I chose to reitterate the content of Ian Lynam’s article titled “Why We Should Really Be Concerned About the Visual Identity for the Tokyo Olympics.”1 in the form of a descriptive and imaginary city fashioned after those in the book Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino2.
Cities & Structures
IN THE CITY of Olympia, people awaken beneath banners that are void of meaning. The walls, the workers’ uniforms, the tickets are decorated with patterns that have a purpose but no intent. Olympia hums a tune with no rhythm.
The architects who laid the foundations for the city once dreamed of clarity. A city free from the labyrinth of ornamentalism and far away from what it used to be. A rebellion so strong that every signboard, crown and path was to be replaced with a series of simple shapes. A brand new engineering of order where every facade spoke of purpose and every line had meaning.
The rebuilding of the city was not about making it look better but was about finding deep meaning through the journey of making it.
Years passed and the ancestors moved on to the higher realms, leaving generation after generation to keep the spirit of this journey alive. Systems turned into intutions, form and content moved away from each other and the vision for the city became less modular. Thousands worked day and night to build the city in hopes of leaving marks for their generations to come, but in vain. The city that was meant to be built together with coherence and respect was reduced to a competition of power and labour. The leaders only dreamt to build a beautiful city: brilliant, triumphant, hollow.
Today, dwellers of the city walk alongside walls covered in excellently drawn shapes and symbols that are void of language. Every dawn when the flag of the city is unfurled at the townhall, people gather in large numbers to witness the glory of a charming flag fluttering in the wind without a mast.
Citations:
1. Lynam, I. (2015). Why We Should Really Be Concerned About the Visual Identity for the Tokyo Olympics. [online] Medium. Available at: https://medium.com/@ianlynam/why-we-should-really-be-concerned-about-the-visual-identity-for-the-tokyo-olympics-969830d0e819 [Accessed 12 Nov. 2025].
2. Calvino, I. (1972). Invisible Cities. London Vintage.