There is no better symbol of the prevalent culture than the architecture of the day and age. It is the one element that reaches deep into the psyche of society to manifest the reality of the time; it is actually a visual 3-D picture of the time. Every structure thus becomes a snapshot.

We currently live in a networked society, a fast-moving, cross-cultural, cross-ethnic, prefabricated, primarily service- as opposed to production-oriented, outsourced, virtual, instant-messaging, instant-gratification, monetarily-valued economy and reality.

In a globalized world, we have global citizens, global professionals, global craftsmen, global education, global methods, and a global ethics and morality. We also have global design, and global architecture.

What would be the snapshot today? What does the architecture of the new millennium symbolize and how does it manifest today's psycho-social-politico-economic culture in building materials, design, the process of building, the relationships, the symbols and motifs?

In a fast-moving culture that cannot wait for an end result, concrete is very much the material of the day. An ultra-malleable material for but a short time, it requires fast intervention before it loses this quality. In a use-and-throw-away society that wants something new before it has got bored with the old, concrete is an appropriate material, as it degrades within half a century.

In a society where visibility is rated high, glass dominates. In an insular society that needs a notion of freedom, that needs an expanse of vision from the armchair without desiring to interact with the outside, glass insulates us from the natural elements, creating an inside reality far removed from the one outside.

In a globalized world of multi-ethnic cultures, the most common aspects become the least common denominators that proliferate. Universalization of design thus occurs. This is best seen in the commonality among so many of the structures and cities of the world, be it soaring skyscrapers or flyovers and expressways.

Article Author: Radha Kunke

Radha Kunke, aspires to be a writer, and hopes that her contributions could be catalytic in bringing about positive change in society. She has been in the field of Rural Development for over a decade and a half. She is concerned about issues of justice, equity, and dignity. …

Visit Radha Kunke's author page — Radha Kunke's Blog