBESKINDS JEWISH WAR MUSEUM CHAPTER 3: HERZOG AND DE MEURONS TATE MODERN LONDON CHAPTER 4: ZAHA HADIDS CONTEMPORARY ARTS CENTRE CHAPTER ONE : FRANK GEHRYS BILBAO GUGGENHEIM Frank Gehrys Guggenheim museum is acknowledged worldwide as a magnet for tourism, but can it be truly considered an expression of the Basque peoples cultural identity? Or is it just an architects expressionist gesture in an industrial city? The New York Times depicts The Bilbao Guggenheim as part of an ambitious plan to revise the city as an international centre of culture. The museum is not just a neutral container where art is stored and presented, but a place where the institution itself is in relation with the public. GLOBALISATION It could be said that globalisation creates struggle between the dominant and the dominated cultures within a society and the search for a reconstructed identity of a society. (AlSayyad, 2009, p. 22) Within the Spanish Basque region, it is evident that their identity has been burdened with tension in their attempt to stress their own regional identities and singularities from the rest of Spain (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005, p. 74). However one can argue that in this case globalisation has become a force in strengthening and proliferating a cultural identity, allowing the idea of identity to change into a more universal commodity represented by the museum itself. But how do issues of globalisation affect the architecture itself, especially in terms of the Bilbao Guggenheim? The new advances of technology, communication and construction methods create interventions for local cultures and establish the identities of a place. Gehrys use of cutting-edge computer design technology enabled him to translate his forms into reality (Chulvi, 2007) (see 1.1). Architectural statements such as the Guggenheim Bilbao are often questioned at times in whether or not they have relation to the place and identity. There could be two sides to this argument, one side could be seeking to safeguard and extend already established indigenous architectural traditions, promoting historical continuity and the preservation of identity through traditional decorative forms. The other side which is in more relation to the Guggenheim Bilbao, considers globalisation as a force that seeks to encourage invention and distribution of new forms using new materials and technology in response to changing needs to have relation to the place and identity. Gehry has been quotes in saying, â€Å"Democracy is good for architecture. Pluralistic ideas are what we want presented in architecture, the lead to a visual chaos is part of our lives† (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005, p. 58). There is an opportunity for growth in unique architectural forms in all of its diversity and 2903687145_5cb25af9b6 inclusivity. NATIONAL AND CIVIC IDENTITY The Basque people have been able to preserve their distinct culture and language while flourishing in an environment of globalisation, post-modernity, and European integration (Castillo, 2008). Currently, integrating the two social collectives of nationalists and non-nationalists within the region is growing (Castillo, 2008). However how does a group of people who have never had a country to call their own continue to hold on to their own cultural identity? The Bilbao Guggenheim is a phenomenon of cultural development employing â€Å"the three successive phases posited by the theory of cultural epochs- a period of chaos, a period of adjustment, and a period of equilibrium in cultural change† (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005, p. 74). All around the world culture operates as an engine for new regional and urban development, one could say that no strategic growth of a city would take place without the role of culture (Zukin, 1995, p.11). In the case of the Basque region, it was sufferin g deterioration caught up in a decline in inspiration along with cultural institutions progressively being abandoned. Simultaneously, the Guggenheim Foundation was in need of a new concept of the museum, capable to withstand the achievement of Guggenheim in New York, yet gaining its own recognition abroad. Co-operation between two considerably different cultures occurred in recovering the identity of a small society (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005, p. 77). As Frank Gehry himself explains , the museum embodies two different cultures, the Basque culture and American, which is considered as a melting pot used to extend its arms to everybody (Farnsworth, 1997). The Bilbao Guggenheim is proof of culture being a key strategy in not only providing a physical renewal but a new injection of self-esteem within a city and an entire region. (see 1.2) Culture in the case of the development of this building, can be seen as something essential to humankind and above all to a society in regaining values and providing a sense of identity. Rather than ignoring the cultural context of the city entirely, the fabric is restored, connecting any form of cultural isolation with the new building. The curving forms of the building glide over the River Nervion, a main bridged entry to the Spanish city, shattering strict perpendicularity and ridged geometry regularly associated