Ma, Zhaodong
Professor Jeff Klepper
English 113 B
November 8, 13
Griffith
Observatory
One of the main man-made attractions
that Los Angeles, California has to offer is the Griffith Observatory which is
available to the public. It sits on the south while facing the slope of Mount
Hollywood. From the Griffith Observatory, people are able to view throughout
the LA basin, including downtown LA to the southeast, the Hollywood sign to the
south, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. The Griffith Observatory became
a popular place not only because of its unique location, but because of its wonderful
science display. Moreover, the architecture design here is another reason why people
visit. Griffith Observatory looks like a beautiful museum since every building
shows visitors different things and gives them completely different
experiments. Griffith Observatory is a place that is full of social value,
offers beautiful architecture design, and its use of space is impressive and makes
people want to visit
again.
According
to The Herald, the Griffith Observatory is an important part of Southern
California. “It has been
one of the top attractions in Southern California for more than 60 years. It is
visited by nearly two million people a year (The Herald).” The social value behind the Griffith Observatory that makes many people
want to visit is its rich history. Griffith Observatory emerged as a dream of a
man whose name was Griffith J. Griffith. Though Griffith was born in Wales and
came to America as a teenager, he considered Los Angeles as his hometown. After a visit abroad, he had discovered the
great public parks of Europe and thought that his home, Los Angeles, also needed
a great park in order to become an even greater city. His vision was to create
a great park that was accessible to everyone. He purchased the area where Griffith
Park is now located and had people construct the observatory. Griffith Park
became the largest city park in the U.S. with wilderness areas. Griffith J. Griffith was introduced to
astronomy through the Astronomical section of the Southern California Academy
of Sciences. After Griffith looked through the largest telescope of his time at
Mount Wilson, John Anson Ford claimed this experience moved him profoundly. He
quotes Griffith as saying “man’s sense of values ought to be revised. If all
mankind could look through that telescope, it would change the world!” That is
another reason why Griffith decided to have this observatory built and why so
many people want to peak at the universe.
Most
people go to the Griffith Observatory not only to enjoy the beauty of Los
Angeles but also in hopes of catching the beauty of the universe. “The site you
choose will affect the quality and quantity of viewing, imaging, and science
that can be performed (Ken Hudson and
Tom Simstad).” Therefore, a good location which allows people to enjoy
both quality and quantity is very important for an observatory. There are many factors that should be considered
before choosing a location such as weather condition, sky transparency,
darkness of the sky, and so on. Even though the Griffith Observatory is located
in Los Angeles, California it has a rather Mediterranean climate. The wet winter and dry summer seasonality
of precipitation are the defining characteristics of this climate. Los
Angeles has plenty of sunshine throughout the year, with an average of only 35
days with measurable precipitation annually.
As a result, the weather and sky conditions are very good for observation.
People are able to visit the Griffith Observatory most days of the year and can
enjoy the clean sky more frequently. Since the Griffith Observatory is 1134 feet
above sea level, people can see most parts of the Los Angeles basin. Combined
with manmade view and nature beauty, people will have a wonderful experience.
Observatories have been built for
thousands of years. At first, the observatory was used for practical purpose
such as guiding ship along the coast, observing the enemy, and so on. Nowadays,
observation decks allow people to view nature from unique vantage points
or look skywards towards the constellations. Those
building can be tall towers or tiny edifices which have their own function. The architecture of Griffith Observatory also gives
people good impressions. The whole building looks like a big castle and it also
has many similarities with Muslim mosques. For example, it is fashioned
in the Art Deco style of its day; there
are two sky dome building beside the main structure and one big one behind it.
Before people reach the main building, there is a giant square where people can
walk around in front of the structure which gives them a feeling of openness
and tranquility.
In addition, the main color of the
architecture is white and can also affect people in many ways. “The use of
color in visualization is most effective, and easiest for the novice to utilize,
as color has a very strong radiating effect on the whole body. Every other form
of color therapy is fundamentally symbolic (Campbell
L.).” The color white is associated with many
symbolic ideas such as purity, virginity, innocence, goodness, heaven, and safety.
Griffith Observatory can be considered the gate that connects the sky to the
people and its white color makes people feel clean and pure. At night, the
yellow color resembles a lighthouse which can make people easily find the
observatory. “Yellow will advance from surrounding colors and instill optimism and
energy, as well as spark creative thoughts (Smith).” Combined with the dark skies, the yellow light makes people reflect on
life and the universe. That’s another reason why people want to visit Griffith
Park, especially during the night.
As previously mentioned, the Griffith
Observatory is also like a big museum. Its smart spacing allows as much material
as possible to be showed to people so they can learn the visit. There are
several halls that allow people to peak the universe in different ways, they
are: Wilder Hall of the Eye, Ahmanson Hall of the Sky, W.M. Keck Foundation
Central Rotunda, Cosmic Connection, Depths of Space, and Edge of Space
Mezzanine.
The
Hall of the Eye exhibit’s main focus is how people previously observed the sky
and its impact on society. On the other hand, the Hall of the Sky shows how
people are connected to the sky and its two main objects, the moon and the sun.
There is also one of the U.S.’s largest public telescopes at the end of this
hall.
The Central Rotunda shows the connection between science and mythology
and also how Griffith’s vision of the Observatory came to life. The Cosmic
Connection’s main feature is a 150-foot timeline of the universe.The Depths of
Space exhibit shows how people were able to travel into space through the use
of telescopes.
Finally, the Edge of Space gives people the
experience through a cosmic perspective to connect the earth toward the
universe. By visiting each exhibit, people will feel as though they are
traveling in the universe. Visitors experience a wonderful view while studying
much about universe.
As a public place, Griffith Observatory is
famous for its beautiful view and its historical significance. The social value
of this place involves giving people unique experiences while at the same time
educating people about the universe. The design and color are important for
viewing and its scientific content is what distinguishes the Observatory. The
use of smart space gives people a feeling of comfort and encourages thinking
about the universe. Those are the reasons why people visit the Griffith
Observatory and why it became so famous.
Works cited
"Briefing: Griffith
Observatory." The Herald: 17. Jan 03 2002. ProQuest. Web. 31
Oct. 2013 .
“The Share Astronomy Guide to Observatory Site
Selection” Ken Hudson and Tom Simstad. Version
1.0 - October 2010 introduction page 2.
Campbell
L. Mind body healing–How it works. Conscious Living Magazine. Available at: http://www.consciousliving.net.au; Accessed
on 2009.
All About
The Color YELLOW, kate smith,
http://www.sensationalcolor.com/color-meaning/color-meaning-symbolism-psychology/all-about-the-color-yellow-4297#.Un2iTr-KDlI
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