Board Message: What constitutes a beautiful building?

This question has been central to architectural discussion since the time of Vitruvius, roughly 2,000 years ago. But within the last 100 years, the discussion has been complicated by a newer question: Why should buildings have to be beautiful at all?

In our second issue of The Right Angle Journal, we take an inclusive view of the subject, presenting opinions that are both objective and subjective. We think it’s an important discussion to have right now because so much of public opinion revolves around the relative aesthetic merits of architecture. The practice, study and appreciation of architecture in the early 21st century has become so complicated that in the public realm, the discussion has been confined to one basic subject: how does the building look? Is it beautiful, or ugly, or not worth commenting on?

The public can hardly be blamed for this attitude. Architecture – at least its outward appearance – is an extremely public art form that everyone is required to confront. It can’t be fast-forwarded, like an unwanted tune on a playlist, or deleted, like an unsuccessful photo on our smart phone, or walked out on, like a bad play. It’s just there – for the foreseeable future. If you don’t happen to care for a particular building or, worse, if you find it ugly, monstrous or grotesque (as some people have described some buildings), you can always write a letter to your newspaper, change your route to work or move to another city. Or, as the citizens of Manchester have managed to do with Piccadilly Gardens, Tadao Ando’s only UK building, you can have it condemned to demolition.

Meanwhile, architects grapple with deeper issues. Building programs are complicated, technology is exciting, architecture isn’t just shelter anymore, it’s a commodity, an investment, a brand, an iconic presence, a philosophical statement, the residue of zoning and building bylaws, focus groups. And if it truly is a public art it asks for a moment of your thoughtful attention.

THE RIGHT ANGLE wants to engage design professionals and the public in a dialogue about the things that truly matter in our environment. If you have a thoughtful opinion you would like to express, don’t hesitate to contact the editor at: editor@therightanglejournal.com