A mere century ago, city streets were lined with buildings rich in embellishments and decorative ornamentation. Today? Concrete cubes stand in their place.
Across a vast portion of the modern world, architecture has steadily veered toward simpler design — a trend that reflects larger shifts in global priorities. Structures dating back as far as half a millennium boast heavy ornamentation, elaborate detail work and flowery facades. Today, those defining features that once framed a city’s identity are a rare sight. The average building is one of thousands of boxlike commercial spaces, all of which emphasize uniformity.
History is rich with major architectural reforms that reflect the time period they are embedded in. In 16th century Italy, an opulent style known as Baroque architecture emerged. Buildings from this era display dramatic forms, elaborate sculptures and overall grandeur. Fast forward to the 1700s, when a more whimsical Rococo style swept over much of Europe, characterized by pastel colors and asymmetry. The 20th century then saw the rise of Art Deco, a style highlighting geometry and sleek luxury. More recently, modernism has taken hold of architecture — a style characterized by the explicit rejection of ornamentation, a stark contrast to the heavily embellished styles of previous movements.
This change can be attributed to a wide variety of factors, one of which is a renewed emphasis on cost efficiency. Elaborate designs demand an immense amount of labor, time and material consumption. Simply put, intricate craftsmanship is inefficient in a society that prioritizes maximizing output while minimizing input. This has only been reinforced by the surge in mass production. This often takes place in the form of prefabrication, where components of a building are made off-site before being transported to the construction plot. Prefabricated structures are often repeatedly duplicated, and serve as a popular means of reducing costs and saving time. As construction increasingly relies on mass-produced components, buildings subsequently begin to look more and more alike. For most modern developers, practicality and profit triumph over visual appeal.
This philosophy of profit over visual appeal also builds on the rise of minimalism in art. In recent years, popular art across many media has shown a preference for simple design. Take the “beige mom” trend, for example — a recent online phenomenon where parents adopted a minimalist aesthetic for their home décor, prioritizing neutral colors over vibrancy in the interest of minimalism. Architecture is one of many art forms influenced by a rise in minimalism, stripped down to its bare necessities. That being said, some designers are still working to preserve traditional architecture in the modern age. By rejecting a lack of intricacy in their work, architects actively reintroduce beauty and dynamic expression into modern society.
Some may argue that such intricate design is simply too expensive, and that prioritizing beauty is an inefficient use of funding. Critics posit that such an impact could end up making public projects less affordable, ultimately backfiring on the general public. Sustainability also remains a major concern. Additional detailing requires excess material and excess energy. To some, investing too many resources into beauty is a waste of valuable assets — much of which could be better directed elsewhere.
While there is undoubtedly merit in such arguments, it must also be noted that purposeful design does not directly correlate with higher costs or increased waste. Practicality and beauty can mutually exist. Rather, the two factors build on each other and can coexist with proper execution. Instead of focusing too much on one or the other, leaders ought to recognize the value of thoughtfully designed spaces and integrate those values into additional practical priorities. Though design will always be inherently subjective, variety and visual diversity play a major role in the aesthetic appeal of buildings — a fact not reflected in the status quo of common architecture, highlighting repetition.
The same holds true for concerns over sustainability. Whereas constant demolition and reconstruction may demand excessive consumption, certain architectural practices succeed in preserving character while also minimizing environmental impact. Adaptive reuse, for example, is the repurposing of old, vacant buildings for modern needs. While concerns over its cost and affordability are not entirely misplaced, the potential benefits of adaptive reuse are invaluable. Reuse preserves the beauty of historic architecture while simultaneously integrating these structures into urban society — a middle ground that balances both sustainability and design.
Ultimately, architecture cannot thrive with merely either practicality or beauty. Rather, both function and visual appeal play crucial roles in effectively designing public spaces. Architecture is more than frivolous design — the art dictates the very environment humans experience their lives. To neglect either practicality or beauty would be to neglect a fundamental necessity in a thriving society. Human beings deserve human spaces. As cities continue to grow, the key lies in recognizing that the challenge is not picking between the two but recognizing that both practicality and beauty are essential.
