Endeavor

So what is the lasting significance of the Glass Pavilion? Or even what is the significance of any architectural endeavor after it is complete? Or is the process developed to get to an end what is really important? In the case of more permanent structures, they may be valued for their programmatic versatility. Others like the Parthenon, though it may currently have little programmatic use, is still valued for its beauty. Many wonder at its superior construction. How could such a structure have been built without the aid of computer aids? So maybe the process is what’s most important. People look to the Parthenon to discover what techniques were used to achieve the beautiful marble end.  So when we look at the Glass Pavilion, at first we may see only an ephemeral object designed and built by fourteen architect students. It may possess a degree of beauty, but what will it do to fight world hunger? Can it house the homeless? Probably not, but the invisible structure that holds the pavilion together the processes that we learned were necessary for constructing a full-scale structure that is what is lasting. And maybe someday we will use the ideas gained from the Glass Pavilion to build something lasting a new sort of Crystal Palace maybe even one that will help house the homeless.