Nature and skyscrapers! These are the ultimate Odd Couple, the ultimate symbols of our dominion over nature.
Several years ago, when we were in Shanghai, we spent a week at a hotel in Tomorrow Square, high up in the sky, surrounded by other buildings of similar sizes. One could imagine Superman flying amidst the buildings.
The future is one of Tomorrow Square writ large. In many parts of the world, we are building higher and taller. We are conquering the sky, and yet, we are also creating parks and gardens and green spaces.
The human need for nature, for oases of renewal, is timeless and universal.
Modern life, with all its conveniences, gives us the ability to appreciate, celebrate, and protect nature in so many ways.
The architectural and engineering wonders of the world allow us to see and enjoy nature in ways that weren’t possible even a few generations ago.
There are bridges spanning gorges, bridges high above land, and bridges across miles of water.
When we take these bridges, we see the true majesty of Nature from a different vantage point, a richer vantage point than merely being on the ground.
The same is true of life today. We can live richer and fuller lives than any other generation in human history. We live lives filled with more possibilities than ever before!