Architectural Obsolescence: Progress, beauty and nostalgia in the urban environment
In the paper we will consider the concept of architectural obsolescence with specific regard to how concepts of beauty underpin urban development. By considering the nature of progress through an anthropological lens we will further explore how the drive to renew creates a sense of memory, loss and nostalgia. Architecture is not merely a shelter, but a cultural artifact that reflects social values, hierarchies, identity, and collective memory from a snippet in time.
Chapter 1- Progress: Out with old, in with the new
Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you’ve got
Till it’s gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
Excerpt of lyrics from the song Big Yellow Taxi by Joni Mitchell
Architecture has been used as a way to symbolize advancement, civility, or dominance since the Europeans began their quests to colonize the “savages” of other cultures they could not understand simply because they were different. When colonizers encountered other cultures and their building traditions, they tried to push their ethnocentric European views of what is enlightened, instead of primitive, structures on the indigenous peoples, such as in Haiti in the seventeenth century. (Buchli 2013: 21) Social order and morality were tied to social order and morality. Colonial architecture often functioned as a visible assertion of power, symbolizing a changing world in the direction in which they saw fit. (Buchli 2013: 23)
Societies have long defined progress through architecture and urban planning. Take for example, Haussmann’s renovation of Paris. It was a vast public works program directed by the prefect (the State’s representative) of Seine, Georges-Eugène Haussmann, and was commissioned by French Emperor Napoleon III between 1853 and 1870. It was a very controversial program that saw the demolition of medieval neighborhoods that officials deemed overcrowded and unhealthy. They were replaced with wide avenues, new parks and squares, new sewers, fountains and aqueducts. How one imagines central Paris today is mostly due to this city renovation. (Pinkney 2025). Some critics argued that these new wide boulevards were designed not only to symbolize modernity and cleanliness, but to let troops through to suppress uprisings that had been previously able to thrive in the narrow medieval streets. This is an example of the state using urban planning as a form of manipulation of human behavior and establishing dominance.
This is an picture of a society which torn down the old to make way for the new. Although the loss of the medieval buildings was viewed as a tragic loss then, one might argue that if the Haussmann buildings were torn down now, it would be the same type of tragedy, since so many years have passed since they were the new replacement, and would now be viewed as historic buildings themselves. Hassumann’s buildings could also be an example of how demolition and redevelopment reflect shifting social values—what is deemed “outdated” often reveals changing class, aesthetic, or moral attitudes in society. The medieval buildings of Paris were viewed as archaic and not worth saving to the mid-1800s Parisian officials.
In all, progress and modernization can create the obsolescence of architecturally significant works, and create a culture of disposable architecture. This all reflects on changing cultural ideas of beauty as well.
Chapter 2- Beauty
Since the evolution of humans, architecture has been a fundamental part of our development. There are three categories of culture that traditionally distinguish humans from animals; Clothing, language, and dwelling. (Buchli 2013: 28) Built forms are deeply tied to human life and our social nature, making us who we are today. (Buchli 2013: 18)
Our need for a roof over our heads goes back to the beginning of homo sapiens. But what sets architecture apart from a mountainside cave or a Native American teepee, is in its ambition— “not only to accommodate a practical function but also to celebrate, honor, pay homage, and, yes, to impress.” (Rybczynski 2022) Take the monolithic pyramids found all over the world in places like Egypt and Mexico. These were great feats of mankind that have stood the test of time and etched themselves into the cultural psyche of mankind for millennia.
During the neolithic revolution, architecture arose as a practical answer to the needs of agricultural people, who settled down in one area as opposed to nomadic peoples who needed shelter that easily tore down and packed up to take to their next location. Different forms were used for different climates and social organizations. (Buchli 2013: 27) But what does architecture have to do with beauty, and why is it important to the wellbeing and culture of mankind?
“Beauty is, for the greater part, some quality in bodies acting mechanically upon the human mind by the intervention of the senses.” (Burke 1823: 162) It is something quite subjective to an individual’s taste, but some argue that can be quantified. (Zeki 2019: 16)
Take the “harsh” and often “unattractive” architecture that permeates through much of postwar central London and the outskirts of Paris, for example. It becomes evident that beauty has frequently been sacrificed in favor of other, more practical priorities like that of economics. In doing so, these environments fail to stimulate the regions of the brain associated with pleasure, reward, and beauty.
Semir Zeki suggests that there should be a universal sensibility that allows architects to assume that what they perceive as beautiful will also resonate with most people across cultures. This raises an important question: if beauty is commonly understood as entirely subjective, how could a universal agreement exist? The perception of beauty is not as individual as one might assume.
