EDITOR’S NOTE
A Time for Wonder
Photo: Kurt Griesbach
“Your success will not be determined by your gender or your ethnicity but only by the scope of your dreams.” Zaha Hadid, Hon. FAIA The year 2020 will be remembered as a tumultuous time in our history. In addition to a contentious election season, a sweeping civil rights movement strives to finally make right an inequity that has plagued this country since long before its founding. Also looming over us is COVID-19, the pandemic that has sickened tens of millions and killed over 800,000 people and counting — not to mention decimating economies. These are not easy times. We as individuals and as a society can allow these events to demoralize us and further subjugate our sense of wonder amid hopelessness, loneliness, fear, and anxiety. But we have the resilience to rise above this. Architecture can, and must, reflect the future we all deserve: one of equality, justice, and inclusion. More than ever, our community must foster future leaders who reflect all of us and who themselves wonder at what can be achieved — people who have the flexibility to bend, not break, in pursuing their vision. Also remember that new architecture provides a means to inspiration and wonder. Great buildings and places elevate us all emotionally. In troubling times, they offer a sense of
stability and help us maintain our sanity. But they also delight us, creating childlike wonder at what can be harnessed through the mindful use of concrete, steel, and glass. Please join us as we explore the topic of wonder with features on awe-inspiring spaces, the curious skill of perspective drawings and the marvel we feel in viewing architecture, both in its inception and after completion. We hope this issue evokes moments of inquisitiveness as you read it, but, more important, that you delight in the stories we have prepared. Please enjoy these moments of wonder along with us!
James Adams, AIA Editor in Chief james.adams@corgan.com
COLUMNS // aiadallas.org
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