WHAT’S IN A BUILDING?

For years I have had this recurring thought in my head about structures. Not so much what materials go into the making of the building, nor the aesthetics of it or the lack thereof, or even the form its facades take. But I find that every time I drive through or take a stroll on the streets of this city that is dear to me, I ponder more interestingly on the people who live in them. Is it a house? What kind of people would I find in there? If it is an ostentatious structure, I would wonder, did they grow up in such opulence? Or did they suddenly come into wealth and amass property? Are they mere squatters within the premises pending when the real owners return for their house? 

I could also ponder, is it an office? What do they do in there? Is it an IT firm? A retail outlet? Or a warehouse? On and on my mind wanders… on days I give my imagination free reign, I would create whole personalities for those people. 

There was a small bungalow house a few streets away from the house I grew up in, and every time my sister and I walked past it, we would call it ‘the haunted house’. Inspired by the movies we watched growing up, like Casper the friendly Ghost, Home Alone, and the likes, I would create an entire story around the house in my mind. I imagined a close knit family of maybe five, living a secluded life, without socialising much. I would assume they were probably members of one of those houses of worship that shrouded itself in mystery and possibly diabolism. While this was all a creation of my mind, every time I walked past it, I found my steps hastening while I chanted ‘The Blood of Jesus’ in my head. Lol!

Across the road from that street was a tall 6 storey building painted in a bright imposing white colour. Whenever my tiny child-like legs walked past it, I would notice a halogen light beam in my direction and then when I had walked past, it would go off. Those were years before I understood motion sensors and the likes and so I would keep wondering why they couldn’t just fix their light and stop it from going off and on. 

One afternoon I walked past it and I noticed the gate opened electronically for an SUV to drive out and the gate again shut itself and I remember dashing home to tell my siblings what I had found. Looking back, I remember they looked at me quite weirdly, like ‘duh, of course it’s electronic’ and my little brain was still unable to discern it. So I would search for errands that would take me around there so I could peer around the structure for any sign that would highlight what they did in there. After watching some of the James Bond series and Terminator, I decided that inside that building, they must be running a highly classified covert operation, hence the security and lack of any signpost outside the building.   

For many years, there was this house I passed by on the way to my village which I called ‘Aeroplane house’. In case you were wondering why that tag, well you see, that house was probably by far one of the ugliest houses I had ever seen. It was this rundown and shabby looking one storey building perched on a hill. But what made it stand out was this design of a large concrete aeroplane at the top of it. I could only imagine that since the owner or maybe the architect went through so much effort to perch on it an airplane that seemed to be crushing the house into the ground, the structure must mean a lot to him. So I spun my wheel of imagination and painted an identity for the owner. To me, the house must have been owned by a pilot who had a huge obsession for airplanes who maybe died or became bankrupt and so couldn’t complete the structure. Hahaha.

You would think after I grew up I stopped right? But no, I still find myself staring at structures. However, with the confidence that age brings, I would usually stop by, walk up to the gate and ask the security what they did there. And whenever I am unable to do so, I would look for a taxi driver around there and ask him what he thinks the structure is about. 

A few of the structures that have preoccupied my mind in the past few years is the Igbinedion house or shall I call it estate or maybe it is a palace at Maitama. The compound encased within it a couple of buildings with two huge sculpted lions standing guard within it speak of wealth, power, and royalty. Some days I would wonder whether it was owned by the entire Igbinedion family or maybe just the one. From the outside it looks almost sad and uninhabited, and I imagine that for a huge structure such as this, there was probably a time when a large family of maybe twenty children lived within the walls and frolicked day and night. I imagined myself living within those walls. I would probably have 10 children, just so I can fill that place up with laughter and tiny feet running around. Anything short of that will be putting to waste such a beaut.

Another structure that always takes my breath away is the ostentatious building right on the entrance of Gana street, adjacent to the Hilton. In my imaginings, it is a fortress, built by a rich and powerful king who lives alone with his princess daughters at the towers above. They have hundreds of servants who attend to their needs, with a garden, a horse stable and a zoo out back. I imagine the gallant sculpted horses, Lions and elephants which are poised as monuments around the building, decorate it during the day, but then come alive at night and wage wars against the enemies of their master. And then I imagine myself as one of the princesses, living up in that ivory tower looking down on the peasants in the streets scrambling to make a living. Lol.

I had often thought that a house or a building should represent even in the tiniest of ways, the identity, style, or even what inspires the owner. I would find it totally confusing if a house takes the shape of a ship and yet is owned by a pilot. Or a dingy unkempt house is owned by an architect. Or a man who lives alone and in seclusion chooses to build and live in a mansion with 13 rooms and 15 baths.  But then again, these are just the ramblings of a weird mind.

I wonder though, does anyone else think similar thoughts as I do? 

Photocredits
1. Conservative Energy Future.com
2. Constructionqueries.wordpress.com