Creativity

Old buildings and structures are ok. Something does not have to be new to look nice. Old structures can be renewed and they do look superb. But, you need creative people to do such things, which we are not anymore. We just want to either break down old buildings or leave them to rot, leaving them to the lowest income earners- not even caring to have them cleaned once in a while!

That’s why our cities lack character, history and that “home” feeling. The art, design and centuries are missing. All we see is the new buildings.
Though I do agree that in certain parts of Riyadh structures have been restored or reconstructed on the original design, a lot is still just ‘discarded’. These discarded and unattended areas have in them buildings owned by the “whatever” Saudi and occupied by the “whatever” workers at “whatever” prices. That’s the reason: these “whatever” people are lost in making day to day living, treated like garbage and ignorance is expected from them. We have no inclination nor the care to bring out the talents of people, nor encourage creativity! We are too busy judging and dealing with people based on nationality, professions, race and tribe! Our cities are new but our minds are prehistoric! Maybe even those were better.

What is stopping the Municipality from offering a prize to the most beautiful, clean building in hai al wazarat, for example? Why not reward people, Saudi and non-saudi for not just bringing creative ideas but actually making them reality by motivating them and rewarding them?

It is the people in a city that build the city. And just buildings don’t make a city , the air and collective mind of the city makes it what it is. Keep that positive please.

“Restoration” is an art that should be encouraged.