Samuel Hughes on Hobbiton, Númenor and the Riddle of Architectural Aesthetics

It's widely felt that the British buildings and townscapes have, since the Second World War, become uglier and of lower quality.

From their tasteful half-timbered space station, Tom and Calum ask Samuel Hughes, an academic and aestheticist, about the causes of those complaints. We discuss the inherent characteristics of architectural beauty, the divergence of taste between architecture students and the rest of us, and the future of the British built environment. Are natural materials making a comeback? What about robotically-crafted ornament? And with what level of ferocity should we crush the Nimbys?

We also prevail on Samuel to tell us what Britain can learn from arresting built enviroments of fiction.

---

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit anglofuturism.substack.com