with museum architecture, providing a new model of collective identification (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005,p. 42). The rejection of these norms is emphasised by the titanium cladding, making the building appear as a single entity that intertwines the city around it. Like the Basque region the building is a place of â€Å"contested borders† (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005,p. 42). (see 1.3) Whether Gehrys building actually erases the citys cultural heritage is debatable. Bilbao is famous for its maritime history, after Barcelona, it has Spains largest port. The Bilbao Guggenheim pays tribute to its own surroundings as it edges onto the riverfront. Its exterior sculpted out of steel, which is traditionally the main industry of the city (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005, p. 154). The museums relationship with the city is conceived as the outcome of a perceived social need, as society changes and new social needs arise, new building forms will be produced in order to fulfill that need. The Bilbao Guggenhem facilitates a complete urban facelift, a driver for the citys urban regeneration, communicating not only its importance to the city as a powerful foci, but the citys mark in the cultural world. As a result, after Bilbao every city aspires to its own Guggenheim effect the â€Å"build it and they will come† (Barreneche, 2005, p.6) belief is what cities have taken on for their museums after untitled STYLE AND IDENTITY OF ARCHITECT Frank Gehry is widely recognised as a North American architect whose combination of steel, high-tech and flowing designs have broken the rigid hold of rectilinear design that has dominated most of Modern architecture (Zieger, 2005, p. 8). However the question remains: is it a good idea for the city to have an international museum built by a foreign architect? Gehry was quoted as spending a lot of time trying to understand the culture and trying to understand the Basque people. He explains, I related to them because I was raised in a Jewish upbringing in Toronto, Canada, so I was an outsider into the culture when I was a kid. And I understandI empathized with this outsider role, andbut I cant put my finger on a piece of the building and say this is Basque, but they seem to think I captured their spirit. I tried to use the materials of the region to build the building. The stone in Spanish. The steel structure is Spanish. All the work people were Basque. (Farnsworth, 1997) One can assume to Gehry a rich piece of architecture would combine elements in a way that preserve the coherence of their origins. At its best, the process of gathering cultural elements and marrying them to the sensitivities of a gifted architect can result in a powerful work of architecture such as the Bilbao Guggenheim. According to the Bilbao Revitalization Plan, the natural slope running down to the riverfront was to be transformed into a green valley, but Gehry did not want to lose the industrial feel of the existing waterfront. (see 1.4 1.5) People say that the design of the museums architecture was inspired during Gehry climb up the Mundana, one of the highest mountains in the outskirts of Bilbao. â€Å"Seen from the river, the building appears to take the shape of a boat paying homage to the port city that has given its home. The museums bright, shining panels resemble fish scales, reflecting the influence of natural forms and shapes.† (Chulvi, 2007) One could argue that the architects use of abstract, free-form components from local materials are reminiscent of Modernist Spanish sculptures, a cultural aspect valued by the Basque, or how the architects design of the enormous boat-shaped gallery is a dedication toward Bilbaos past as a centre of shipbuilding and trade (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005, p. 154). Many would argue that Gehrys design for the Bilbao Guggenheim truly reflects the identity of the Basque people even though the architect himself has no relation to region. However, there is a degree of sensitivity to the regions character that can be witnessed through the architecture. The city of Bilbao places an emphasis on the institution Gehry has designed, as having an important role in defining public culture. This has been achieved through the architects process of negotiating what architectural expressions could be accepted by the people. ECONOMY AND POLITICS Gehrys museum was hailed an as instant landmark, bringing a sense of relevance to architecture in the transformation of cities. (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005, p. 7) The Basque region was in need of local development due to its rustic city appearance and distinct regional identity compared to the rest of Spain. Primarily, the Basque region was in need of distancing itself from the negativity that it was associated with, such as being recognised as a terrorist region. Bilbao, the largest city in the Basque country, is a stronghold for the separatist group ETA (Basque Fatherland and Liberty), which seeks independence from Spain through often violent behavior (Farnsworth, 1997). For the Guggenheim Foundation this was an opportunity to fund a centerpiece of huge urban renewal for Bilbao. Previous museum concepts were of a private