Why do so many modern buildings look the way they do? Why did ornate facades, local styles, and human-scale design give way to glass towers, concrete boxes, and minimalist forms? And are these buildings truly the natural evolution of architecture? Or the result of a small group of influential designers deciding what everyone else should live with? In this guided discussion, hosted by David Moreno, an award-winning architect, we'll trace the fascinating path Western architecture has taken over the past two centuries, exploring the movements, ideas, technologies, and cultural shifts that gradually reshaped the built environment around us.

Following a chronological journey from traditional architecture into modernism and the International Style, we'll examine how architecture increasingly prioritised theory, efficiency, abstraction, and professional ideals over decoration, local identity, and popular taste. Along the way, we'll ask some provocative questions: Who is architecture really for? Why do architects and the public so often disagree about what makes a building beautiful? And has modern architecture become a form of cultural elitism, or is it simply the most honest and practical response to the modern world? Whether you love contemporary buildings, hate them, or have never thought much about architecture before, this discussion will give you a deeper understanding of the forces that have shaped the cities we live in today.

如今的现代建筑为何普遍是这般模样？精巧繁复的外立面、地域特色风格、贴合人居体验的设计，为何渐渐被玻璃幕墙高楼、水泥方盒与极简造型取代？这类建筑风格，是建筑行业自然演进的结果，还是少数顶尖设计师定义了大众的居住审美与生活环境？

本次分享由获奖建筑师戴维・莫雷诺主持，梳理近两百年来西方建筑的发展脉络，解读重塑城市风貌的建筑流派、设计理念、技术革新与文化变迁。

我们将按时间顺序，从传统建筑一路讲到现代主义与国际风格建筑，分析行业为何愈发看重设计理论、实用效率与抽象美学，渐渐弱化装饰美感、地域特色与大众审美。同时探讨一系列引人深思的问题：建筑究竟为谁而建？建筑师与普通大众为何常常对建筑美感抱有截然不同的看法？现代建筑是精英文化的体现，还是顺应时代发展最务实、最真诚的设计选择？无论你喜爱、排斥现代建筑，或是此前从未关注过建筑文化，这场讨论都能帮你读懂塑造当代城市风貌的深层原因。