By Urooj Ali
I live in a tornado of monotony. Some days, I don’t even notice color, let alone texture or shape. But lately, I’ve noticed a shift in perspective which has encouraged me to slow down, stop, and smell the roses.
Recently, I was stuck at George Bush International Airport due to a flight delay and in an effort to entertain myself, I went on a photo walk! I queued up my favorite playlist and set out to discover beauty in a sea of gray and white.
While airports around the world are transforming their halls to represent the culture and vibrancy of their cities, the same cannot be said for Houston’s George Bush International Airport. This truly feels like a missed opportunity considering Houston is the hometown of legends Beyoncé and Megan Thee Stallion, who are both featured in my daily playlist. Despite the lack of culture, I still managed to gather some unique content. Finding elements of design in such an ordinary place really opened my eyes to the way the elements communicate and create spaces that tell a story.
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 1 is a close up of a brick wall that belongs to the entrance of an airport bar. Including a faux brick wall in the design of this airport bar speaks volumes to the associations people have with drinking culture.The bricks may look real in this macro image, but if zoom out you’ll see that it is mimicking the exterior of building in the middle of the innocuous linoleum of Terminal B. While it is random, I automatically associated this installation with a drinking establishment because generally pubs and bars in downtown areas are brick buildings. This artifact tells a story. It evokes nostalgia and familiarity for the general crowd who is passing by this establishment. The use of texture on this brick wall installation made me think about my design style, because I have a habit of adding texture to every design I create.
Figure 2 is a close up of the pattern on a chair at the gate. As a regular traveler, I never notice the details that are present in places like the airport. I was pleasantly surprised by the detail these chairs have.I never thought an airport architect would think about having a chair with a design element like this. As mundane as it is, this line design on the airport chair still tells a story. It makes me wonder, what is the significance of this chair? Why was this seat chosen? What message was Houston trying to send to its temporary guests? The airport is a transient location. Can the inclusion of design among the mundane help people feel at home?
Spending hours alone in an airport allowed me to see beauty where I might not have before. I was able to be inquisitive and take pictures of mundane items but appreciate the thought and design that went into creating this brick wall or airport chair. The airport is an anxiety inducing place. With security, a time crunch, and distance from home, it is rare to stop and appreciate the beauty that exists at an airport. This felt like a eureka moment, I thought “why don’t more people appreciate the small existence of beauty at the airport?” I wanted to shout it from the rooftops! “Look how GORGEOUS the pattern on this carpet is!” Of course, I cannot scream in an airport without triggering a national security threat. So, I chose to share my photo online and potentially trigger the inquisitive nature in my peers as well.
As artists and designers, how do we continue to nurture our curious minds?
Urooj Ali, Curious Mind
