Equilibrium in Architecture is the secret for a successful city!
The Globe and Mail Toronto published last week, the article about “Cracks in the city of glass” impetus me to have a closer look.
This article is about the “du jour” of glass towers, which have been seen first in Chicago in 1950s, than Vancouver and now for a decade in Toronto. The story covers “how architects and buyers have complained of how boring glass towers have become. Experts in sustainability are also concerns about the lack of energy efficiency. “
With a background in Architecture and practicing Feng Shui for the last 6 years, I have to agree with Gordon Stratford when he said, “ Successful cities are made up of many different materials. If you don’t get those different materials, you don’t get the richness we love about cities”.
From Feng Shui perspective, everything in life is about balance. When this balance is under pressure, harmony and peace gradually fades in human’s life.
The basic principles in Feng Shui are based on the Five Elements, which are metal, water, wood, fire and earth and the concept of Yin and Yang .The interaction of these elements are reflected in the life of people. Furthermore based on the date of birth, individuals can also be categorized into elements.
That means, we have people who are more attracted by Metal, or they might like wood or they are a fan of brick buildings.
Since each component in the universe represent one of the five elements in Feng Shui, this theory is also applied in building material and architecture. For instance, brick represent earth; glass represent metal and building with very sharp edges symbolize the Fire element.
Additional each material has a yin and yang aspect. Excess of any aspect will create a different dilemma. In this content, Glass is considered as a yin element. Too much yin provokes cold and unwelcoming quality to the city.
That’s why we need to have a city created with different materials and different designs to keep the balance for the individual.
