> To describe a building as beautiful therefore suggests more than a mere aesthetic fondness; it implies an attraction to the particular way of life this structure is promoting through its roof, door handles, window frames, staircase and furnishings. A feeling of beauty is a sign that we have come upon a material articulation of certain of our ideas of a good life.
> “To turn something useful, practical, functional into something beautiful, that is architecture’s duty” — Karl Friedrich Schinkel
Insightful and helped me get closer to articulating what I love about architecture. But sometimes De Botton's style just got obnoxious and repetitive. Hoity toity, for lack of a better way to explain it. Overall though, it's good read.