Excess or Disgust: Architecture Between Material Surplus and Aesthetic Scarcity

By the Editor-in-Chief – ArchUp

In the corners of emerging cities, materials accumulate as questions do. The abundance of building materials in today’s markets resembles an endless festival, where materials are displayed not to serve an honest architectural function, but to entice, to shine, and to be layered over the visual memory like artificial makeup on a face without features.

The image accompanying this article was taken in a Saudi neighborhood, representing a common architectural phenomenon: a building being entirely reclad, stripped of its original layers as if undressing a design that died before burial. Following the lines of the scaffolding, it becomes clear this is not mindful restoration, but a superficial dressing of a façade, concealing what cannot be erased: the absence of architectural taste.

When Marketing Becomes a Building Tool

In the past, building materials were products of their environment—stone, clay, wood, and plaster. Today, it is the market, not the environment, that produces materials. Marketing companies convince both owners and contractors that cladding is the new luxury, imitation is the new authenticity, and the synthetic skin of a façade is more important than the structure itself.

While these materials are promoted at local and international exhibitions, a pressing question arises: Are we truly building, or merely beautifying ruins with no substance?

For more on materials and their impact, see the Building Materials section and Material Datasheets.

Boutique Architecture: Beauty Born from Scarcity

In stark contrast, small architectural studios—sometimes just two or three people—create works more honest and beautiful than dozens of large government or commercial projects. They do not rely on material abundance, but on understanding materials. They use clay, recycled wood, or even exposed concrete, shaping them with genuine aesthetics rooted in place, not in brochures.

Explore more about innovative projects in the Projects section.

Shrinking Spaces, Shrinking Architecture

In the 1960s and 1970s, residential space per person in Saudi Arabia often exceeded 60–80 square meters. Today, with soaring housing demand and declining purchasing power, this has dropped to less than 35 square meters per person in some areas. This shift directly impacts material choices: smaller spaces cannot accommodate a variety of finishes, leading to a trend toward “light” materials—not just structurally, but aesthetically. Architecture fades, leaving only the “cladding.”

For insights on current trends, see Top Kitchen Trends 2025: Innovation and Style and Minimalist Kitchen Design Ideas for Contemporary Homes.

Sustainability: Real or Just Green Noise?

Amid global discussions on sustainability, many materials marketed as eco-friendly do not consider the full lifecycle of the product. Recycled plastic may require complex processes that leave a larger carbon footprint than natural wood. New insulation materials may carry high environmental costs at disposal. Sustainability is not about a green label, but about architectural and structural honesty.

Learn more in the Sustainability section.

Have We Lost the Authenticity of Materials?

Natural materials—like clay stone or local wood—are now treated as luxury, though they were once “ordinary.” Industrial materials—like painted aluminum or plastic panels—have become the hallmark of cheap modernity. In this upside-down reality, a central question emerges: Are we losing the memory of architecture by losing its authentic materials?

Previously, material told the story. Today, it decorates the cover while leaving the pages blank.

The Randomness of Cladding and the Death of Architecture

Hundreds of residential buildings in Arab cities are dressed daily in false façades. Once pure white buildings become polished black. They once reflected their climate, now they are “ready-made modern apartments.” This type of architecture is not restored but reshaped by market demands, not by the needs of place.

For more on architectural news and analysis, visit Architectural News and Research.

Conclusion: Material Excess or Aesthetic Disgust?

True luxury is not in the variety of materials, but in the depth of choice. Disgust does not come from a lack of resources, but from their misuse. In an age of overproduction, discipline becomes the art of architecture, and humility in material selection—when conscious—is the ultimate luxury.

Let us not drown our city façades in what does not resemble them, nor decorate our present with shells that have no roots.

Editor-in-Chief’s Note

When I stand before a building being reclad for no clear reason, it feels like watching a painting being repainted in dull gray to please market tastes. The architect is not obliged to yield to the pitches of material agents; rather, they must challenge, educate, and redefine public taste. In Saudi Arabia, we witness major engineering leaps—from NEOM to pioneering projects in Jeddah and Riyadh—but the daily scene in residential neighborhoods does not reflect this progress. Let’s remember: the authenticity of architecture cannot be bought—it must be built.