Why Are Modern Buildings So Ugly?

**Daco Celtic** · 11-22-2019, 01:17 AM

Originally Posted by The Lawspeaker

Brutalism would be the worst of the worst: that quickly turns dark and depressive as you can see in numerous commieblocks all over Europe. Art Deco might work - if it doesn't use concrete or covers it.

In the 1920s and 1930s, Art Deco worked well in cold cities like NYC, Chicago, and even some European cities. I think it is a bit unfair when people associate modernism solely with Brutalism because that was just one small part of Modernism. Brutalism also had the communist connection as you mention. The examples I posted earlier in thread of Googie style are the other end of the spectrum, capitalism and new frontier experimentalism.

**Duffmannn** · 12-30-2019, 04:21 AM

They are made in such way with the goal of alienating the people, brutalise the general population and ending with the beauty.

It's the same that has happened with the painting.

Yet at the beginning of the XXth the fascist movements denunciated the «degenerated art» and its goals.

The architecture of the XX-XXI centuries is ugly with the aim of differenciate the elite and the peoole (the poor historical towns are beautiful), this is very evident in the communist cities, and breaking the sense of membership to a community-city, which it's substituted by the state and the multinacionals (this is evident in the USA-UK cities withs its independent houses and malls, with no city-community proper)

**Duffmannn** · 12-30-2019, 04:27 AM

Even the skycrapers were beautiful in the beginning of the XX century (Empire State, Edificio España in Madrid) nowadays all have a tremendous bad taste.

Despite they are taller, they are worse in any other sense. The people still thinks in these old examples when thinking in skyscrapers.

**~~JamesBond007~~** · 12-30-2019, 04:32 AM

Originally Posted by Roy

Because postmodernism is a popular thing.

You beat me to the punch I was going to say the exact samething before I read your statement.

**Wolfdog** · 12-30-2019, 05:10 AM

Are there ( anywhere ) new art-deco buildings?? Or may be some building heavily influenced by this style?

**Daco Celtic** · 12-30-2019, 05:21 AM

1940s modernism

Circa 1954

**Daco Celtic** · 12-30-2019, 05:48 AM

1964-1970

**Daco Celtic** · 12-30-2019, 05:59 AM

**Jacques de Imbelloni** · 12-30-2019, 06:02 AM

Originally Posted by Wolfdog

Are there ( anywhere ) new art-deco buildings?? Or may be some building heavily influenced by this style?

New Buildings Built in Traditional Architecture Style
https://www.skyscrapercity.com/showt...22349&page=601

New Classical Architects
https://www.skyscrapercity.com/showt...715624&page=35

**Wolfdog** · 12-30-2019, 06:08 AM

Originally Posted by Jacques de Imbelloni

New Buildings Built in Traditional Architecture Style
https://www.skyscrapercity.com/showt...22349&page=601

New Classical Architects
https://www.skyscrapercity.com/showt...715624&page=35

Thanks!
I know that skyscrapercity's thread and tend to observe this time-to-time... But most of examples are rather neoclassical or new view on Jugendstyle...

Art-deco seems to be most rare style of new buildings : (