I recently read a post on Marginal Revolution discussing why we stopped building beautiful buildings. I have a very simple theory that I think explains part of why we stopped building beautiful buildings, and why many other things are much worse than you’d otherwise expect, despite our tremendous wealth.
My theory is that neither individuals nor organizations feel comfortable being frivolous or indulgent with their wealth anymore. Instead, all wealth is now used to accumulate even more wealth, power, and status.
In the past, efficiency and optimization were less critical. Successful businesses and wealthy individuals could afford to indulge. However, today’s businesses aim for efficiency, optimization, and indefinite scaling. No business is satisfied with where it is but instead wants to be much larger. Why design a lavish company tower when that money could be invested in growth? Or dedicate all your time to constructing a beautiful house when you could instead buy a condo in NYC to spend a few months per year. Think of how the market and your customers would judge you for being so wasteful!
Once enough people and businesses shift away from beautiful indulgences, the norms and markets that support them dissipate.
In the past, individuals could be big fish in small ponds, enjoying their status, position, and wealth. Satisfaction with one’s wealth was more attainable, as people used their money to achieve concrete goals and derive contentment from their accomplishments. Wealth was a means to an end, providing fulfillment and stability at various financial levels.
Today, however, we are exposed to a vastly expanded environment of wealth and success. Social media, global news, and entertainment showcase the lifestyles of those in slightly higher status brackets within your aspirational lifestyle. It’s no longer just about keeping up with the Joneses next door; it’s about keeping up with those you envy globally.
For businesses and individuals, wealth is no longer just a means to achieve goals; it becomes a perpetual quest for more wealth, opportunities, and optionality.
This relentless pursuit of optionality and growth can lead to a paradox: despite increasing wealth, indulgences may decline.
so the underlying cause would be increased mobility and increased media reach? that sounds very interesting!
I think you’re right, we now care about other rational, logical, more pragmatic things and have lost sight to the simple treasures that the world gives to all and perhaps a little of our childish wonder of it all. We think of pragmatism, of efficiency, of maximizing utility, and it shows all around not just architecture.
The arts, and architecture have always been an expression of the peoples as they are in that moment in time. You’ll still find beautiful buildings around the world if you look closely enough.
Its a fundamental change in how the we now view and treat the world.
I think the existence of luxury brands like Restoration Hardware, professions like interior designers, and the frequency of bathroom and kitchen remodeling tempers this theory somewhat (although I do think there is something to it).
My view is more that the people who produce buildings are more profit motivated than before (and care much less about non-monetary benefits, like improving the look of a neighborhood). The reasons for this are up for debate but I think at least part of it is because the world is more competitive now.