Beauty and functionality

Friday, October 17th, 2008

There is much beauty in this world; some is obvious and in other cases, you have to have an eye for it. Likewise, we are surrounded by useful things and some are better than others. La Pieta is beautiful but not much use as a lawnmower and you'd hardly see windscreen wipers as objects of beauty, well unless you are the curator of the Tate Gallery. They buy piles of bricks and call them art.

But two things, at least, stand out for me in combining both beauty and functionality - atlases (and maps) and bridges. Yes I know that there are ugly examples of both but we can ignore them and move on to the rest. I love them to bits.

Atlases and maps are fabulous, look at the colours and the lines and the legends and savour the intensity of the information that just one page can provide you. Run your fingers over them, close your eyes and you are there! I did this a kid and I do it today. Maps and atlases are irresistible.

Bridges have a job to do so functionality is paramount. My son, who is a civil engineer , has explained the various types to me and I am grateful for I always want to learn. They don't have to be beautiful yet so many are. They span rivers and ravines and other things with so much grace that you (well I) just want to stop the journey and get down below and gaze upon them. Naturally, I've done this from time to time and I have never been disappointed.

I have very, very few regrets in this life but I'd like to have built a bridge.