There are places in the world where the contrast between the structures from the past that were stood for something, that were built to last and the modern human endeavors of convenience are not as apparent as they are in the US. In most of this country we see modern buildings thrown together in planks and plaster, inexpensive shopping centers used to pop up like mushrooms in the drive to take advantage of the quickly blooming economy. Those malls are now shrinking back whence they came, as retailers find it is no longer possible to make a living selling fancy socks, or bespoke sandals.
I was thinking about this contrast in styles as I stood on the beach and watched the cars flying through the dusk on the Seven Mile Bridge and it occurred to me that a bridge built in 1982 will have to be built to last, attacked as it is by the elements that surround it. The old Flagler Bridge alongside is as solid as the day it was planted, a hundred years ago. It is as solid as a Roman aqueduct. But it's not all architectural solidity in the Keys.
Coco's Cantina used to sit in the building above. The Cuban Restaurant has moved to the Big Pine shopping center and the structure remains, unoccupied and available. It's a cement box and it needs to be as storms test the integrity of structures in these exposed islands.
The former garden center and barbecue stand is cleaned and abandoned awaiting an uncertain future. Businesses attract hopefuls in the Keys, where older buildings have shown they can survive, and where residents have done the same. Not all with the grace and elegance of a curvaceous bridge built to span the centuries.
I was thinking about this contrast in styles as I stood on the beach and watched the cars flying through the dusk on the Seven Mile Bridge and it occurred to me that a bridge built in 1982 will have to be built to last, attacked as it is by the elements that surround it. The old Flagler Bridge alongside is as solid as the day it was planted, a hundred years ago. It is as solid as a Roman aqueduct. But it's not all architectural solidity in the Keys.Coco's Cantina used to sit in the building above. The Cuban Restaurant has moved to the Big Pine shopping center and the structure remains, unoccupied and available. It's a cement box and it needs to be as storms test the integrity of structures in these exposed islands.The former garden center and barbecue stand is cleaned and abandoned awaiting an uncertain future. Businesses attract hopefuls in the Keys, where older buildings have shown they can survive, and where residents have done the same. Not all with the grace and elegance of a curvaceous bridge built to span the centuries.
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