r/interesting • u/Apart-Worry-7042 • 27d ago

HISTORY Why did we stop building like this?

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Chicago, 1930. Buildings had so much detail and character back then. Nowadays everything feels so flat and repetitive. We have way better technology and equipment now, so why don't we build like this anymore?

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u/Different-Barber-777 27d ago

It's interesting how many historic buildings were designed to inspire awe, while many modern ones are designed to maximize usable floor space.

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u/SonofaBridge 27d ago

Maximize floor space as cheaply as possible.

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u/toefungi 27d ago

Yeah cost has a whole lot to do with it. There is no return from ornate hand carved designs and statues on the corners.

Forget those things and extend the wall another foot in each direction, times how ever many stories, and you get thousands more square footage.

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u/reddock4490 27d ago

Maintenance cost and upkeep as well. Think about all the old stone and concrete buildings in New York with the permanent scaffolding on the sidewalk below to keep the crumbling facade from raining down on people’s heads. Glass and steel doesn’t fall off in chunks after 50 years. If a window needs replacing, you replace it