Do you believe in Magic?

Quality architecture is not defined by the number of publications or awards it gets – it is defined by whether it moves a person or not. First impressions are so important with architecture – you have an idea how you feel about a space the second you enter it, and if it’s a space that is often just passed through, then there’s a fat chance that it would grow on you. Perhaps this is something that we are hyper-aware of though. There are things I notice immediately about a space that my non-architecture wouldn’t notice in their lifetime unless pointed out. But that’s another thing – if a quality building is defined by moving someone, it should be able to move people outside of the design realm (the normies). It’s not just the physical building that will move us though, it’s the full ensemble of light, sound, smell, and then the physical form and materiality. There are endless ways to approach materiality too. Say you spec a brick, okay, but what shade(s)? Were they tumbled? Grout color? Grout texture? Spacing? Stack pattern? Rotation? A simple material can be so complex in that modifying any of these variables can ultimately change the final result (the atmosphere).  I really love his thoughts about the magic of the real world. The whole ensemble truly works together to create the magical atmosphere we so desire. I always felt this magic walking around Barcelona. The sound of the scooters going by, overhearing conversations between locals, tourist’s luggage rolling across the pavers, the sunlight playing on the windows and carvings of the buildings, the absurd amount of pigeons flapping around in the plaza – it wouldn’t have been anywhere near as magical without all these things.