A Case for Planned Serendipity
- Erika Culmer
- May 9
- 7 min read
One of the most delightful characteristics of any great place, is happening upon unexpected discoveries as you explore. These discoveries as you explore or move through a city are usually what makes the city go from plain and boring to interesting and inspiring. Cities like Rome, Paris, Chicago and New York are known for the delightful way they pull you through a city. What do I mean by this? Imagine the following scenario:
You have a quick layover in a small town that you've never heard about before. With a few hours free, you decide to explore. As you enter town, the hustle and bustle has you looking this way and that. A monument in the distance looks interesting and as you walk towards it, a delightful smell captures your attention, leading you down a small alleyway with a charming bakery with lovely treats on display in the window. As you enter the shop, a beautiful young lady with the most welcoming smile greets you. You buy some goods and soak in the quaint atmosphere. As more guests come in, you overhear them discussing a gallery up the street that was thoroughly enjoyable, and since it's on the way to the fantastic monument you saw earlier, you decide that there is your next stop. As you make your way to the gallery, the uniquely designed buildings slow your pace to a stroll. You wonder about how the locals lived and how blessed they are that this is the background to their busy lives. A plaque on a particularly interesting building makes you stop. It reads,
“The Chamfer Building
Constructed in 1912 by the Delworth Construction Company
Originally a home turned orphanage, this building went through several career changes. A hospital in 1921. A school in 1932. A lawyer's office in 1956. And finally, a Museum of Rare Finds in 1987 of which it has remained since.”
You wish to go in, however, notice it is closed on Mondays. Bummer. You make a mental note to come back another day to investigate. You continue on until you reach the gallery, all the while the monument in the distance slowly becomes more apparent. The gallery of fine arts takes up the first and second floor of what used to be an old warehouse now converted into a multi-story loft of artisan suites. Large paintings of reimagined scenes line the walls. One features the Monument you are on your way to. The gallery not only houses the artwork by local artists but maintains an artist’s lounge where visitors can see the craftsmen themselves busy with painting, drawing and creating. An usher announces that the creator of the piece featuring the Monument will start their talk in two minutes. You happily sit in the small auditorium where a short man in his 40s is situated at the front.
After the room quiets, he promptly begins his presentation. You are surprised to learn that the monument honors the lives of those lost during a skirmish over property ownership in the 1920s. In the course of two years, hundreds were injured, dozens died, and the petty back and forth disrupted merchant routes which eventually led to a brief famine and economic despair. After much negotiation led by a school teacher and a shop keeper, the town was able to peaceably resume normal activities in exchange for several key pieces of land. It both saddens and intrigues you on how an ordinary dispute can turn so ugly then be resolved by such ordinary people.
You consider this as you make the rest of your trek to the monument. A large wall with an arched gate frames a portion of the monument perfectly as you arrive. At last, you have made it to your destination, filled with thoughtfulness and wonder. What type of impression do you believe this type of experience will leave you with? Would you visit again even though you've spent no more than two or three hours there? Would you recommend a stopover like this to others?
How many times have we found ourselves in similar situations when travelling? One thing leading to another, bringing us on an unintentional yet rewarding journey. As someone who has travelled extensively and had the opportunity to live in Rome for a year, this type of serendipity was almost a daily occurrence in these places. Many of the places I visited are globally well-known but there were oftentimes when the town I visited was not. Some places were smaller than Downtown Nassau, and yet, those have left more of a delightful impression than our famous downtown has. How can this be? As an architect with a passion for developing truly sustainable places (as in, places that fulfill human and environmental needs throughout the entirety of their existence), I have asked myself: If we could boil it down, what is one thing that makes the biggest difference from Nassau and a city like Rome?
The example story of walking through a little-known town and finding delight and wonder is not one that has been recently experienced by anyone walking in Downtown Nassau. Sure, there are many areas that we can pinpoint as issues such as the fact that we don't maintain our buildings, they are constantly succumbing to fires and intentional demolition, the fact that downtown is no longer geared towards servicing the needs of locals, and clearly the efforts of a few are either being thwarted or not supported in revitalizing the area. But I speak to you about a wider context. I believe the difference can best be described as a failure of good storytelling.
