When I came home this evening and looked down onto the west wing of the San Luis, I was profoundly saddened to see the markings of demolition on its roof.
The San Luis, marked for demolition.
It is really a great shame. The demolition of almost any building is upsetting to me, but it is especially painful to see a thoughtful, modern building like this one brought down. I don’t think it’s a great work of architecture, but at least it is architecture. (Most buildings are not.) It is a building that can be learned from; one can analyze the features of its design and understand the reasoning behind them.
Comic relief: this puny loader looks like it's trying to take on the building all by itself.
My self-interested desire for the destruction of the San Luis is known. However, if they had been required to ask my permission before bringing it down, I would not have been able to give it to them.
The sun sets on the San Luis.
When I say this is painful for me, I am not exaggerating. I find myself anxious about leaving the house tomorrow morning; what if I come home and it’s already gone? I feel like I need to be here at the end. I know, demolition takes time, but I want to see all of it. A little over a year ago, I watched the Doctor’s Building come down with remarkable rapidity. Though I did get some excellent photos of its demolition, I wish I had taken more. As horrible as it is, demolition can be incredibly beautiful. So, while I am dreading what tommorrow will bring for the San Luis, I’m looking forward to photographing the carnage.
