Rächer of Solnari

Gray is, without a doubt, the most common color in the field of civil construction and architecture today, but why? The justification is that gray represents honesty... supposedly...

The modern preference for gray descends from what is called the industrial style, a style that essentially boils down to leaving exposed every single type of material used, whether it's concrete or steel beams.It's not purely an economic motivation; there's also a moral justification behind it, following the theory that materials could represent greater "honesty" in a building while remaining in their raw state, without any finishing, not even a single drop of paint.

Here we arrive at one of the ideals of Brutalism—which predates that dull, gray aesthetic you see everywhere—and at first glance, this argument might seem convenient, but the truth is that, paradoxically, it has become disconnected from its true meaning. Ask yourself: between two people, one completely naked and another wearing minimally decent clothing, which one seems more trustworthy to you?

Most people would probably choose the second option, which is obvious. Now let's go back to Brutalist aesthetics: why do we currently call a gray building, without cladding, and often with an inappropriate facade depending on the context, "honest"?


In light of this, people like G.K. Chesterton began to call this kind of honesty – within this context – "virtues gone mad":

"The modern world is full of the old Christian virtues gone mad. The virtues have gone mad because they have been isolated from each other and are wandering alone. Thus some scientists care for truth; and their truth is pitiless. Thus some humanitarians only care for pity; and their pity (I am sorry to say) is often untruthful."

Just as he describes in that quote, modernist honesty is not impartial, because it reveals a constructive truth: the one that explicitly shows the connection between structural elements, wiring, and even water supply—but hides the historical-cultural truth.

It may seem hard to understand, but to illustrate: take a look at Greek constructions, which were originally made of wood, and many of their elements were later referenced in stone buildings, even if only as decoration; here there is no constructive truth, only historical truth (and cultural, in the case of mythological figures).


When modernists banned ornamentation, local identities were erased; if you look at a photo of a modern concrete box, you won't be able to tell where that photo was taken. Remember when I mentioned the word "paradoxically"? Can you see the paradox within this "honesty"? I don't think hiding your origins makes you an honest person.