World Architecture Day 2022, crumbling infrastructure, the Beauty (4) we lost
"With successive changes in architecture comes development in our culture, tradition, commerce, technology, and intellectuality.”
Reminder: Be sure to see this week’s functional medicine approach to inflammatory disorders
“The history of architecture is the history of humankind — they are interlinked.
With successive changes in architecture comes development in our culture, tradition, commerce, technology, and intellectuality.”1
I happened to be in Chattanooga Tennessee nearly coincident with World Architecture Day 2022, held on October 3.
In 1985, the International Union of Architects created World Architecture Day to “remind the world of its responsibility for the future of the human habitat.” The day perfectly coincides with World Habitat Day.
I love architecture, and (as I mentioned recently) it was probably my first love as I meandered out of childhood toward adulthood. As such, seeing decaying and neglected architecture bothers me deeply, not simply from an aesthetic perspective, but from the loss of possibility, and the squandered effort and disrespect for the past, present and future that such decay represents.
The Chattanooga train station and hotel is described as one of the region’s “greatest architectural works” and as “iconic.”2 It is a smaller but still very important aspect of American history, industry, and infrastructure, made even more famous by the song “Chattanooga Choo Choo” (1941) by Tex Beneke and the Glenn Miller orchestra.3
At a time when America clearly needs to revitalize its infrastructure and provide public works projects that can provide meaningful employment to millions of unemployed and underemployed Americans, why is this beautiful historic structure and representation of American industry being allowed to collapse into ruin?
I took a few photos (see PDF below) and 2 spontaneous videos; unfortunately these document the loss of Beauty and the lost opportunity to provide employment for adults and inspiration for children and the next generation.
“Beauty sustains and inspires us; ugliness and “lack of place” leaves us feeling lost and as if we ourselves are expendable, disposable.” DrV, August 2022
“Much can be understood about a society’s past, present, and future simply from observing the architecture and infrastructure that the society creates and maintains—or fails to create and maintain.” DrV, September 2022
AGAIN I ASK:
At a time when America clearly needs to revitalize its infrastructure and provide public works projects that can provide meaningful employment to millions of unemployed and underemployed Americans, why is this beautiful historic structure and representation of American industry being allowed to collapse into ruin?
What do you think?
https://nationaltoday.com/world-architecture-day/#:~:text=World%20Architecture%20Day%20is%20celebrated,brilliant%20people%20who%20design%20them.
https://noogatoday.6amcity.com/designing-chattanooga-chattanooga-choo-choo
youtube.com/watch?v=KXml82x3mMA