Dear Architecture,
This letter is a reminder, a reminder of what has been gained in Architecture.
By gained, it doesn’t mean in terms of material, but in the acquisition of territory.
A short story would probably explain this best. In a city, on a street, stood two groups of people. On the one side of the street stood the group representing Power. On the other side of the street stood the group representing Imagination. Each group took their positions, and held them strongly. In the literal street, the so-called center of the street stood no one. After some time the groups discussed among them if anything could be done to shift the position of the opposing side of the street. In the words, a compromise was needed by both parties to ensure an end to the stalemate.
The leaders of the two groups, one form the Power group, and one from the Imagination group met in the center of the street. They discussed what the compromise between the two groups could possibly be, to resolve the situation. A situation in which no one agreed with the other side. After some time a suggestion came, but not from the group leaders. The suggestion came from a citizen passing by and heard of the situation between Power and Imagination. The suggestion was straightforward, but one in which both sides would still need to compromise. The suggestion from the passerby was that were there anyone in each group, which believed in both Power and Imagination? After a few minutes the question circulated among the groups, but no one answered the question. The passerby made another, yet similar suggestion. This suggestion was one, which didn’t require a verbal answer. The suggestion of the passerby this time was that if anyone believed in both Power and Imagination, would they please just move into the center of the street. Again, a few minutes passed, but something very different occurred. Soon a few people from each side moved to the center of the street. They moved to the center of the street, not just to join the leaders of each of their initial group, but also to begin a discussion among them about why they believed in both Power And Imagination. So, now a third group had been freely assembled that was a physical representation of both Power and Imagination. Suddenly the leaders of the two former opposing groups also wanted to join the newly formed third group. With all this said, and recorded, many people still stood on their opposing sides of the street in protest, just as before. The third group in the middle of the street began to freely discuss if they had compromised with each other for their new group to have been formed. The consensus was that something different from a compromise had occurred. The reason this feeling among the group came from the attitude that nothing had been lost by either party, which is traditional in a situation of compromise. If no one had lost anything by forming the third group, then something must have been gained. The gain was in terms of territory, because the center of the street, and the center of any street was now a place for something new to occur for all citizens. The center of the street was the place where instead of Power taking Imagination, as if to control, the exact opposite took place. The center of the street of any city became the place where Imagination takes Power. This statement, and its territory is the greatest gain Architecture can give to the citizens of their city. Remember, your Imagination takes Power when you give and share it freely with others.
This story is now yours to share.
Sincerely,
Imagination takes Power