In 2017, the writers of South Park, Matt Stone and Trey Parker, gave a mini-lecture to students at NYU for MTVU's "Stand In." There they gave students a blueprint for excellent story telling. The advice is simple:
"We found out this really simple rule... We can take these beats, which are basically the beats of your outline, and if the words "and then" belong between those beats, you're [bleeped] basically. You got something pretty boring. What should happen between every beat that you've written down is either the word, therefore or but."
Just like with storytelling, our focus needs to be on creating connecting "beats." Beats for a downtown are the sights and experiences. How are we creating "therefores" and "buts" in our story of how we move through our downtown? In the example, the journey started with seeing an intriguing monument in the distance. The pursuit of that interest led us to experience a bakery in an alley, which led us past a series of uniquely designed buildings local only to that area, which led us to an interesting museum that was closed that day (creating a but that returned us to our original path), leading us to a gallery that filled in more intrigue of the monument we are seeking, finally leading us to the monument itself with greater intrigue and love because of the journey.
In our actual downtown, there are very few "therefores." Instead, there are many "and thens." Heading east after Parliament, there is a lull in both activity and interest before reaching another point of interest. We have instituted an "and then" with this boring part by giving no apparent reason for exploring this route other than for exploring's sake. One way to resolve this would be to create a series of focal points that draw your attention leading you to explore further. Here are a few sights and experiences that creates these opportunities:
A series of small billboards featuring cultural artists that have intriguing images and information about them.
Shops and services that locals frequent, creating more activity in the area.
Clearly visible stepping stones with images commemorating buildings lost to time.
Food and beverage vendors lined along the street with unique cuisine at every stop.
Wayfinding signage taking up empty storefronts directing people to treasures up ahead.
An interesting monument or statue clearly visible in the distance but with no clear path to get to it.
To help you further understand how this affects your interest, here are a few areas where we have excellent “therefores” and “buts”.
The view of St. Matthew’s Church Steeple. Notice how you can see it from a distance when you drive, the height standing above every building in the area. The unique shape and the unique material compared to its surroundings. How many times do you find yourself thinking about this on your drive down Shirley Street?
The prominence of Government House. Massive in size, and propped on a hill overlooking downtown, this building is hard to ignore. The color and tall walls lead to further intrigue. What building could this be that it needs to be protected and separated like so? The grand steps leading to the entry only add to the prestige and prominence.
The placement of World-Famous Straw Market. A prominent position downtown that has an array of openings situated a little higher than street level inviting you to explore. Accessible and visible from both sides, welcoming even the disabled and stroller toting mums with its thoughtful design.
The delight of Arawak Cay through Downtown when the Christmas lights are in full display. Temporary yet impactful, the lights along West Bay and Bay Streets frequently enamor both locals and visitors with their splendor. They are so impactful that during Christmas time, the drive itself becomes a treasured free family activity even if it is out of the way for most people.
The beauty of the unique architecture of homes along Eastern Road. Arguably one of the most delightful drives in the country, Eastern Road is comprised primarily of elegant estates and privately owned homes that were designed with extreme care and love. Their elegance makes what could be an out of the way, boring ride intriguing and noteworthy.
As you can tell, there are a range of characteristics to these beats. Some are historic, some are new, some are massive and government owned, and some are small, privately owned gestures yet meaningful. Most are permanent however some are temporary. You’ll also notice that it’s never the item itself that is the beat, but a significant characteristic of it. “Build it and they will come” doesn’t mean anything to people who don’t know it exists or if the journey is determined to be too great for the return.
We have to create more "therefores" and "buts" in our story of Downtown. When you start to address that, other issues such as the state of the buildings, the activities, and the revitalization of downtown will naturally follow. Where are some areas that you see a clear "and then"? How can we change this to create a "therefore" or a "but"? Did I miss anything? What's your opinion on how good storytelling can change our downtown?
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