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As a newly declared structural engineering major, I promised myself that I would truly explore German architecture and infrastructure in Leipzig. It doesn\u2019t take an engineering student to see the incredible efficiency of the tram system. I was blown away by the fact that the tram tracks are above ground, and on the same streets that cars traverse. This might just be the inefficiency of Atlanta public transit, but I was absolutely amazed. The frequency and cleanliness of the tram system is something I will definitely be sad to leave.
More on German architecture: Upon first arriving in Leipzig, one of the first activities we did was a tour. The \u201cEnglish-Speaking\u201d (A1) group got to go inside of both Nikolai and Thomas Kirches. While inside Thomaskirche, Tendekai and I shared our thoughts. We exchanged a moment where both of us started spewing knowledge about either German architecture (in my case), or visually interpreting the organ pipe sizes (I was quite amazed about how much he knew on the subject entirely). The contrast in both of our thoughts was hilarious, but also showed how many differing parts and perspectives can come from one work. This past semester I had the opportunity to take a Civil Engineering class called \u201cBridges\u201d, but we also studied tons of European vaults, buildings, domes, etc. One lecture from that class that I thought of immediately was Lecture 12: \u201cThe Gothic Cathedral and the Skyscraper\u201d. The Goth festival (amazing to see while exploring this weekend) being this weekend aside, the insights from that lecture allowed me to see some architecture inside of Thomaskirche in a new light.
To me, the ceiling of Thomaskirche was enthralling. To make it brief, it featured numerous pointed arches(very visible in the stained glass picture), flying buttresses(those white pillars you can see in the picture), and a ribbed-vault ceiling that features diagonal braces for a more stylistic approach. Long story short: if you ever see me looking up at the ceiling randomly, these terms are bouncing around in my head. I find it so fun to discover more about German architecture while exploring the city, and I can\u2019t wait to explore more musically and historically important buildings while also keeping my eyes peeled for architectural insights!
P.S. Am I saying there are undiscovered links between Gothfest and Bachfest in Leipzig\u2026.? That will remain to be seen\u2026.<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As a newly declared structural engineering major, I promised myself that I would truly explore German architecture and infrastructure in Leipzig. It doesn\u2019t take an engineering student to see the incredible efficiency of the tram system. I was blown away by the fact that the tram tracks are above ground, and on the same streets<\/p>\n