The architect Christopher Alexander (1936–2022), who passed away last month, showed us how to reconnect to the world through architecture. His designs and writings offer an antidote to our civilization’s eager pursuit of self-annihilation. Central to Alexander’s theory of architecture is the belief that the human mind instinctively desires to create structures that are not only utilitarian, but also beautiful. In his books, including
The Nature of Order
, he aimed to articulate a
method
for designing beautiful and health-giving environments.
Today, studies confirm his assertions. Architecture is profoundly important; beautiful architecture is healing, and ugly architecture, even if functional, can be harmful. By defending traditional architecture and art, Alexander’s work challenged many
contemporary architectural trends
.
I sensed a sadness in Christopher toward the end of his productive life.
He saw
farther than anybody else, and what he saw was terrifying. He feared that humanity’s self-inflicted moral and sensory numbness would lead to nihilism. He warned of the folly of losing the nourishing sense of beauty. He saw that many of our structures today—from urban complexes, to buildings, to rooms, to windows, to door handles, to furniture—propagate an
inhuman aesthetic
. The massive global economy derives its wealth from generating dead, soulless objects, while at the same time wiping out natural ecosystems. The culture has institutionalized
ugliness
.