Is "individual expression" in architecture at risk?

2015-08-31T15:28:00-04:00

From the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona to the Sydney Opera House, the world's most recognizable landmarks display the character of the people who created them, but can individuality in architecture stand up to increasing pressure from developers to deliver universally popular designs? ...Daniel Libeskind warns that his profession is currently battling against commoditization and a "design by committee" approach that devalues the architect's role.

CNN Style has made Daniel Libeskind a guest editor for a series of articles around the theme, "Architecture and Emotion." In this article, Alyn Griffiths takes a look at "individuality" in architecture, with a general presumption that it's under attack.

While beginning with the caveat that every building is the product of "many minds and hands," the article is primarily oriented around Libeskind's belief that buildings best "engage people's emotions... when the architect's own vision and feelings are expressed through the design."

It's a bit unclear how much Libeskind was involved with the article itself, although he's quoted early on in the piece. "Individual expression is what makes people different from other animals," claims Libeskind. "It's what defines us as a species and yet, increasingly, individuality is a dirty word in architecture."

These are strong biological and sociological claims – with little backing offered. But assumptions aside, is their some validity to concerns tha...

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Is "individual expression" in architecture at risk?