(no title)
polygotdomain | 1 year ago
>My theory is that neither individuals nor organizations feel comfortable being frivolous or indulgent with their wealth anymore.
I guess the author hasn't paid attention to the rise of the mega-yacht or having personal jets. If you also don't think that the wealthy live in opulent real estate, then I've I'm not sure what rock you've been living under.
What I assume the author is really referencing is how skyscrapers and other buildings are no longer as "beautiful" as they used to be. Beyond the survivor bias of the older buildings that we perceive as "beautiful", a real explanation probably ties more to corporate accounting and business practices than anything else.
The big grand skyscraper for a company HQ pre-dates the exodus of city centers in the 70s and 80s. In the meantime, the construction of these types of buildings is now being pursued by developers, rather than corporations. Those developers have a much different approach to building, which is much more about making profitable real estate, rather than something that's a statement or a symbol. Corporation also needs more flexibility in their office space that makes renting vs owning a much more viable approach to meeting space needs. We no longer need all employees working under one big roof, and corporations are far more likely to have far more office locations than they did.
I also think that the definition of what this author and the one they're responding to consider "beautiful" is largely missing. We still build fantastic buildings, but they likely don't look like they were built in the 1920s or 1930s and may not align with everyone's preferred aesthetic.
saalweachter|1 year ago
office_drone|1 year ago
The visibility is different. The jets take off from a private terminal, the yachts from a private marina. The houses are obscured by trees, and the general public can't see them. There was even just a law passed to prevent jet tracking, so no one knows if a billionaire is taking a private flight.