Nehaveigur

Movies and musicals are often set during the Belle Epoque, probably because the dresses and houses are so pretty. Even science fiction is sometimes set in a Belle Epoque-like world (Cyberpunk). Returning to Europe this summer and seeing late 19th century buildings everywhere reminded me of how easy on the eye they are.

I’m using the term Belle Epoque since it best describes an era I’m familiar with, but it’s also specific to continental Europe. In England and the United States, the equivalent eras are referred to as Edwardian and Progressive, respectively. Their architectural and design styles are close enough to be equivalent for the point I’m making here: it was a beautiful epoch.

Maybe I’m biased. Not only did I grow up in a country that’s famous for its Belle Epoque buildings, but also I was born and grew up in a villa built in 1908. Maybe it’s just what I’m familiar with? I was therefore curious if there’s survey data on which architectural style people prefer. The closest I could find was a 2020 survey by the National Civic Art Society which found that 72% of Americans prefer traditional architecture for federal buildings.

That this is largely ignored by those who make design choices is not a new observation, but still a puzzling one.