The
Architectural World: Tragedy and Beauty
The architectural world has had its share of ups and downs. There
have been great contributions made in history and there have been
great tragedies that have taken away some of the most magnificent
examples of architecture the world has ever seen. In each period of
history there have been those architects who struggled with
adversity and have triumphed. The architecture was realized and
created even when other people swore it would never happen. But with
each success there have been examples of failures or destruction of
these magnificent works of form, function and beauty.
The architectural significance of certain periods in history is not
lost to us. We see the Wonders of the World and have to marvel at
the incredible vision of these gifted draftsmen. The Sistine Chapel,
Mount Rushmore, and the Taj Mahal are just three of the greatest
examples in architecture that the world has ever seen. Each has
stood the test of time and have remained so countless other
architects could study the works.
But with the sweet comes the sour. Many incredible works of art have
been lost over the years. Mankind is the greatest destructive force
in the universe. The Library of Alexandria is a great example from
ancient times. It is believed that Julius Caesar helped bring about
the destruction of the library when he set the Egyptian Fleet on
fire in his conquest and pursuit of Pompey. While the fire did not
destroy all of the structure, it did destroy over 40,000 scrolls and
damaged the structural integrity of the building.
The World Trade Towers, for many years, stood as one of the tallest
buildings in the world. Soaring to a height of 110 stories and
designed by Minoru Yamasaki, the architecture of the twin towers was
admired by students of the architectural world and for its
inspiration in a plethora of other buildings. On September 11, 2001
the towers were brought down by an act of terrorism. The world of
architecture lost one of its greatest examples in the Modern age of
design.
The architectural world will forever face challenges. Designers will
never know if their works will stand the test of time. Yamasaki
never thought his towers would fall to terrorist's machinations and
other architects will never plan intentionally for their great works
to be destroyed by man or nature. It happens and nothing can prevent
that but they will never stop trying. Some will still last and those
that do will be there for future generations, from which to gain
inspiration and beauty.
