Why is everywhere in America starting to lose its identity?
It's mostly because of one thing โ scale... (thread) ๐งต
Dropped in any American city 100 years ago, you could probably tell immediately where you were.
Chicago's greystones, built from locally-quarried stone, or San Fran's Victorian rows would give it away โ places had unmistakable character.
For a long time, places have been getting more similar. Industrialization reduced reliance on local materials, and readily-available steel and concrete detached architecture from its environment.
What are the best-preserved wonders of Ancient Egypt besides the pyramids?
First, there's this 2,000-year-old temple โ celestial carvings cover every inch of its ceiling.
And that's still the original paint... (thread) ๐งต
The Temple of Hathor near Luxor is one of the most immaculate temples we have, built by Cleopatra's father (Ptolemy XII) around 54 BC.
Very little daylight reaches the paintwork inside, so its blue glow never faded...
Just up the Nile is the Temple of Khnum in Esna.
Full-color reliefs of the zodiac and constellations adorn every surface, preserved for millennia beneath layers of soot. It was scraped away a few years ago, revealing this...
The 6th century Christ Pantocrator is the most recognized image of Jesus โ but what about before then?
Well, that's where things get weird... (thread) ๐งต
There are no physical descriptions of Christ in the Gospels. The first Christians were wary of idolatry and wanted to focus on his words and teachings.
But what do the earliest artistic depictions show us?
This is the Christ Pantocrator, a Byzantine icon kept in a small Mount Sinai monastery since the 6th century.
Its style (right hand raised, Bible in the left) became repeated around the world, and established his conventional appearance: bearded and long-haired.
Why do American cities feel less "alive" than their European counterparts?
It's because of something called the "missing middle".
A century ago, American cities looked completely different... (thread) ๐งต
Millions make pilgrimages to Europe's centers every year. Architectural beauty is one thing, but they simply feel more vibrant and "alive" than American cities.
But why is that?
In the early 20th century, American cities were much like European ones. They had smaller footprints relative to population, and people lived centrally enough to walk or take elegant streetcars to work.
What happened? The "missing middle" was decimated...