Sunday 25 July 2010

Built to last....

OK it hasn't got a roof and a fair few other bits are missing but visiting Kirkstall Abbey brought up a thought (well Kathryn's thought really).

Do we still build stuff to last as long as this abbey? Do we think about forever - 600, 700, even 800 years - when we build public buildings? Or has our loss of any idea of eternity been replaced with a prosaic, practical perspective?

....

1 comment:

Tim Malbon said...

You should read 'The World Without Us' by Alan Weisman. There's some gripping stuff about how long - or not - it would take for nature to take over. The bit about Manhattan is excellent. We don't build stuff to last now. I'm not entirely sure whether or not that's a shame.