5 Reasons the Modern World Is so Ugly

A distinguishing feature of much of the modern man-made world is that it is, first and foremost, very ugly: disappointing modern architecture abounds. We've almost ceased to notice how awful a lot of it is and forgotten how much better we can do. Here are five central reasons why so many buildings have gone wrong and an urgent blueprint for how to build the more beautiful world we deserve.

FURTHER READING

“One of the great generalisations we can make about the modern world is that it is, to an extraordinary degree, an ugly world. If we were to show an ancestor from 250 years ago around our cities and suburbs, they would be amazed at our technology, impressed by our wealth, stunned by our medical advances – and shocked and disbelieving at the horrors we had managed to build. Societies that are, in most respects, hugely more advanced than those of the past have managed to construct urban environments more dispiriting, chaotic and distasteful than anything humanity has ever known…”

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CREDITS

Produced in collaboration with:

Noelle Smith Design

Title animation produced in collaboration with

Vale Productions

[Firenze]

In the late 80’s My high school Spanish teacher told us that it was a shame that schools are built like industrial warehouses or prisons, but that we were supposed to think creatively within those walls. She remarked that if we really wanted to change education and the state of the world, schools should be built like cathedrals, with rib vaults and stained glass. Now as a high school teacher I hold similar discussions with my own students.
Thanks for addressing this School of Life! Elegantly stated!!

[koshisunuwarrai]

Why choose between beauty and function ? When we can have both.

[Wokenomics_PhD]

I noticed this when I was still in elementary school. Schools looked like prisons. A place where creativity goes to die.

[French-Kiss]

What has been lost in modern architecture is “scale.” This is a known architectural term. It has to do with size—most importantly, the size of a human body. As a human walks down a street, he/she has to relate to the buildings one passes. Modern architecture has forgotten the human body.

[gildone]

"We have democratized comfort, but made beauty appallingly exclusive". An outstanding statement.

[justinael]

I agree so much. I thought I was in minority. Modern ugliness tires me.

[Tom_Quixote]

Everybody loves to visit old towns with old style buildings, but nobody wants to build more of them. I wish they did. But oh well, there's always alcohol.

[QuestionEverythingButWHY]

“Every society honors its live conformists and its dead troublemakers.”
— Mignon McLaughlin

[aldrinmilespartosa]

Modern architecture is like a plain cake: no icing, no personality, no soul

[Beastnar]

This is an inherent problem throughout the whole country of Norway nowadays. Large and ugly modern apartment buildings with a complete lack of adaptation to existing architecture, are massively being built right into the seafront with extraordinary views, meanwhile they're blocking the views for older and smaller buildings, and destroying beautiful and traditional Norwegian townscapes. Such a tragedy for our country. Thank you for this video, it is very important!

[ericmaher]

There is beautiful architecture of every type, but I think one of the big things we’ve lost is local harmony and relatability, which is ever more irrelevant in an age of individuality.

[claudi]

It's not just the buildings that are "ugly", but society as a whole, how people seem to think and their attitudes towards everything.

[HawkK]

“Beauty will save the world” - Fyodor Dostoyevsky

[MastaChafa]

"Brutal boxes" is a very accurate description of most modern buildings.

[johncox]

We had an architecture student living next to us a year ago. I asked him how much training he gets in aesthetics, to which he replied that he received none. Just build glass boxes and call it good.
I watched them destroy countless examples of beautiful homes and buildings in my home town in the 60s and replace them with freeways, parking lots and glass boxes.

[WisdomWealth]

Our children will one day lead the world, but it is our responsibility to show them that this world can be a beautiful place to live...

[PaperMario]

Growing up in DC, I loved staring at the beautiful ornate buildings. Over the years, gentrification has led to ugly replacements. Buildings may keep a portion of the entrance to maintain historic status benefits, but the rest is just drab and ugly.

[andrewthomas]

I thought it was just me that felt this way.

[AdlerMow]

That's why I really love movies and games with beautiful landscapes and charming character and location designs! We are starving for beauty and nature. Just get a kids book featuring old British countryside: Its depressing how we lack that kind of beauty nowadays.

[iankeith]

How many times have I said exactly this? Totally agree, the world now is an ugly place.