space for seekers of wisdom, philosophers and historians. Currently the museums directors are in favor of new futuristic architectural visions that were unimaginable years before, representing a museums city and forming the basis of urban regeneration such as Bilbao Guggenheim. The titanium shapes flourish through Bilbaos dark cornices and nearby smokestacks, as Andrew Friedman (see Zieger, 2005, p. 9) explains, †¦the nearby smokestacks and cranes; they seem†¦to be Gehrys whimsical idea of visually rendering the tumultuous and violent process by which a once-working industrial waterfront is brought to heel-an actual enactment of the grim process that the Guggenheim makes a point of capitalising on. The capitlisation Friedman mentions is the transformation of Bilbao from living city to an architectural destination. In other words the city acquires a signature building in order to stimulate a citys makeover (Zeiger, 2005, p.9). The design of the museum is recognised as a drive for social and economic regeneration, from traditional forms, to, in this case, a spectacular one off statement that challenges architectural preconceptions and creates a visual feast while maintaining the integrity of the site. Why have contemporary museums become a favorite tool of urban regeneration and redevelopment schemes since the Bilbao Guggenheim? Referred to as the â€Å"miracle,† (Guasch and Zulaika, 2005, p. 7) Frank Gehrys Bilbao Guggenheim changed the face of the Bilbao city, and set up to give a new purpose to an abandoned industrial estate. â€Å"Since the Guggenheim was built, Bilbao has never been the same again the museum has helped create pedestrianised areas that run from the t own hall to the port on the shores of the river.† (Chulvi, 2007) The answer is that museums allow an opportunity for growth in unique architectural forms in all of its diversity and inclusivity. CHAPTER ONE : FRANK GEHRYS BILBAO GUGGENHEIM CHAPTER TWO: DANIEL LIBESKINDS JEWISH WAR MUSEUM CHAPTER 3: HERZOG AND DE MEURONS TATE MODERN CHAPTER 4: ZAHA HADIDS CONTEMPORARY ARTS CENTRE CHAPTER TWO: DANIEL LIBESKINDS JEWISH WAR MUSEUM The Jewish War Museums design is so powerful that it can be considered as an artifact in its own right. Even as it was unveiled in 1999 with nothing in it, the building was said to evoke a sense of loss and dislocation inflicted on Europes Jewish population the Holocaust in World War II (Barreneche, 2006, p.121). Through the buildings brief and urban site, Libeskinds Jewish Museum echoes the history of Berlin creating an emotional effect on the visitor. GLOBALISATION Cultural identity is something people have, and a form of traditional inheritance that is shared, something that needs to be protected and preserved. In contemporary society, globalisation has been portrayed sweeping through diverse cultures, and bringing a homogenized cultural experience (Tomlinson, 2003, p. 270). However, one can argue that globalisation, instead of destroying, has become a force in creating and developing cultural identity, allowing the idea of identity to change into a more collective entity. In terms of how this relates to the Jewish Museum, the building is not just seen as a response to some traditions, it is also open to new ones, a link to the past and the future (see 2.1). The mission of the Jewish Museum, and for all new museums, is not just for the city themselves but for the wider public, in which it becomes a communal existence. Around the globe, in every corner, new museums have appeared, coming in every shape and size, appealing to various preferences (Barreneche, 2005, p. 6). As Victoria Newhouse notes (see Barreneche, 2005, p.6), â€Å"One intriguing aspect of the current proliferation of museums is the ‘museumfication of seemingly every phenomenon†. The Jewish Museum is an example of this, and one could assume that through the guidance of globalisation, there are Jewish Museums in cities from New York to Sydney stemming from Libeskinds prominent Berlin museum. (Barreneche, 2005, p. 6). NATIONAL AND CIVIC IDENTITY Culture is cumulative and changing by additions of successive generations, reinterpreted from one individual or group to another. The designed environments of contemporary museums create a setting and representation of particular cultural identities. Daniel Libeskinds Jewish War Museum in Berlin encompasses these attributes, it is a building that engrains Jewish history. The design is based on a process of connecting lines between the locations of historic events and the locations of Jewish culture in Berlin. This is evident from the buildings plan with the zigzag footprint, symbolically derived from a fragmented Star of David (Barreneche, 2006, p.121). (see 2.2) The architect has created metaphors for the absence of Jewish communities in Berlin where the lines slices the plan (Barreneche, 2005, p. 121). The concepts of absence, emptiness and the invisible express the disappearance of Jewish culture in the city. Libeskind proves there is a powerful faith in the ability of people to l earn

Analysis of Tescos Online Marketing Strategy

