When you get to see something often, they will start to blend in with the background and fade from view. We start to not think about them as much or appreciate the little ways in which they add a subtle touch into our daily lives.
With architecture, the things that often catch our eye are eye-popping monuments and structures that decorate the skies or urban spaces. But there is something to be said about the ordinary architecture with which we get to interact every day of our lives. They too have something to contribute in our lives, as in fact, they are often built for utility. But they never receive particular attention. So here are a few examples of such architecture that go unnoticed.
To appreciate the charms of small structures, it is useful to remind ourselves that we primarily interact with architecture from a ground level rather than the god’s-eye view employed in films and renderings. The architecture of day-to-day urban life is driven by utility and merges so integrally into our tasks that we barely notice it as architecture.
There have been visionary architects who have recognized and celebrated the underrated nobility of everyday life, and there are some superlative little wonders scattered around our cities.
(Image credit: Coyau/Wikimedia Commons)