Peter Maeder
Giornale
Emerging
to the graciously warm day, a welcome reprise from the brutal winter, we met
for a restful drive to the Empire State Plaza. The drive was a welcome opportunity
to forge deeper relationships with those I will be traveling with. It’s a trip I
have made many times before and yet I still appreciate the beautiful monotony of
the flashing forest and distant Adirondacks. We pulled into Albany and I almost
instantly noticed the glaring concrete monoliths rising into the sky that we would
soon be visiting. Arriving at the Cathedral parking lot, the seat of the Capital
Distract Diocese, we unloaded from the cars coming back together to the stream
of banter concerning the “tech” we would soon be receiving to prepare for our
adventures in Rome. The tech itself provides an interesting experience for exploring
as it rather mutes you from conversation with those around you and truly
centers you in the best position to explore the space. Your mind is not distracted
by minor conversation and is instead used to take in the space with the consistent
dialogue in your ear purely regarding the space you are exploring. Upon emerging
from the steps of the New York Museum I was confronted with the plaza, marble
and concrete took a somber tone in the gray weather, but it was still a
monumental spectacle. I was immediately confronted by the names of the four “agency”
buildings which brought my mind into the nameless powerful bureaucracy seen in
all too many dystopian scenarios. With the previous readings on Rockefeller I
could see the ideas of autocratic democracy that he espoused. The structures
being so close together and even conjoined underground he could easily
negotiate all the agencies within the day micromanaging each decision. The
structure that changed the most for me was the brutalist building of the museum
which seemed to be a towering monstrosity of concrete up close but slowly, as
we ventured away from it, seemed to become an agile structure about to take
flight. As we ventured toward the far end of the plaza, approaching the state
capitol we took a break from the group exploration for a chance at personal
wandering and self-reflection. This was my favorite moment in this trip as it
allowed me to explore the nooks and crannies of the Plaza. One of the most
curious parts of this Plaza were the stairways to the Concourse. The Concourse,
just as much of an impressive structure as the Plaza itself was only accessible
off the Plaza by tiny stairways reminiscent of the sketchiest of New York City
subway stops. Just in front of one of these entrances was my favorite personal
discovery that emphasized the lack of humanity in the Plaza. “Phil’s Kitchen”
was a bland structure built in the same style of the agency building that
surrounded it. It was shuttered by off grey curtains with a silver-grey door
and grey chairs within. I could easily picture the ant like men and women in
suits filing in and out the door every day at lunch, having the same meal they
have each day. This Plaza was a gorgeous monumental space that made one feel immensely
small, not only in stature but also in soul
