Design Flights of Fancy
I just returned from a jaunt to Boston/Cape Cod. I had a few design thoughts along the journey. First, the new convention center I passed along the way was truly hideous - it’s like a massive zit on the face of Southie. It reminds me of all of the horrendous “urban renewal” projects that ruined so many great neighborhoods years ago. I have a feeling the people who planned this never read The Death and Life of Great American Cities
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Most importantly, the new Delta terminal at Logan Airport rocks. I have always loathed Logan, and I loathe Terminal C in particular - Legal Seafood is its only redeeming quality; other than that, Terminal C is a disgusting cesspool that makes the flying experience even more unpleasant. I will now plan all of my Logan trips so that they involve the Delta Terminal. It is a throwback to the days when flying was actually glamorous. The days before Saarinan’s dramatic vertical Dulles design was completely ruined by a massive horizontal addition that ruined the scale. The days before cramming passengers into small gates with stained carpets and blasting TVs became the norm. The days when flight attendants wore Pucci, not frumpy pleated pants and acrylic cardigans.
After being chosen to go into some sort of puffy air chamber at security (I have NO clue what the point of this thing is, but it has a massive GE logo on it - TSA product-placement - what will they think up next? Smith and Wesson NASCAR-style patches on the back of the TSA employee shirts?) where was I, oh yes, I hit Borders and picked up the Vanity Fair with Jennifer Aniston on the cover. Vanity Fair is the best flight magazine. VF plus an iPod plus a sandwich from Chik-fil-A make coach class bearable. I can only get through about half the articles during a two hour flight, and I feel somewhat educated afterward.
I am starting to blabber, so I’ll address these issues in the next few days. I’d love to hear your opinions on these topics, because I certainly do not have the answers.
*I swear, I read all about serious problems with Marine recruiting, Rove, and impressions of the American South afterwords!
**I am still unpacking and cannot find my VF anywhere, so this quote is actually paraphrased from memory.
