.national.skyline.

A paper i wrote for my Practice & Governance class. Topic: the architect as the nation-builder...

Nation-building is, basically, the act of building a nation. And in building a nation, it requires having a national identity- something the people can identify with as a group. Anthems, flags, important structures, national days, and languages among others are some of the things that remind people of who they are, why they belong, how far they have gone, what more they can offer, and where else they can go. 

Architects create. They create structures (and memories) out of spaces, communities (and lifestyles) out of these structures, cities (and traditions) out of these communities, belongingness (and dreams) out of these cities,……and a nation (and vision) out of this belongingness. Architects build. They build structures out of visions- the exact structures people see on their way to school or work; the exact structures they meet as they walk along the streets; the exact structures they go home to after a busy day; and the exact structures that are drawn against the skyline of their proud lands. Those buildings standing on the grounds of their forefathers and the coming generations work just the way their national anthem, national flag, etc. work. They give them a sense of nationalism. They help them build a stronger nation- a nation the people can hold on to for the rest of their lives.

Every building of the changing skyline of a nation is, indeed, a reminder of the past and the face of the future. Examples of this are the Petronas Towers (Cesar Pelli) in Malaysia and Burj Dubai/Khalifa (Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill) in United Arab Emirates. Both Pelli and SOM creations are greatly inspired by the Islamic art which reflects both Malaysia and UAE’s link to the Muslim religion. Both integrated cultural and historical elements in their respective designs which are great reminiscence of these nations’ identity. To date, Petronas Towers and Burj Dubai/Khalifa hold the records of the tallest twin buildings and the tallest skyscraper in the world, respectively. These recognitions have become symbols of progress for the world to see and just another beginning of what else these nations can contribute to the world. And it is the responsibility of the architect to impart to people that feeling of belongingness- that feeling of belonging to a nation that have withstood time and that can grow more with time.