This is particularly true of biological beauty, which includes responses to color, human faces, landscapes, and even mathematics. These experiences are shaped by inherited brain patterns that are largely shared across cultures, leading to similar perceptions of beauty. In contrast, artifactual beauty, such as architecture, cars, or machines, is shaped more by culture, learning, and personal experience, making it more unfixed and malleable.
Research shows that people across different cultures experience color in very similar ways, suggesting that color perception is biological rather than subjective. The same idea could be said to apply to mathematical beauty, since it relies on logical principles shared by all humans regardless of culture or ethnicity. (Zeki 2019: 17)
Over time, buildings evolve and take on new lives. The Roman Pantheon was originally constructed to be a temple, but became a church centuries later. For nearly a thousand years, the Byzantine basilica of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople served as a church before its use was changed and it was turned into a mosque. In Paris, the Church of Sainte-Geneviève, commissioned by Louis XV in 1758, was later transformed into a secular mausoleum during the French Revolution. (Rybczynski 2022: 3) “Old buildings, whether they are houses of parliament or concert halls, not only shape our behavior; they are like valued friends. They accompany us throughout our lives and, even if their functions change, remain comforting constants in a changing world.” (Rybczynski 2022: 4)
Fast forward many millennia, buildings today are built up in much shorter time spans, often with far lesser quality building materials.
There is a conflict between beauty and functionality in modern architecture. Take for example the Brutalist movement, which emerged in the United Kingdom in the 1950s. This was an honest reaction to the economical and state of the UK after the Second World War. These buildings are characterized by a minimalist approach that emphasizes raw materials and visible structural components rather than ornamental detailing. The style often includes exposed concrete or brick, sharp geometric forms, and a mostly monochromatic color scheme. (Alfirevic and Simonovic-Alfirevic 2017)
Modernist and brutalist movements, where efficiency and utility usurped ornamentation, raising questions about whether “progress” sacrifices beauty. However, it is important to take into account that the definition of beauty can change over time, along with cultural and societal values. Many of these Brutalist buildings, such as The Barbican Estate in London, were once viewed as abominations, are now treasured works of architecture that attract architecture enthusiasts from all over the world.
Chapter 3- Nostalgia & Collective Memory
Humans often have a deep relationship with where they come from, and it plays a role in their identity. In a study on people’s tie to place and identity, Twigger-Ross and Uzzell (1996) discovered that place could be used in the “maintenance of continuity of self,” and could also be used to create, establish, and signal new versions of oneself. Identity proved to have the capability to be deeply entwined with the environment in which one resides. There was a widow in London, for example, who continued to live in a certain area of the city because it had a tie to her late husband, and it helped to preserve memories from when he was alive during their marriage. For another, they found where they resided and felt an attachment to was due to a tie to their childhood and reminded them of the experience of being a young person. (Twigger-Ross and Uzzell 1996: 217-218) In anthropology, relationships to place are often understood through the concept of belonging. Identity and attachment to place are shaped and reinforced through social and cultural experiences at both individual and community levels. A feeling of attachment to place does not end at the individual level; instead, it goes outward and becomes socially significant through shared practices of memory and remembrance.(Degnen 2015)
The Walled City of Lahore in Pakistan is an example. Established between the 1st and 7th centuries, this historic city contains memories going back generations. Most historic streets there still sustain a strong place attachment and collective memory. However, the nearby Shah Almi Bazaar Street is set apart for that collective memory, having lost much of this connection due to modernization and weakened social and physical conditions. This contrast between the different streets underscores the importance of community-led rehabilitation in restoring urban spaces instead of demolishing and replacing with cheaply constructed buildings.
Social interaction and community engagement support the concept of place attachment, and marginalization and privatization can erode heritage and local identity. (Zahid and Misirlisoy 2021) Nostalgia plays an important role in the urban landscape, especially amongst residents of cities that undergo significant changes that are hard to keep up with. (Adams and Larkham 2015: 2005)
Conclusion
Architectural obsolescence is not necessarily the inescapable outcome of human’s desire for progress, but the result of cultural choices about beauty, value, and modernity. What do we keep and toss? This is not to say that cities must never build anew, cities will always inherently perpetuate renewal. But perhaps we can stop and think critically before rendering a building obsolete simply because it is outdated, thus killing off a collective memory. Architecture is not simply a roof and walls, a tool to serve a purpose, but something that can foster a thriving community, connection to oneself and one’s ancestors, and history of a given place. Thoughtless redevelopment can pose a risk to heritages and communities. Many would argue that buildings have lived many lives, and will continue to do so long after we are gone. You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.
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