Hearted Youtube comments on The Aesthetic City (@the_aesthetic_city) channel.

  1. Well, at least that means that all the ugly buildings have a natural expiry date, so those "modern architects" made at least one good choice.
    517
  2. I'm an American and I agree 100%. Old New York skyscrapers like the Woolworth building were gothic masterpieces.
    517
  3. As a building designer, it all comes down to cost. I'd love to design an old fashioned building (and do my best to) but anything that can be taken off the design makes it cheaper, so it's a near-impissuble challenge to design a building that maximizes the client's budget and isn't ugly. I hate it.
    508
  4. What I hate most about postmodern architecture is the hypocrisy, especially its terms like "false historical". With this false idea they impose a bad reconstruction of a part of the building, if they are not rebuilding it, they are ruining it. The other term that I hate the most is historicism, but modern architects have been copying Bauhaus for more than 100 years. Modern architects contradict themselves, or are hypocrites, because when they imitate a style they are modern and original, but if an architect wants to build a building with a traditional design is treated as average. The other problem is eclecticism, modern architects criticize eclectisism, but they have been mixing concepts of modern architecture, in themselves they are eclepticists, but when they do it it is fine, if an architect wants to mix concepts of human history they treat him as If you are doing something wrong. The last point is that modern architecture goes against the concepts of the Bauhaus, since many buildings are useless, roofs that retain water, unnecessary shapes that increase the cost of the building, above all they are narcissistic because they design only for their own. ego, the monsters they create are just to draw attention to themselves that's fine. These people are the ones who criticized and demonized as "useless and banal" the sumptuous and beautiful facades of beauty arts architecture. When beauty attracts attention they criticize it, but attracting attention is good if it is to inflate the ego of a mediocre postmodern architect.
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  5. The only people who seem to live Brutalist and Modernist architecture are...architects...who usually live in beautiful traditional period homes.
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  6. Impressive, I wish politicians would follow the same principles when it comes to urban planning
    436
  7. Be original was the worst advice I was berated with at university. Stressed myself out and convinced myself I wasn't a designer more times than I know.
    435
  8. Cayalá is definitely a step in the right direction for Guatemala. I'm from El Salvador and people travel there every week almost exclusively to Cayalá; people travel there because it's a safe, beautiful space. Great video, you should also dig in the history of Zona 4, which was an area close to downtown Guatemala that has been "rescued" with a lot of smaller, more affordable but still beautiful living spaces.
    421
  9. I was in Utrecht this summer for work for a few days. You could see the liveability and desirability aspect just walking to lunch. First, that train station is horrible and uncomfortable. But what I really noticed is that looking for a place to have lunch, you'd walk down the street, and one street would be all the old architecture, and it'd be full of people, and literally the next street would be all modernist crap, and no one was there, you'd just see people rushing to get past it as quickly as possible. Then, the next would be old architecture again, and again, full of people and life. It was such an object lesson in how greatly the architecture affects liveability and desirability. But, we live in such stupid times that people are always making excuses for horrible, ugly boxes, and pretending that's the only choice, when it's not. And worse, is some of those truly hideous buildings actually cost far more than a more elegant and beautiful building would be.
    412
  10. My modernist architecture school shoves the idea of “the concept” on us from day one. Every single building and project must have some hyper innovative, unique and interesting “concept” that can describe the project in a sentence or two. The problem is that the concept tends to be some completely whacky formal move that makes the entire project a gimmick. Something that stands out like a sore thumb. “The roof is lifted 20 feet with a glass core inside”, “a huge staircase spirals around the building”, “one half of the building is glass and the other half is concrete”, and so on. The problem with this concept idea is that the university has yet to justify its necessity in our projects, at least over other forms of design. I very quickly realized what type of scam this concept idea is, when I would observe old traditional buildings and wonder to myself… “what exactly was the ‘concept’ of a Victorian era house?” Or “how did architects arrive to the concept of a Japanese pagoda?” And then I realized that they didn’t. There was no concept. Building was based on function and the vernacular. The concept idea is truly a poison to architectural academia
    409
  11. Saying we don't need old materials and ideas because we have new ones is like to say we don't need teeth because we have blenders.
    405
  12. One thing we don't want to ignore with the restoration of more traditional styles is modern day technology. We are quickly moving to the stage where it would be possible to produce the ornamentation for the facade of a new building in a matter of hours and not months. Bricks might be made of new, stronger materials, glass windows could produce electricity from sunlight and statuary could be literally printed and set into place. I really think we can go big over the coming century.
    405
  13. This is so important to our cities and our lives - great job outlining it all so clearly! I hope to see more videos in the future.
