Daniella Aizen: Before Studio Session 1

"The Gerbera"

My year 12 design and technology major work was one of the 24 works selected for display in the powerhouse museum as part of the DesignTech exhibition for 2009. For my project I designed two pendant lights using Adobe Illustrator. I based the shape of the lights on nature and organic forms. I was influenced by other lighting designers such as Tord Boontje, David Knotts "Lotus" and Louis Poulsons "Artichoke". I drew many different variations of this light and many other designs as well, however I chose to produce this design as it was contemporary, simplistic and could be mass produced at a relatively low cost in small or large batch production. I produced models and the final design in Adobe Illustrator and then had them laser cut out of acryllic plastic for the inner structure and polypropylene for the outer layers. My greatest challenge was working in Illustrator, to scale, producing nets that would all interlock together with exact mathematical measurements. Ultimately, the materials worked perfectly as the lightweight polypropylene creates a magnificent glow when lit and its translucency creates a layering effect showing the complex nature of the lumiere.

Piazza San Pietro
Saint Peters Square

When I went to Rome at the start of the year, I was overwhelmed with brilliant architecture everywhere I went. However Piazza San Pietro, designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini in 1656-57, is something that really stood out to me. The round perimeter of the square is surrounded by 4 rows of Doric columns, each 60 feet tall. The columns support huge colonnades. At the time, my tour guide told me that the ellipse was symbolic of a hug, a gesture of Christianity and Saint Peter embracing the world. In fact, I was so overwhelmed by the construction and design of the colonnades and doric columns, that I barely even noticed the Egyptian obelisk in the centre of the square or the two fountains. In between the fountains and the the obelisk lie two stone circles in the ground, when you stand on one of these circles facing the columns, an optical illusion takes place. The four rows of columns line up perfectly so that all you can see is one single row of columns. It was this feature that convinced me of the outstanding architecture of the square. However, the other features of the square purely put a cherry on top; the square has the ability to hold over 300,000 people at one time, the square opens onto, at one end St Peter's Basilica and on the other end Via Della Conziliazione - a boulevard leading across the Tiber river into the centre of Rome (built by Mussolini).

Piazzale Michelangelo

The lookout, Piazzale Michelangelo is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen, especially during sunset when I was equipped with my new Canon 400D. In the picture one can see the Duomo, the fifth largest Cathedral in the world, the Arno river, and all the beautiful buildings, houses and colours of Florence. As well as a beautiful view, one can also admire the copy of Michelangelo's "David" statue - one of the most famous statues in the world.