The Architect

19 The Architect My family moved to a new home across the street from a grand building-the Museum of Nature. It's a national monument and a landmark in our city. On the day we moved in, my parents'friend Andrew came to visit us. He looked out the window. " You can see the museum from here, " he said, pointing to the building. " Do you know the story of the 'castle'?" " I know nothing about it, " I said frankly. " The museum was originally designed to mirror the central tower of the Parliament building. " Andrew went on to explain that the task of creating a design to showcase the natural treasures of the country fell to a well-known chief architect. This architect had designed four other stone public buildings in the nation's capital between 1900 and 1914. His design called for a massive tower with turrets, a clock and a spire. It reflected the classic styles of Europe.

But, when the construction was half-completed, the building started to sink. I couldn't believe it! Andrew said that the cause of the problem was the type of soil at the site. A builder needs to assess the soil of a site carefully. Some soil expands when it absorbs water. The design did not take into account the unstable ground at the site. As a result, cracks appeared in the foundation. The design had to be modified. It posed a great engineering problem, and it could not be built as it was originally designed. The central tower had to be removed. The building was shortened by 80 feet, and the main architectural features and strengths of the building were gone. " It must have been hard for the architect, " I said. " The architect was so frustrated that he jumped off the building, " he said. I sat there for a long time without saying a word. The story of the building and the architect stuck in my mind for many days.