Coming into Lexington from the east on Highway 1, just when you get past the sprawl, a poetically beautiful vista opens up.
Usually when I encounter this vista, it is at the beginning of the evening after work. The sun is beginning to make its western descent, and it bathes the little distant town on a hill in a warm light.
At first you notice the two powerful brothers, the Courthouse and the County Administration Building, watching over their domain, the surrounding countryside. From their vantage point, it seems as if by themselves they are enforcing the laws they hold.
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As you move closer, a small white steeple greets you above the trees. To the right a taller steeple comes into view, and then again to the right an even taller steeple pierces the sky. The further you go down towards 12-Mile creek, the taller the steeples become from your perspective. It is as if the three are working together to shift your eyes up to heaven as you enter town...
The buildings in a town usually can suggest what the town’s people value as important. From this view, the people of Lexington value the law of the land, and God’s law. The beauty of architecture is that it has the power to transform bricks, wood, and concrete into poetry. It gives meaning to space and structure. This assignment of meaning is what makes architecture into an art, and not just building science.
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If we begin to build collectively with a devotion to meaningful architecture, Lexington will become rich with beauty, full of moments like the one I've described. Let’s build a better Lexington.
Feel free to share any architectural moments that you find poetic!
(P.S. As you can tell from the photo, this vista would be much better with buried power lines, as with the rest of town.)