The Problem of Beauty in Architecture: An Institutional Analysis

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 con
sidering 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