Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: In this essay I examine the perennial problem posed by beauty as an architectural aim. I argue that as problematic as pursuing this aim may be, architects cannot ultimately avoid confronting it. I then focus on the most general question that this aim raises: can architectural beauty be pursued largely independently of function or should the two aims be integrated in some fashion? Following an approach outlined by Anthony Savile, I argue that the question can only be answered by considering the institutional context of the particular architectural work. The upshot is a pluralist view of architectural beauty, recognizing the validity of Functionalist, Formalist, and Ornamentalist approaches in different contexts.
Author: Parsons, Glenn
Institution: Toronto Metropolitan University
Language: English
Subfield: Architecture
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W6930769485
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