So, what is with our obsession of building stupendously costly monuments at the city level of government? It seems like whenever there’s some extra money in the coffers, then it becomes necessary to “look ahead to the future” when planning for government buildings. Why is that? Especially when we’re smack in the middle of a worldwide recession, and should be investing in something more smarter than a building that won’t even be used to its fullest capacity for years. How can it when governments are laying off the people who would work in these monuments to our local government’s splendor? Why isn’t the money being used to invest in innovations that will build other potential opportunities that will help more than just those people who use these buildings?
The image above is for the new city hall in Temecula, CA (where I live). There’s another creation like this in Vista, CA. Now, I don’t know if this is happening across this country, but I do know that these are not isolated occurrences. Other such occurrences are also happening in the private sector as well:
- Steve Job’s new concept for the Apple headquarters
- Lucasfilm’s Campus in Singapore
- Burj Khalifa in Dubai (tallest building in the world)
These are by far not the only examples of those in power’s fascination with architecture. I guess that every powerful person wants their legacy for future generations. Now, I am a great lover of good architecture. Design and science working together to create functional environments that can utilize smart technology, environmental friendliness, and nurturing environments. All of these put together show a truly talented architectural firm which is not only smart but also conscientious. And the main difference with the private buildings is that they are legitimately funded by available revenue from their companies.
But the case for city buildings is different, because they are eventually funded by the citizens who in many cases had no direct input into their design, although they’re paying for the building costs. Somehow, equity is not being demonstrated by those governmental institutions that rely on the citizens for their powers and finances, and yet continually seem to negate those citizens in the actual decision making process. What’s going on? This is typically the actions of monarchs in a tyranny. Not a country that believes in the practice of democracy.
This scenario fit France in the era of the Sun King. It doesn’t fit 21st century United States of America, after all that we’ve endured to get to the here and now.