    364
  14. Hi Rueben not only was it great to meet you at IMCL in Le Plessis-Robinson last year, but you have saved me a ton of work by producing such a wonderful and informative video. Instead of a post-conference report, I will just show your video to my team! One point though, "gentrification" is not in itself a problem. After all, how can making a place nicer be a problem? The correct answer is that gentrification often leads to "displacement" and it is displacement that is the problem. As you explain in the video, Mayor (now Senator) Philippe Pemezec and his council, minimized displacement by supporting existing social housing tenants to purchase the rebuilt (or in some cases renovated) apartments. 80% took up the offer (and then re-elected him - why wouldn't they!). So, these families have now moved from working class to middle class AND live in a wonderful place AND have an appreciating asset that their children can inherit. (BTW, I saw plenty of teenagers around the place, but never any indication of anti-social behavior.) Urban planning is not about laying out roads and utilities and managing construction, it is about building happy and healthy communities. The rest is just a means to an end.
    361
  15. For architects and builders, start with: "Building with Lime: A practical introduction" or "Hot Mixed Lime and Traditional Mortars".
    352
  16. I especially liked the conclusion that beautiful places can be planned and created purposefully. France really shows us here how it works. It does not always have to be empty modernism. I hope that this way of thinking about architecture will spread further in Europe. I myself come from East Germany. Besides a lot of traditional and historical architecture, we also have a lot of blocks from the socialist era. They are really nice and cheap apartments! But the environment, the feeling of living and the social togetherness is often much worse than in other parts of the city. I hope that in the future we will plan our living environment more lovingly. Architecture and human dignity really go hand in hand.
    349
  17. This project is an absolute triumph. Kudos to Estudio Urbano for their genius in building human scaled spaces respecting tradition and putting an emphasis on beauty! Fantastic work!
    330
  18. Count me in! I’m a realist painter, and when I was in art school, the kids who were into ugly art and bashing beauty would sneer at me and call me an “art Nazi”. The term, “Kitsch” was used a lot too. I laughed out loud when the man in the video said that he had a similar experience. Like him, I also have a Jewish mother, so it was particularly disconcerting to be associated with Naziism. It’s also ridiculous that people liken the preference for traditional architecture to Trumpism, because Trump himself is responsible for building some of the ugliest buildings I have ever seen in my life — far more hideous than the Scandinavian ones shown in the video. I grew up in NYC so I know. This movement desperately needs to catch on in Manhattan! They also just build too much there in general. There need to be community gardens too. So many buildings that go up in Manhattan should be gardens instead. Long live beauty!!
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  19. I'm planning on building my own traditional neighborhood in the future. Pray for me that I get enough money to start that project :D
    315
  20. I'm glad this is getting so much attention; there needs to be way more emphasis on the physical attractiveness of urban places, especially as we are starting to reconsider our built environment. Beauty matters.
    311
  21. Stone, brick, and wood are S tier!
    308
  22. As a Non-European, there's something about Western (more specifically classical/traditional European Architecture) that just oozes grandiosity and beauty that leaves me in utter awe and appreciation.
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  23. I just searched for Cayala in Guatemala and its utterly beautiful. I hope one day we can replicate that in Mexico, and of course later on a global scale.
    293
  24. This kind of urban planning is what's needed today. It's for a slow paced, allowing people to look around and enjoy the scenery. Like what in video stated, cars are not really allowed inside the city and thus making people walk. It's open enough where people can meet and talk and slow down. People centered urban planning like this is just awesome. I hope more follow.
    290
  25. The attempt to politicise architectural revival will always fail. Architecture is beyond the political, it speaks instead to the transcendental nature of beauty.
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  26. Modernist architecture should already be considered old architecture. We've had the same modernist architecture for about 60 years now. For example Art Nouveau and Art Deco developed around the same time Modernist architecture has so they technically could be considered new modern architecture the same way modernist architecture is considered new. Art Nouveau and Art Deco are a great example of modern architecture using modern materials that looks good. Its very possible. And we live in the best times to do this. We are more advanced than ever and can build buildings twice as fast as we did in the past. There even are robots that can build detailed ornaments very efficiently. Going back in time to copy architecture isnt the best option but it surely is a great start. We first need to get used to classical architecture again and then continue from then on designing new architecture styles using modern materials and building techniques. This literally is how its been done all throughout history. They looked back at the previous architecture styles and improved them with new designs. But the main framework was the same which is what matters. The main design rule should be to use Classical proportions. From there on you can invent millions of new architecture styles. Maybe ive written too much but i hope people will get the point and will try to be more open minded about this topic.
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  27. I'd rather go to Muscat in Oman... Dubai looks pretty boring and bland to me
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  28. I dropped my dream of becoming an architect for reasons shared here. Now at 40, it feels too late for me. I feel personally robbed, along with others who prefer living in beautiful spaces instead of brutalistic nightmares. Thank you for the beautiful work you do, sir.
    262
  29. I am studying civil engineering right now, and it is crazy how much of the lectures revolve around the use of reinforced concrete. I believe one of the main reasons for this is the fact that most people that want to construct buildings are wealthy people, and exactly those people do not think in a sustainable way, since this will not net them the most money. And i worry that since this is the case we will not really see huge changes in the near future. Tho brickwork is gaining a lot more popularity again especially for private contractors, and building with it makes it "only" 6-7% more expensive.
