Opinion
What planet did the new convention center come from?
By Harry Davidson
Why do all of the conceptual models of new public buildings that we’ve seen over the last several weeks seem so vulgar and disconnected from any sense of identity we may have as an Alaskan community? A new museum that looks like a giant computer box; a new State Capitol building that would fit better in downtown Miami than in Juneau. New fire station facilities that look like they belong in the warehouse district of the Port of Seattle; and what planet did the plans for our new convention center come from?
Anyone who takes the time to look at all of these public projects cannot help but see that something is amiss. They are vulgar because they do not reflect the beauty and grandeur of our Alaskan homeland. Vulgar because they do not resonate with the magnificence of the mountains or the stark loveliness of our winters; vulgar because they do not honor and embody the human history that has been lived out in this land.
Give us buildings that say something about who we uniquely are. Give us public buildings that tell our story; that reflect our hopes and dreams as a community; that inspire us to be the kind of people we dream it is possible to be. Let our fire stations be more than a place to park fire trucks and store equipment. Let them speak to us of the brave men and women who serve our communities and risk their lives for our safety. Let our convention center honor our great Native tradition of elders sitting together to wisely guide the community through turbulent times. The same goes for a new State Capitol building. Public buildings can say a great deal to and about the communities they serve. Let our public buildings be a voice for truth, beauty, and goodness. Let them evoke from us our best and continually remind us of our highest calling as individuals and as a community.
This is what we should create, and what we should expect from our public buildings and projects. These are the kinds of standards that healthy communities can and should insist on. For public projects to reflect a deep local sentiment there must be intimate local participation in the conceptual as well as the architectural stages of development. At this present time in Alaska this is not happening. Until that changes, we will continue to be plagued with vulgar, disconnected public projects that say nothing of who and what we are and hope to be as an Alaskan community.
Harry Davidson was born in Kodiak, raised in Southwest Alaska, and is now a business owner in Anchorage.