Analysis of Tescos Online Marketing Strategy The Importance of online shopping in todays modern era is a fact that all organizations realize and amalgamate in their systems. The fast attractive, handy and approachable nature of online shopping is a revelation and must be said an incredible beginning to the innovations in the modern days. People can find what they need easily while surfing from the convenience of their homes, and they can search for varieties as well as look for desirable discounts related to different products. However, it is important to realize that there are certain cons related with the idea of internet shopping as some people still believe that internet shopping is more risky than traditional shopping due to the lack of opportunity to physically examine the product and the lack of personal contact. Goldsmith and Goldsmith (2002); Phau Poon (2000). The immensity of the potential of the Internet in business transactions is undeniable in the modern age (Cheung and Lee, 2006). However, like all other technology, the pros and cons of Internet as a business medium are also widely accepted by consumers as well as marketers, as while buyers can shop literally around the clock they may also have to deal with enormous amounts of unwanted information about products (Huang, Chung and Chen, 2003). Hence, the need to critically examine the viability of this medium is crucially important for founding basis of future business environment (Clewley, Chen and Liu, 2009). Indeed the most interesting feature of this new dimension of marketing and strategy-building is the behaviour of the consumers, which shows that online shopping the most popular purpose of Internet usage among common consumers (Forsythe and Shi, 2003). This has also increased scope of research on the subject of strategies used by firms in retaining customers through the Internet (Reibstein, 2002; Jiang and Rosenbloom, 2005), which are now much important (Ellis-Chadwick, Doherty and Anastasakis, 2007). Aim and Scope of the Research: The focus and scope of this research will revolve around Tesco which is one of the UKs retailing giants and enjoys a huge presence in the UK due to its wide scope network of retailing activities. This research aims at identifying and highlighting the marketing strategy of Tesco and the way it can cope with the industry norms and standards. The focus of the marketing strategy will be on the e marketing or digital marketing framework applicable in the industry and how Tesco can use the internet to market and sell its product along with widespread promotional campaigns and identification of the buying behaviours. It is important to realize that Tesco being a huge retail industry in the United Kingdom has a huge responsibility on its shoulder in order to cater to the needs of its customers who are the key stakeholders in Tescos marketing strategies. SMART Objectives: Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic Timed The Aim of this research shall be relevant to the SMART objectives OBJECTIVES OF THE RESEARCH: The Primary objective is to make the consumers of the Tesco products beware of the online marketing tool. Another objective is to measure the performance of the online profiling through internet surveys and consumers analysis of the products. Make efforts to increase the internet consumption through online marketing tools and advertising through a wide range of media players. Making a timely and budgeted forecasts of the efforts needed in internet marketing and the tools that are required for the effective internet marketing. Making realistic goals related to the efficiency of the marketing strategies and their effectiveness in bringing the internet to the consumers door step. Research Questions: Following are the proposed research questions for the study: How has IT helped Tesco in strategic customer retention over the years? What are the key determinants of success for Tescos online marketing strategy? What are the fundamental elements of the e-marketing strategy of Tesco? What are the future prospects of online marketing for Tesco? Primary Research and Data Analysis: The primary research will be done through interviews and questionnaires that will focus on how the consumers think about the online shopping and what motivates and influences them to shop online from Tesco.com. The data analysis will be done in order to gain influential insights into the marketing strategies of Tesco and online marketing strategies and what should be done to impact the international arena. Realizations of the buying behaviours is always crucial when doing the primary research as we will study in this literature that buying behaviours varies with respect to the demographics as well as it influences the external environment. This is also very significant due to the marketability of the tesco products as well as knowing that some people are not particularly confident while buying online while others prefer to buy online. CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW Tesco being the leading food retailers in the United Kingdom and Ireland has its branches all over the UK. The company excels in the provision of quality food items and other retail households. The companys annual online sales exceeded an overwhelming $ 5 billion where as Tesco.com is known as the worlds largest online grocer. The customer base that is attracted by Tesco is a little less than 1 million and more than 250,000 orders that are being completed each week. The company has a very effective and integrated supply chain that consists of 1900 vans that operate and approx. 