I thought love was out of reach
'til I got her;
had I known it could come true,
I would have wished...
for a mermaid
just like you.
- Train, Mermaid
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"Christa, you've only been here less than a week, and I think you're already the most polite person in the entire lab, you know that? You always say 'thank you' to everything! And that is definitely definitely not a bad thing. It's just that ever since you joined the lab, I've started thinking that I don't say 'thank you' enough!"
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"...create a facility worthy of a visit by Picasso."
- Jonas Salk to architect Louis Khan
I am a different kind of fangirl.
I've read about the Salk Institute for Biological Sciences for months. Hailed as one of the nation's most significant buildings of the 20th century, I've always found the design of the Salk Institute just so fascinating - its architecture is optimized for scientific research.
As some background, Dr. Jonas Salk, the developer of the inactivated polio vaccine, had an ambitious vision to create a research institute where researchers would not waste any time on maintaining the building. Therefore, the facilities are made of hardy materials such as concrete and lead, and no part of the architecture is painted, all to minimize maintenance. That way, Salk Institute researchers could focus all their time on scientific research.
Growing up, one of my many dream jobs was to become an architect. It's beautiful to see a concept, a sketch on paper, loom into a tangible reality that stretches acres wide and stories tall. I've always admired the field of architecture as a field where big dreams become reality - really big reality. I loved it, but I personally never had a knack for designing and developing structures that were not only aesthetically pleasing, but also structurally sound. I just struggled in achieving feasible architectural designs, and decided to do career exploration in other venues.
Thus, at this point in my life, as a retired Aspiring Architect and current Scientist-in-the-Making, I've gotten a lot of joy and pleasure from just reading about and learning about the history of the Salk Institute and its architectural design. I've never before heard of architecture inspired by research and science. It was two fervent interests of mine culminating into this gorgeous, inspirational research facility. And let's not forget to mention that it was founded by the man that essentially wiped out polio and changed the world of vaccination forever.
As much as I appreciate and adore the conceptual beauty of scientific research - the process of questioning and investigation, of design and experimentation, it is really something to see the beauty of science in such a huge aesthetic form. I'm used to beautiful science under a microscope, not towering over me.
I read about it for months, and here, in San Diego, getting to see the Salk Institute? Stunning. Absolutely stunning.
Surprise con: EXTREMELY limiting lab space! Passing by the labs, all of the research is so crowded and borderline claustrophobic. I really should have expected that, considering the way that the architecture, albeit pretty, really limits the overall size of individual labs. It may not be somewhere where I'd want to pursue a graduate degree, as I also learned that the downside of having a staff full of internationally acclaimed faculty is the commonness of complete lack of mentorship. But, if someday down the line I end up going into a post-doc, I can very much imagine myself at the Salk Institute.
It's just too much of a gem to not at least consider the Salk Institute in my life. It was love at first Google Search.
And of course, there is also the stunning view from the Salk Institute - the sun setting over the Pacific Ocean.
Damn, nature. You pretty.
You too, Salk Institute.