If anyone asked you what color the Buffalo Historical Society building is you would most likely answer "white". It would seem like a logical response because it sure looks white, especially at night with its brilliant lighting. What if I said It is also black and green and a multitude of other colors? In addition to its beautiful man-made architecture this building is endowed with a rich natural architecture inherited from the core of the earth.
Next time you stop by this treasure look past its carved form and take in the beauty of the material it is made from. The "white" marble of its surfaces and columns is actually a complex lace of colors and shapes. The stone is even a bit translucent, allowing light to penetrate the surface adding a rich depth to the abstract patterns formed over millions of years by the immense pressure of gravity.
Today's societal trends and the pressures of economics often keeps us from appreciating the beauty and richness of real materiality in our buildings. Too many buildings today depend on expediency and fakery in material and form. We have plastic siding for houses imprinted with fake wood grain. But, we are sold on the fact that no maintenance is necessary. Asphalt shingles go up easily and cheaply on our roofs. But, we have lost the rich textures and colors of slate coper and tile. Synthetic stucco now adorns many buildings instead of stone or masonry. The stuff is spread over molded foam allowing for cheap and fast construction. But, what have we given up? Have we lost the soul of a building when its materials do not express their true nature? Have we lost our own souls?
Many new, fast growing, supposedly glamourous cities are almost completely constructed in this expedient, fake, temporary manner. There are people who have lived their entire life in these fake environments and do not know what the real thing is that is being faked. In general our society is losing touch with true quality and in so doing part its reason for existence. People in Buffalo are lucky. They live in a city with a rich physical environment. It is an environment that enriches people's lives in ways they do not often know or understand. Many take Buffalo for granted and the city has suffered because of it. Too many would trade on Buffalo's greatness for quick fixes and temporary gains without realizing what they have lost.
Next time you find yourself on Nottingham Terrace look closely at the white stone walls of the Buffalo Historical Society. It took millions of years to create that building. Once you realize that you will never lose your soul again.