Typology:
Speculative Cultural Facility Design

A CLOCKWORK ORANGE

The day started like always, though, on this particular morning, I remember waking up a bit earlier than usual. My place is a one-bedroom apartment on the east side of the city. My crib is not too spacious, although I must say that it is very cozy. I got up from bed and slowly started towards the kitchen to make a bowl of oatmeal. My shoulder brushed against the sides of the hall. I was feeling extremely tired since the day before I had run a few miles around the lake. As I entered the kitchen, something caught my eye; through the window, a white powder was accumulating on the side of our building. Snow would be unreal for this time of year, I thought. Slowly, I made my way towards the balcony and immediately saw that the entire sky was covered by a thick layer of smog. The sky was orange and the sun was dark. I looked down and realized what I had thought was snow was really small bits of ash, which were coming down and blanketing everything outside. It didn't take long when I began to cough. I gazed across the building and noticed shadowy figures appearing and disappearing in the smog. The garbage collector truck slowly passed by, lights blinking, and dragging one of those green heavy-duty metal dumpsters. The lighting on this particular machine seemed sophisticated. Overnight, the entire city had somehow endured a significant transformation.

I heard my phone ringing back in my bedroom, and I ran to it and noticed that it was my wife. She was out of the city on a business trip, and was calling to ask if I was seeing what she was observing out her hotel window. Neither of us had ever seen anything like that before. She asked if I was going to work. I said that I didn't know; I has been laid off a few months ago. She laughed. She asked if I could bring the clothes on the line inside. I said, “I will.” She told me that she loved me. I replied, “I love you, too.” She hung up.