    261
  30. Those ai generated images depicting what Dubai could have been were incredible. Imagine if the UAE had built a city specific to their own culture and people instead of trying to appeal to the world. The people and culture are the soul of a city which I wish the government had cared more about. Arabian architecture is so beautiful. I loved the Ai image of the underground metro too, It was a very nice modern/futuristic touch. I hope those ideas will be implemented to that degree of beauty somewhere in the future.
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  31. Fantastic video! As an architect and educator, I greatly appreciate the content of this video. It has a very important message that needs to be shared over and over again. Keep up the great work!
    237
  32. You have no idea how long I've been constantly checking this channel for more uploads. Please upload more frequently, if possible ofcourse. Your videos are excellent.
    234
  33. Similar development happened on the satellite towns outside Montpellier in France. Lattes, Port Arianne and Port Marianne, exactly the same ideology and it really does make a difference. I would move bak there to retire in a heartbeat.
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  34. Im an architectural designer with a few years of work experience and this video outlines really well something Ive been thinking about for years. That is the topic of why theres such a divide between what architects like and what the general public likes. I do think that alot of architects, myself included, would love to build things that the general public also likes. I think we as designers can strive for an architecture with just as much composition, resolution and detail as more traditional ornate styles while still being done in a contemporary language. But its hard when you have to worry about things that eat up your budget such as insulation, aggressive schedules, building systems integration, lack of skilled labor and artisans and insane construction costs. There has to be a happy medium but its a struggle …
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  35. As a German architecture student and trained craftsman as a painter in the preservation of monuments, I can only say that it is very difficult to relate to classical architecture. I myself have to teach myself everything from the order of the columns to the design of the windows..... If it is no longer even taught at the universities and supported, we will never build and rethink in such a direction. I don't know what it's like with teaching in other countries, but in Germany you're very limited when it comes to classical architecture, even though we've made a major contribution to history...
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  36. Absolute tragedy how little traffic this channel has. What can I do in my city to encourage the designers to incorporate beauty in it?
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  37. This should be the standard thinking for all new builds here in the UK. Create beautiful, safe, enjoyable spaces = desirable.
    218
  38. Why do architects and planners keep having the worst ideas ever and thinking people will like them?! It shouldn't be rare or difficult for people to have the idea to build beautiful and aesthetic places.
    212
  39. Interesting how people flock to places with good architecture and urbanism but we don't build those places anymore.
    209
  40. In my city there is a giant exceptional medieval castle, surrounded by a parking lot... The city council decided to destroy it and replace it with a park, to pave the street nearby and add cycling lanes by 2025. It made me wonder how many more place were illogically designed like this in my city. It gives me such joy when I see cities planting trees everywhere, it changes the whole feeling of a street ! I also love cities that have big, gigantic trees in narrow streets, it's so magical ✨
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  41. Britain could learn something from Germany when it comes to this stuff 👏 We have a joke in Britain, "the post-war 'modernist' architects did more damage to British cities than the Luftwaffe ever did."
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  42. The best design is one where it encourages people to walk and the buildings are pleasing to the eye as well.
    201
  43. Lima is restoring its city center as well, look it up, its and ongoing process but they recently secured a high % of sales tax to be devoted to funding it and a major work to recover a major road that demolished buildings will be restored.
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  44. I like this but to really interest a new generation of architects you have to show them how much freedom and creativity is possible within the traditional styles. Otherwise they feel they are going from one prison to another.
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  45. This brought a tear to my eye.. This is what a city is supposed to be, inviting, peaceful, good for the mind The same thing can't be said about concrete jungles tho
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  46. As an American, seeing this town which was formerly under the GDR be rebuilt, truly gives me hope that the same could eventually happen in the United States.
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  47. I just came back from Austria and I met an Austrian student who is studying Architecture in Vienna. I asked him about his thoughts on modern architecture and why there are no beautiful buildings anymore, he said "A part of the reason is that whenever we (the students) draft old style buildings for our lecturer, it is immediately dismissed on the grounds of it being seen as "copying" or not "nothing new". Then when we draft something Modern, it's approved". Shame, especially since Vienna has some beautiful buildings, as well as all of Austria.
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  48. This looks very impressive, I must admit. I hope more cities around the world will follow this example. @The Aesthetic City: You should check out and visit Selfoss in Iceland one day. They are constructing a completely new downtown in traditional styles called Miðbær, with mixed used buildings. Even though only the first part is done, it already looks very impressive in reality. It's already a very popular place for locals and tourists.
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  49. When I went to architecture school (in the 80s), the word beauty was NEVER used. And the highest praise you'll hear from an architect about someone else's building is 'nice'. Well, psychopaths are 'nice' too, until they get what they want.
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  50. I live in Columbus, Ohio, and I can't really see being able to do this kind of redevelopment here without tearing out half of every neighborhood and rebuilding it from the ground up. Residential areas are so large and badly segregated from commercial ones that walking is totally impractical most of the time. It'd take a hell of a long time and a ton of money to try and affect this change, even if it would certainly be nice to do so.
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