Architecture of Modesty

Architecture and design are the only arts that are manufactured. Buildings and products have a cash value and so they are specially susceptible to the slings and arrows of outrageous money. A year ago, leading architects and designers were still doing their pimp rolls, chasing celebrity and accumulating false lustre; now there's a New Modesty in the air. Many of the City of London sites that promised coruscating towers of high-concept arrogance will remain muddy holes for years to come.