This is an editorial opinion by Frances Hogan Steffian, writer, bitcoin investor and wife of an award-winning architect.
What should be the architectural style of Bitcoin? In the history of our world, eternal buildings give stature to our best ideas and enshrine our core beliefs. If Bitcoin realizes its potential to remake the world’s financial system, and as the Bitcoin community emerges around the globe, how should the ideas and ideals of Bitcoin be expressed in this newly constructed environment?
The Power of Architecture
Never underestimate the power of architecture. It lives through the centuries. It always conveys the worldview of those who build it, whether it is an individual architect or a cultural project built over time. The physical act of walking through the building marks each visitor with a visceral experience of the ideas that the builders and architects wanted.
Medieval castles, for example, tell the story of the people who lived and protected them. They do not usually have one architect or builder, but this structure evolves over time, and the message can be less controlled and more honest. These ancient fortresses convey ideas of security, family, enforcement, control, materialism and triumph over the best and worst of the physical world.
And what do you call the best building? Most often, the human desire to go beyond the physical limits of everyday life and live in a level of beauty, freedom and connection with the divine. The classically designed interior of Rome’s Pantheon is centered around an oculus that opens to the sky, a reminder of the vastness of existence, far beyond human understanding. In India, the sublime Taj Mahal can provide an experience in a higher dimension that is based on the physical foundation. Now we can walk in heaven. This is similar to the better reality that even the most hopeful Bitcoiners wish for.
Delivering Bitcoin’s Ambition In The Built Environment
North Korean defector Yeonmi Park electrified the Bitcoin 2022 conference with a talk about how personal, secure financial freedom is important in the fight against human exploitation. Her chat link went viral, it was even tweeted by Jack Dorsey. His personal victory against human trafficking represents the greatest hope for Bitcoiners: to break the chains of financial slavery that plague our planet. Bitcoiners also want private and secure personal wealth. If there is global Bitcoin adoption, its potential value could go to the moon.
So, now is the time to think about the message that Bitcoin’s architectural style will convey and how we want to express these ideas in the built environment. As discussed above, the global community can start with concepts such as freedom, empowerment, stability, privacy and elegance.
But Bitcoin’s architectural style should not be founded on or directed to just one earthly civilization. The point of Bitcoin is to both liberate and unite the world. This means that the architectural style of Bitcoin written in Asia will be different from the style that is delivered in Central America, for example. Different cultural stories and experiences will be built.
Now, at this time in the world, Bitcoin communities are emerging all over the world. The most famous are in Central America, but more are popping up all over the world.
In El Salvador, there is a Bitcoin community built in El Zonte and an incredible city planned for the base of the dormant Conchagua mountain. There is Lago Bitcoin in Guatemala and Bitcoin Jungle in Costa Rica. Bitcoin Ekasi has appeared in South African cities, as well as other communities in Africa. In addition, the Bitcoin community in places around the world, including Thailand, participate in the Global Bitcoin Fest.
Architectural style should convey beauty and the desire to live well. This is actually a very practical point. Civilizations tend not to bother maintaining ugly buildings. Again, we want our vision to stick.
The existing Bitcoin community has expressed its sensitivity to the ecological environment. A vision of peace and harmony has emerged in the eco-friendly design of new proposed developments, especially in El Zonte in El Salvador. But does she also exude beauty and self-confidence?
Importantly, Bitcoin is decentralized. Everyone who participates in the Bitcoin economy uses Bitcoin in the same capacity as everyone else. It is called “egalitarian” and “grassroots”. The efforts of some famous modern architects come to mind in an attempt to embody the same idea in physical form: Le Corbusier, Mies van de Rohe and Walter Gropious, to name a few. This architect is known for creating accessible and non-elitist spaces. They use everyday materials that are accessible to everyone, and their designs focus on improving their daily lives. They create a spatial experience, not a decorative display of architectural expense. The goal of modern architects is to use ordinary materials to create extraordinary and exciting experiences that can be enjoyed by anyone.
What should be the style of Bitcoin architecture not become? Let’s start with the Federal Reserve building in Washington, DC The gigantic scale of the building can make visitors feel insignificant. The narrow windows and minimal detailing are unattractive and give a sense of impenetrability. While Fed describes the building’s style as “stripped classicism,” this building, completed in 1937, exhibits many of the hallmarks of fascist architecture.
Nearby, Washington DC’s outdoor public area known as the National Mall was designed to impress visitors with the grandeur and scale of America’s capital. Intentionally or not, the huge mall swallows up a lot of people, and gives the idea that even with the masses, government institutions will remain dwarfed. Large sizes can make people feel safe because they cannot be changed or, conversely, make visitors feel powerless.
We also need to understand all possible interpretations of Bitcoin’s architectural style. For example, a Bitcoin cynic might joke that the dangerous volatility of bitcoin is perfectly described as a city built on a volcano. To counter that sentiment, now is the time to demonstrate the efficiency, stability, durability, beauty and tranquility of using geothermal energy from dormant volcanoes.
In the 20th century, local culture has been destroyed all over the planet. We must take this frayed edge and connect it to our future. We must return the smallest of achievements. We have to be very idealistic because we imagine the built environment where we want to live in the future. Through Bitcoin’s architectural style, we have the opportunity to reclaim the best of human effort and build a carefully thought-out vision of the future.
This is a guest post by Frances Hogan Steffian. The opinions expressed are entirely my own and do not necessarily reflect those of BTC Inc or Bitcoin Magazine.