A beautiful idea or evocative image may stir our imagination more than an object, a building, or even an entire city. Yet, it is materiality that constitutes the great power of architecture, its ability to turn a physical building into a truly transcendental experience.

Let’s think of how to improve buildings that we already have rather than, as often happens, raze them to start new ones from scratch. And when it comes to dealing with recent buildings, yet unprotected by a landmark status, there is a lot of freedom as far as how they could be transformed.

One of the most iconic buildings in Chicago, James R. Thompson Center is a case in point. Illinois state government’s decision to sell it for new development puts this 35-year-old gem of late-20th century architecture in great danger.