In this assignment, you will explore how a key piece of Victorian-era architecture captures changing perceptions of the self, class dynamics, and the global modern world.

The 19th century saw a radical shift in how people understood themselves and their world. Industrialization, urbanization, and technological progress brought new ways of thinking about class, labor, identity, and modernity. Architecture and art from this period often reflected these shifting values, from awe at industrial might to anxieties about rapid change. In this assignment, you will explore how a key piece of Victorian-era architecture captures changing perceptions of the self, class dynamics, and the global modern world. Then, you will bring that discussion into the present by choosing a modern visual example — an image, building, or artwork — that you believe speaks to modern values and identity in a globalized age. Step 1: Choose one of the following 19th-century works: The Eiffel Tower (Paris, 1889 – Gustave Eiffel) The Interior of the Crystal Palace (1851 – Joseph Paxton) The Guaranty Building (Buffalo, NY, 1896 – Louis Sullivan) image.png image.png image.png Then write two paragraphs (200 words minimum each) responding to the prompts below: Paragraph 1: Victorian Era Analysis (200+ words) Describe the structure: What does it look like? What materials or innovations make it notable? How does it reflect a changing idea of self — for example, the rise of the middle class, the worker, the engineer, the consumer, or the viewer? What does it suggest about shifting ideas of class, hierarchy, or ownership in this newly industrialized world? How does the structure embody the values of the modern world emerging at this time (speed, spectacle, innovation, empire, alienation, etc.)? Paragraph 2: Modern Comparison (200+ words) Select a modern work of art, building, or visual space (digital art, skyscraper, installation, TikTok aesthetic, even a mall or airport). Insert an image of your modern example. How does your chosen image reflect contemporary values or anxieties about the self, class, or globalization? What parallels or contrasts can you draw between this modern example and your 19th-century selection? In what ways does your example speak to how we live, see, or feel the world today?