300 stores and 9000 pickers. The company dominated in the offline and online grocery market and has looked for other areas that need expansion, with a market share of UK retailing being 12.5%. The main competitor of tesco in the retail industry network is Asda, Morrisons, and Sainsbury. The Asda , that is owned by the US corporation Wall Mart since the year 1999 is the only super market that has been a major co mpetitor for Tesco. Wall Mart being the biggest food chain in the world has the annual sales that is eight times that of tesco, where as the clothing firm own by ASDA known as George provides a diverse range of clothing in the UK and there are plans for the company to takeover Matalan, i.e. the giant clothing and home furnishing store. The other major competitors to Tesco are Sainsbury that used to be the UK s biggest grocer until 1995, when Tesco emerged as the leading grocer. However, despite the drastic declines in the performances of Sainsbury it is known that ASDAs share being 16.6% compared to Sainsburys 16.22% i.e. not far behind. However, there are seemingly diverse growth opportunities for Tesco in the retail industry as Tesco believes that if there is any market share left there is also a potential for growth and expansion. In order to have a detailed and proper understanding of the online marketing policy as an analyst or a practitioner it is important to have a detailed study on the choices made by the organizations and also have an understanding of their behaviours. Shapiro, J.C hoque,K Keesler, I Richardson, R (2008). There are also some challenges faced by the company in online selling i.e. how to succeed without having huge expenses. The course of this literature will focus primarily on the online marketing strategies for Tesco, but it is foremost and important to discuss the technological drivers of change in the process. This is a fact that the UK internet penetration was almost 64% and the Irelands internet penetration was almost 51% , however, these results make very clear statements for new an d emerging online shopping markets. The company also relishes creating a valuable and sustainable supply chain, however, the company didnt have to change its supply chain due to its new strategy, but there was a need for more to be done in the area of online marketing. Tesco also defined and redefined the customer needs and also expanded the range of products being offered online and fulfilment of the needs. This new strategy also helped tesco immensely in the expansion of the product line without making any drastic changes. 2.1 Digital Marketing: Tesco can use digital marketing with good effect to add value to the marketing strategies and promotional benefits. Although the company has a huge global presence but the growing age of the internet as a medium can be used much more effectively by the company. They can e-market and launch their upcoming products and sell it with a bigger and better effect. They must also look at the competitors digital marketing strategies and analyse the pros and cons of e marketing as a tool. The global companies like ASDA, Sainsbury and Morrison are competitors of Tesco and they have a global presence as they use digital marketing with huge effect. 2.2 Creative Marketing: Marketing itself is a very creative and innovative field with various applications and implications. However, creative marketing is something different and innovative than any other type of marketing. Tesco being a global brand has a big brand name as well as a brand image. To maintain this company must influence its marketing team to be creative and innovative by bringing various dimensions into the marketing strategies. Creativity will bring more enhancements and attractiveness into the diverse range of products that the company deals in. They can also bring competition in creativity by selling best ideas and rewarding those ideas accordingly. Creativity always influences the customer and selling strategies always lay a desirable impact on the sales and productivity of any firm. This literature will discuss how digital marketing and creative marketing aspects can be used by Tesco to influence the buying behaviour of their customers and target a huge audience. Online marketing is the best way to attract customers and have efficient and effective marketing strategies that will be sustainable for the companys growth in future. Its important to realize that marketing is a very tactical and at the same time somewhat technical approach to bringing customers closer to the brand and creating a brand image as well as an influence in the eyes of the key stakeholders i.e. the consumers. Hence it is critical to understand the consumer behaviour and how the customers influences are affected by the change in the companys strategy. A customers loyalty is significant to achieve milestones and targets that are influenced by goals and agendas that are critical in the longer run and demonstrates a significant thinking of the behavioural aspects of the consumers. The Importance of Brand Identity: Brand identity is one of the crucial elements in the value that a brand creates