Acquired Taste

At this time of year the magazines are full of lists: the top ten best films, books of the year, best board games etc. It is a lesson in fallibility to realise how many great products and ideas of their age are now forgotten, and how some that were ignored or criticised at the time have survived and become admired. Think of writers touched by genius like John Keats, or now iconic films like ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’.

Some designs are an acquired taste. Some create a great first impression that wanes with acquaintance. Some do neither, or both. Some become detached from their original purpose or meaning – like the Barcelona Pavilion by Mies van der Rohe.

The point is that buildings cannot be judged like an X Factor competitor. To really judge a building you need to live with it for a while, and place it in the context of your own life. There are no infallible criteria for design – just lives lived for the better.