Place-Making

I love buildings and what they do for communities. So much so that I read about them, study them, and even write papers about them…LONG ones. Imagine my glee when I came across this –

Beijing airport’s new Terminal 3 — twice the size of the Pentagon — is the largest building in the world.

Now, I don’t get excited about how large a building is – Urban Renewal has proved that bigger is not always better. I’m more excited as to what this building represents for China – a chance to showcase its architectural prowess and rich cultural history in the wake of protests, human rights violations, and pollution. Sometimes even the smallest, or really the largest in the world, things can impact the way a person views nationalism and pride. The terminal, designed by British architect Norman Foster, is decorated with the colors of Imperial China and its roof mimics the scales of a dragon.

I call this kind of construction “building for events.” It happens across the world for big events like the Olympics, World Cup, and even the Super Bowl. Are these developments sustainable? Not always. Will South Africa’s Gautrain really be able to transport the most impoverished South Africans throughout the country AFTER the 2010 World Cup is over? We’ll just have to wait and see. Atlanta’s Olympic Village, constructed for the 1996 Summer Olympics, is considered the catalyst for Atlanta’s emergence as one of the United States’ premier cities. It’s one of Richard Florida’s cool cities, which means everything to some people.

China, however, has built a useful, functional, and beautiful building that will be used by billions of people in the years to come. Even the littlest details are carefully crafted by a Feng Shui master while the teahouse is adorned with Imperial colors. The terminal was commissioned for the Olympics - which can sometimes be a good thing and sometimes be a very bad thing. Architects and planners, however, made sure everyone feels like they are walking into something special – even if it is just an airport terminal. What if everyone thought about buildings that way?

I guess I would have nothing to argue about.

Airports as Art