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Passerby: An Architectural Analysis of the BxM9: A Commuter's Guidebook for Becoming a Passerby
As an aspiring architect and commuter, I spend much of my time looking out the window and critically analyzing my surroundings, most of which creating personal landmarks and learning the skill of becoming a passerby.
Specifically, in the past year, I’ve spent almost an entire day on the BxM9, staring out into the New York Cityscape from the third to last left-hand seat each week.
This daily commute has allowed me to observe and find the architectural elements that I adore and disdain, even as an unqualified aspiring architect.
Through my commute I have made what I call personal landmarks (structures that have grown to mean alot to me, but lack the publicity of a recognized landmark.) Historically landmarks were often grand and imposing structures, such as the Empire State Building. Many of these buildings were meant to make a statement about the power and prestige of the city. But a landmark no longer carries that same meaning.
Commercial architectural design has shifted towards a need for more personality. This is particularly evident in the proliferation of bland and generic skyscrapers that are popping up in cities around the world. These buildings lack the individuality and character that made landmarks of the past so special.
The cityscape has lost much of its individuality and character. Buildings that were once unique and recognizable have become interchangeable and forgettable.
We all have a commuting cityscape, and it is essential to understand how it shapes our perceptions and defines us as individuals. As a commuter, I have come to appreciate the importance of landmarks and their role in shaping a city‘s identity and personality. However, I have also seen how generic architecture erodes our cities‘ individuality and character.
With my artistic expertise, I have decided to showcase these elements in multiple mediums, leaving my audience to form their own discourse on my subjects. I aim to analyze and examine the cityscape that I see on my daily commute on the BxM9.
By focusing so much on a single structure as a subject, one can turn that structure into their own personal landmark. It becomes a part of their daily routine and is something that they come to know intimately. This is true not only for me, but for everyone who hasa commuting cityscape. Our surroundings shape how we view our community, and it is important to understand how that cityscape defines us as individuals.
Through this project, I aim to emphasize of the importance of good design in the built environment and how it shapes our daily lives and our perceptions of our community.
Specifically, in the past year, I’ve spent almost an entire day on the BxM9, staring out into the New York Cityscape from the third to last left-hand seat each week.
This daily commute has allowed me to observe and find the architectural elements that I adore and disdain, even as an unqualified aspiring architect.
Through my commute I have made what I call personal landmarks (structures that have grown to mean alot to me, but lack the publicity of a recognized landmark.) Historically landmarks were often grand and imposing structures, such as the Empire State Building. Many of these buildings were meant to make a statement about the power and prestige of the city. But a landmark no longer carries that same meaning.
Commercial architectural design has shifted towards a need for more personality. This is particularly evident in the proliferation of bland and generic skyscrapers that are popping up in cities around the world. These buildings lack the individuality and character that made landmarks of the past so special.
The cityscape has lost much of its individuality and character. Buildings that were once unique and recognizable have become interchangeable and forgettable.
We all have a commuting cityscape, and it is essential to understand how it shapes our perceptions and defines us as individuals. As a commuter, I have come to appreciate the importance of landmarks and their role in shaping a city‘s identity and personality. However, I have also seen how generic architecture erodes our cities‘ individuality and character.
With my artistic expertise, I have decided to showcase these elements in multiple mediums, leaving my audience to form their own discourse on my subjects. I aim to analyze and examine the cityscape that I see on my daily commute on the BxM9.
By focusing so much on a single structure as a subject, one can turn that structure into their own personal landmark. It becomes a part of their daily routine and is something that they come to know intimately. This is true not only for me, but for everyone who hasa commuting cityscape. Our surroundings shape how we view our community, and it is important to understand how that cityscape defines us as individuals.
Through this project, I aim to emphasize of the importance of good design in the built environment and how it shapes our daily lives and our perceptions of our community.
95 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 9, 2023
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