I've read countless articles over the past few years lamenting the demise of vision, beauty, and risk-taking in modern architecture. Walk through any city today, and you’ll get the distinct impression that every building looks and feels the same. They’re designed with function, cost, and efficiency at the forefront - rarely with the intention of creating something experiential. Each structure feels overly square, devoid of art or greenery, and instantly forgettable.

If we keep going down this path, we risk leaving future generations a world so optimized that it becomes sterile.

There’s a striking contrast when you visit an old city in Europe or Asia - places where architecture still speaks to the soul. There’s a reason people flock to cities like Florence, Kyoto, Prague, and Istanbul. Every cornice, every pillar, and every grand entrance brims with artistic taste. Even if it comes off as gaudy, overly religious, or completely over-the-top, it’s impossible to deny how these vibrant designs leap off the proverbial page. They serve as a bold reminder that art and purpose can coexist, that beauty and function don’t have to be mutually exclusive. These are the buildings that earn a place on your Instagram grid - the ones you can’t help but photograph.

Of course, part of this transition is a response to modernization and the sheer number of people flooding into urban environments. City planners are under pressure to house growing populations affordably, while businesses are constantly looking for ways to cut costs and boost shareholder profits. But I think there’s something deeper at play here. As a society, we seem to be willingly sacrificing beauty for the sake of function. Each year, we lean further into optimization, productivity, and efficiency, pushing aside our innate desire to wander, dream, and create purely for artistic expression.

I see this tendency in myself, too. I often get swept up in “productivity porn” - that relentless urge to squeeze every second for progress toward some goal I set in the past. I obsess over whether I’m fully utilizing my resources, whether I’m making the right trade-offs to build wealth, and whether my leisure time is making me lazy or entitled. But sometimes, in moments of clarity, I realize how shallow this way of thinking really is. My time on this planet is limited, and dedicating most of it to chasing marginal productivity gains feels like a sad way to live.

The experience that sparked these thoughts was a visit to Strauss & Co. for an “Art and Architecture” breakfast. The presentation was centered around the vision for the Keyes Art Mile 2.0 project—an art-first, pedestrian-friendly, super-green space in the heart of Johannesburg. Anton Taljaard guided us through the design philosophy, and with every rendering and architectural drawing, the room seemed to light up. Seeing a property developer so genuinely passionate about prioritizing beauty over efficiency was refreshing. You could feel his excitement as he described how the greenery would transform the space from a mundane urban stretch into a place that inspires—a place you’d feel proud to inhabit.

Of course, the uncomfortable reality is that projects like this require a significant financial position to even be considered. Still, the Keyes Art Mile serves as proof that, even in a city not typically known for its lush natural beauty, singular vision and bold taste can choose to take risks and create something that exists purely for its own sake.

But how do we bring this mindset into our own lives? I feel a personal challenge to step back and rethink how I live day to day - to actively look for ways to infuse beauty and creativity into the mundane. Those of us with A-type personalities need to resist the constant push for optimization because it limits our capacity for awe and wonder. We owe it to ourselves - and our future selves - to live for more than just hitting the next quarterly target. We deserve the freedom to dream and to act in ways that nourish the soul.

Art can do that. Music can do that. Theatre can do that. Even a simple plant can do that.

Start today. Pause for a moment and find beauty in your surroundings right now. Step away from your to-do list and breathe it in. You might just find yourself changed.

I want to live in a world where human creativity triumphs over mere practicality.

If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to the newsletter to get more thoughts and ideas sent straight to you.

The Triumph of Creativity Over Practicality

Where Whimsy Takes Flight: Malo at The Cirk