in terms of its marketability, accessibility, and competitiveness. Brand identity is a firms most valued assets that it can capitalize on to have profits for long periods as an identity is the most basic investment that a company makes to establish its brand image. A brand identity has a lot to do with the online marketing and promotional aspects of the company like the calibre and stature of Tesco. Attracting customers towards a specific brand is not the only way a company can take advantage of its brand image; it has also to focus on a strong employers brand. In totality it is important to realize that companies always capitalize on their initial marketing strategies, promotional campaigns and investments they make in their brand. Branding is a marketing strategy for creating, nurturing and even fostering the development of relevant and appropriate brand value propositions Abimbola, T Kocak, A(2007). Fig 1: Brand Image Model Consumer Behaviour: The consumer behaviour is the relation with the consumers responsiveness and their attitudes. It has to do with the consumers reaction to the different products that are being launched in the retail industry (Tesco) and the products that are more famous amongst the consumers. There is a relation to the demographics of the environment i.e. the composition of the age, sex, age groups, location and cultural diversities. Companies these days have become more and more feedback oriented. Lerman, D (2006) with the help of customer satisfaction surveys and questionnaires. Consumers perceptions may differ from loyalty because of ignorance or lack of salience of origin. Consumer behaviour is basically the identification of consumers attitude towards a specific brand and as according to MacInnis, H(2007) attitudes are important because they guide our thoughts i.e. the cognitive function, influence our feelings, i.e. the emotional intelligence and also affect our behaviour i.e. the cognitive function. Whatever the consumers of a certain product or influencing class decides which ads to read, whom to talk to, where to shop and where to eat is all based on the attitudes and their personal likings. This fact is similar in the case scenario of the all important retail industry where the trust factor is important as people most often dont trust the least known or not well known brands in the industry. Online marketing can play a very significant role regards to the key aspects concerned with consumer behaviour and consumer dynamics and it is critical to realize how the consumers think of a specific brand and its branding significance related to the industr y. Market Segmentation: Market segmentation is the defining and sub dividing a large common that into segments that are clearly identified and has similar requirements, and demand characteristics. These segmentations are made according to the diversities in the culture and the geographical norms. The four factors that has the most effects on the market are the clear identification of the segments, a measure of its effective size, accessibility through promotional efforts and appropriateness to the policies and the resources of the firm. The four basic market segmentation strategies are based on behavioural, demographic, psychographic and the geographical differences. Behavioural Intentions Behavioural intentions have a huge amount of significance regards to the behaviours of customers in terms of a brands image and its significance. Attribution theory is concerned with all the aspects of assigning casual inferences and how these particular interpretations influence behaviours. Swanson, S.R Davis, J.C(2003). The behavioural approach has a generalized focus on the market share, brand allegiance, exclusive purchase, and elasticity and/ or price until switching. Both the behavioural and the attitudinal approaches are have been given heavy criticism while the attitudinal approach has focused laid on the attitudes , the loyal and the disloyal acts , the brand preference of the consumers and the probability of purchase. White, C Yu, Y.T(2005). In the paradigm of the online marketing tools it is desirable and most significant to realize that how the behaviours and marketability aspects of the Tesco online products are grasped, evaluated and monitored by the consumers. Customer Satisfaction: Customer satisfaction holds vitality regards to the branding strategies as customers are the end users of a product. Customer satisfaction can be achieved through absolute customer focus and customer retention that can only be achieved if the needs of the customers are catered keeping in mind the productivity and brand loyalty aspects. According to Caruana, A(2002) the expectancy/ disconfirmation in the process theory provides a vast amount of satisfaction studies that rely heavily on expectations, performance ,disconfirmation and satisfaction. Fig 2: Customer Satisfaction model The above model for customer satisfaction shows the customer as the mediator between the service quality and the service loyalty aspects that are involved in a customer and their relationship with a company. Customer acts as a backbone to the branding strategies of a company as the customer are the opinion makers regards to brand significance and its vulnerability in a market.

