Dominant Ideologies in Architecture

Polo in his essay ‘The Politics of the Envelope: A Political Critique of Materialism’ suggests that architectural materials of the envelope can be political, carrying symbolic meaning and a reflection of cultural connotations in order to convey a certain message or establish an existing power structure within a particular society. I find this super interesting when analyzing the importance of the envelope of a building and its ability to represent/reflect the socio-economics, cultural identities, technological advancements, and environmental consciousness of a place. We’ve seen the impact of globalization, and how that has led to the widespread use of similar building materials, ultimately imposing a dominant ideology and potentially diminishing the identity of a local culture.