Looking for Love Again
Abandoned buildings have become such a common sight that they often slip quietly into the backdrop of our cities like an accepted part of our landscape. Chang created Looking for Love Again to renew attention to an abandoned high-rise in downtown Fairbanks by transforming it into an emotional beacon pleading for love and inviting people to come in for a closer look. A four-story sign and chalkboards at the street level, as well as an accompanying website, invited people to share their memories of the building and their hopes for its future. Handwritten reflections included good memories in the Tiki bar on the top floor, families’ first apartments in the complex, and a common ghost story during its abandoned years. Hopes included a grocery, an Indian restaurant, a ninja training center, and modern apartments. Supported by the Alaska Design Forum, feedback from the project was used by the developer and the downtown association to inform next steps. By drawing emotional attention to the neglected building and providing residents with a platform to share, the project explores the impact that buildings have on our lives and how they can become meaningful again.