Introductory speech Change in Thinking :: essays research papers

Change in thinking This is very long ago I worked as a part time teacher for 3 months back home in India. When I was doing my undergrad .This was part of a project work in the course work. There were 20 odd students in the class. But they are not at all good at studies. They used to skip the classes, use fowl language, never showed any kind of interest in listening to teachers or respecting them and what not. The principal of the school is fed up with their behavior and decided he is going to fail all the students. Here I was appointed as a mathematics teacher. I went as extra mile and requested the principal to give me a month, to see if I can bring any change in the students. The principal did accept my request. To start with it was very tough and challenging assignment. I did plan well and here how I executed the plan †¦ It starts this way I went to the class and spoke to the students Here is the deal I will help you out in passing your exams but you have to do what I will tell you guys to do. First week: You have to attend all the classes I am going to give D grade if you just attend the classes. Students felt good about the deal and started attending the classes. Second week: Now you can copy in the exams and I am going to give C grade. Students liked the deal. They did that. Third week: I said now I am going to give B grade if you do not copy from others, just write what you know. This time students liked it better. It motivated the students to participate in the class and started involving and showed lot of interest. Slowly but steadily they started doing well. After a month the principle decided to come to the class and check the performance of the students. Now we had one more deal, whenever I ask you a question (tables) whoever knows the answer raises your right hand. Whoever don’t know raise your left hand. And I am going to ask the person who has raised his right hand. The day has come, the principle came.

Charles Darwin :: Biography Biographies

Charles Robert Darwin was a British scientist who laid the foundation of modern evolutionary theory with his views on life development through natural selection. He was born in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, on February 12, 1809. After graduating from the elite school at Shrewsbury in 1825, Darwin attended the University of Edinburgh where he studied medicine. In 1827 he dropped out and entered the University of Cambridge in preparation for becoming a clergyman of the Church of England. While there, Darwin met two important people in his life: Adam Sedgwick, a geologist, and John Stevens Henslow, a naturalist. After graduating from Cambridge in 1831, the 22-year-old Darwin was taken aboard the English survey ship HMS Beagle, mainly because of Henslow's recommendation, as an unpaid naturalist on an expedition around the world. When the voyage began, Darwin didn't believe that species change through time, but he did believe in two prevailing ideas of the time. The first theory was that the earth was 6,000 years old and had remained unchanged except for the effects of floods and other catastropes. The second was that organisms were designed especially for certain habitats and appeared on the earth in their present form. After reading the works of a noted geologist, Darwin began to change his ideas. He saw evidence that the earth was much older than 6,000 years. In South America, he was witness to an earthquake that lifted the land several feet. He realized that mountains could be built by the action of an earthquake over millions of years. He found fossils of marine mammals high up on mountains, and realized that rocks must have been lifted from the ocean. Darwin also studied plants and animals. On the Galapagos Islands, he found animals that resembled animals on the South American continent, but not exactly the same. He understood that they must have come to the islands from the mainland, and then adapted into new species. He also observed the plant and animal life of South America, oceanic islands, and the Far East. He noted many examples that proved that animals in similar environments didn't always look the same. For example, the emus of Australia and the rheas of South America are two very distinct species, but they live in the same basic kind of habitat. Darwin thought about this, and asked himself the question, if animals were formed for a specific habitat, why would different species be found in habitats that are so similar? After leaving the HMS Beagle and returning to England in 1836, Darwin began recording his ideas about changeability of species in his Notebooks on the

Beliefs About the World Trade Organization

