Can the buildings around us actually change the way we think, act, and feel?
On The Tim Glemkowski Show, architect and University of Notre Dame professor Duncan Stroik explains why beauty in our churches, schools, cities, and public spaces matters. Architecture, he argues, should do more than function well. It should elevate the people who encounter it.
“I think architecture should ennoble people,” Stroik said. “And it means all people.”
A beautiful train station, courthouse, museum, or other public building can affect us even when we do not consciously recognize why. “You might not actually walk in and say, this is beautiful and this is big and it’s awesome, but you’ll feel it,” he explained.
Stroik pointed to research suggesting that people naturally spend more time looking at beautiful buildings, noticing features such as sculptures, doors, and cornices. He also noted that people tend to take better care of buildings constructed with attractive, quality materials.
Even the size of a room can influence us. Smaller spaces can encourage concentration, while grand spaces can help inspire bigger ideas and broader vision.
For Tim Glemkowski, the conversation points toward something larger. Cultural renewal that places the human person and our capacity for transcendence back at the center of our common spaces.
Beauty is not merely decoration. The places we build can remind us that human beings were made for something greater.
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