28/06/2021
ᗩ ᗷITE Oᖴ TᕼE ᗷIG ᗩᑭᑭᒪE
When one visits New York City, one could get lucky to witness the sunrise render the skyscrapers in an almost ethereal golden glow. The unimaginably tall buildings are intimidating to a human scale as you feel transported to the "Honey, I shrunk the Kids" movie set. The hustle and supersonic speed of the city complement the inertia of the stoic towers.
Visually, assimilating the aesthetic of the city takes time, as you witness myriad architectural eras, living through the cuboidal towers each sporting a unique personality, each narrating their own design story - art nouveau, modernist, neoclassical, Victorian and industrial. The daunting density of the sky-kissing skyline empowers the residents, almost beckoning them to scale new heights and transcend horizons as they inhabit the world's economic, cultural and social hub.
The nascent glossy volumes of glass and steel with their superficial shine and sparkle might hold your attention for a minute or two but it is the historical edifices that have seen the city grow and grown with it, exhibit honest character. Nonetheless, certain elements have become signature takeaways of the city: the kaleidoscope of visually commercial billboards in Times Square (even if they are a horrific dishonour to the urban fabric), relief by the flora and fauna in Central Park and the mandatory visit to the top of the Empire State building (it is highly overrated). The character and fabric of the city is then a convoluted yet distinct version of architectural and urban epochs.