Before reading articles about the World Trade Organization written by activist organizations and the WTO itself, I was aware that the conflicts and the debates surrounding the esteemed organization concern the power differences between the haves and the have-nots in the global economy. I also believed that the WTO is an indispensable entity produced by globalization itself. In my opinion, the WTO balances power between the haves and the have-nots as far as it is possible to do so.And, while the economies of abundance and high economic growth cannot be expected to slow down because of the low growth economies, the WTO at least gives the latter a voice. The articles on the WTO written by activist organizations have changed my beliefs about the organization very little. Indeed, it comes as a surprise to me that the WTO is blamed for putting the rights of big businesses â€Å"to profit over human and labor rights.† Jerry Mander, the president of the International Forum on Globaliz ation, refers to the WTO’s â€Å"mad drive toward corporate led economic globalization. † Yet, I had believed that WTO naturally favors the big economies of the world rather than corporations because the big economies happen to be instrumental in the entire global economy. In fact, without the big economies, the developing world would not even dream of globalization and foreign investment that would eventually make it possible for poor countries to economically grow.Besides, human and labor rights, in my opinion, cannot possibly be discounted by the WTO, seeing that businesses cannot even function without human and labor rights, and at the heart of WTO’s mission lies its interest in the promotion of business around the globe. Articles authorized by the WTO strengthen my belief that the organization works with â€Å"member countries† instead of focusing on corporations. In actual fact, the WTO takes decisions based on a consensus among its member countries .Moreover, it is wonderful to note that the WTO’s system is a promoter of world peace. After all, the organization allows for discussions, even among those member countries that differ in their opinions about the global political economy. I do not believe that I require further information to change my beliefs about the WTO. The organization remains ‘esteemed’ in my humble opinion, promoting the interests of all of its member countries while naturally favoring the big economies that happen to be most helpful for the small economies as well.

Ph Scale

The pH Scale is a scale made to show how acidic or alkaline a substance is. The pH of something is measured with pH paper which can vary from wide range paper, which covers all ph’s, but is not as accurate at some others. There are pH papers that get very specific that can have a range such as 2 or 3 and get much more precise. The neutral on the scale is 7. Anything that is below 7 is considered acidic and anything above 7 is considered alkaline. Acidic substances contain more H+ than OH-.H+ stands for a positively charged hydrogen ion and OH- stands means a negatively charged hydroxide ion. This means something with the pH level of 4 is more acidic than something with the pH level of 9. When an acidic substance is out into another substance the original substance turns more and more acidic. The acids will begin to break down the proteins. The opposite happens with an Alkaline substance. The Alkaline has a negative charge so when placed into a substance it pushes the substance away and then quickly blends in.The proteins do not get broken down, they all mix together and become paler. The reason why pH is important in biology is because the pH of a cells interior helps regulate the cell’s chemical reactions. The cells in the human body need to regulate the chemical reactions in order to grow and to survive. For example, urine has the pH level of 6, which is slightly acidic, and blood has the pH level of about 7. 4 which is slightly alkaline. When the pH of blood changes it is often caused from a failed kidney function.Humans are not the only thing with pH in them however. All living animals have pH inside of them, however our blood pH’s and theirs can vary greatly. Animals such as crabs and clams have a acidic blood pH. Others like dogs have a blood that has a pH level that is alkaline. Conclusion: After observing the effects of an Alkaline and acidic substance on a neutral substance I am able to conclude that the pH level changes. When an A lkaline substance is added to a neutral substance the pH level rises due to the amounts of OH-.Eventually the pH level did even out. When the alkaline substance is added it also causes the substance to loose color. The Acidic substance has quite the opposite effect. When added to the milk the milks pH level dropped and became acidic. The milk became a grayish color and began to chunk up. Eventually the milks pH level did level off and the milk became more like a liquid again. With this being said when an acidic or alkaline substance is added to something, they not only change the pH level, but also they change the appearance.