Thoughts provoked in a city I love and despise at the same time.

Yesterday I finally went to visit Chicago’s Center for Architecture. I was impressed with the scale model of downtown with every single building represented in sharp detail. The accompanying short history of the city helps to understand the growth pattern and shape the city took.

On the second floor, the Center displays models of famous skyscrapers in Chicago and around the world as well as models of current projects provided by the architectural firms associated with them. I was deeply disappointed by the Jeanne Gang Vista towers reminding me of a bad interpretation of a Brancusi sculpture.

The O’Hare expansion models were on display as well, for me, there are only two worth considering – the Santiago Calatrava proposal and the ORD proposal, the others are way below par for a city that wishes to be a leader in architectural projects.  The Calatrava proposal has been described as the most ambitious, meaning the one that considers its surroundings as well as its footprint. It will most likely be discarded due to budget concerns and God help us if the SOM proposal is accepted sighting budgetary goals.

The new projects on display made me think how far we are from where we need to be in terms of urban ecological concerns and how time and again the issue seems to revolve around budgetary limitations. A thought came to mind – given the dismal outcomes of the current monetary system could there be a special branch of the federal mint dedicated to landmark projects such as the O’Hare expansion. This special branch would be charged to mint the money necessary to build such projects only earmarked for them. For example, if the Calatrava proposal is considered the most appropriate for Chicago, the city does not need to go borrow money for it. A request would be made to the Federal Mint and the proposal would be considered by a non-partisan committee in charge of infrastructure projects. The mint would then procure the money on a timely basis only to pay for the actual expenditures of that project and nothing else. There would be no middleman profiteering and no pay to play scheme the city is known for. This will not place Chicago in further debt and its citizens stuck with the interest payments. I know this will irate the current money lenders and banks that always make a killing at these projects but that is the point, these projects should not be fodder for the already rich to get richer. Many economists will cite how this will disturb the way the markets work. So what! Have the markets worked thus far? Every indication is that the current state of finances has promoted great injustice and environmental degradation at a pace where the planet is the victim. Expenditures should focus on procuring the best possible outcomes for the public and the environment and budgetary concerns should not get in the way of good works. As it is these projects are driven by bean counters and corrupt politicians rather than visionary talented designers.

Meditation on an embrace

Behold a man. He walks a tight rope, above him a light of euphoria, below him a dark abyss, to his right deceptions of dogmatic morals, to his left jesters juggling for power. Behind him linger songs of Valkyries, in front of him a path of many possibilities of overcoming his humanness. He wears dark green glasses to protect his faltering eyes, behind which a dark storm brews.

The tempest rocks the rope, his balance is compromised, his thoughts blown about like notes on tattered paper. He squints to focus, nearby a creature stands, perhaps if he reaches out he can prevent his fall. The creature stirs, made nervous by his approach. The man extends his hands to reassure the creature he is no threat. The creature is tied to a cart – he sees the cart filled with books – kneeling on the books Salome holds a whip. His Salome, adorned by a thousand veils of which none are of intimacy - his beloved salvation, his desired protégé, unrequited love. His only carnal warmth found in the arms of prostitutes. That unholy trinity, that would turn the mundane normal into one worthy of living never matured - its only remnant an infamous photograph turned into a weapon undermining his reputation. He had posed as one of two beasts of burden, an allegory of the trio embarking on a quest, then came the betrayal and wandering solitude. His trinity instead became the one he desperately tried to flee, what he called the chain–sickness of his pious mother and stubborn, resolute sister.  They pulled at him from both sides grasping at his clothes pushing him every direction, the nails tearing at his flesh, deforming his features.

Deep darkness presses all around, voices filter through in a foreign language, they want answers, he cannot find his thoughts in the emptiness - words are replaced by groans. Then a familiar voice, light begins to penetrate, shadows become defined, two police officers are by his side, one holds his walking stick, the other his hat. He turns to the familiar voice, finally a recognizable face. He rushes to embrace him. Tight in the other’s arms, he releases his anxiety.

Back in his room, he must make sense of things, he searches his notes but the scribbles, squirming like worms, make no sense. Who is he? What man has he become? Each time he turns, the abyss is there staring back, what monsters lurk in the shadows? What creature will he be by engaging them? His equine state finally surrenders to the care of others.

In years to follow, many have pondered on the horse’s pedigree, some insisting that it was no horse at all, rather a donkey, others a mule. Some scoffed at the whole event and declared that it was all fictitious nonsense. The man, after all, had stated that there are no facts, only interpretations. The matter is inconclusive, there are too many ‘perhaps’. The only thing agreed upon is that the abyss was and is there, to be swallowed in.