A Growing Culture of Congestion and the Loss of Authentic Experiences

In an ever growing and densifying world authentic experiences are dwindling, yet the opportunity to participate in a vast plethora of new experiences becomes easier every day… or does it? 

It seems with virtual reality, and places such as Frankey’s Fun park, Dave and Busters, or Coney Island, one can experience new and exciting activities for just the cost of a ticket. I am no race-car driver, but for a five I can rip around a race track in a go-cart at break neck speed with all my friends hopefully in my dust. The art of the of the equestrian sport, for example, is not one that is easily or safely enjoyed without years of experience… unless you hop on an automated horse on rails and ride through Coney island. With a Wii I can play tennis against my friends on the other side of the planet. Architecture and technology allow us to become pro’s at almost anything we want. But really they don’t. They are facilitating the loss of authenticity in our built environment. Climbing up a wall at the climbing gym is nothing like scaling an actual rock-face… there are no colorful handholds in the real world. Jump off the mechanical horse at Coney Island and onto a real one and your likely to get your skull knocked in. Win the Wii golf championship and go try your hand against Danny Willett, you probably will not have too much luck. 

As our world becomes more congested and life becomes more fast paced we lack the space and time to master authentic experiences and rely on manufactured entertainment more and more. Are these experiences genuine or just a gimmick to make money? These experiences really are just a way to spend time… They have no real value and require little actual skill. Is this growing need for entertainment moving in the right direction? What comes next in this crazy race for new and entertaining experiences? How can architecture promote authentic experiences instead of false realities?