70's and 60's the Dark ages of architecture?

Question

Why did architects design such hideously ugly dark lifeless poorly built buildings? Did they imagine a future of dark featureless concrete buildings with depressed people walking around?

I feel every college or city is ashamed of their 70's buildings. Shouldn't we just tear all of thoughs mistakes down?

Also what was with the people in the 70's what were you guys thinking seriously?

Answer 1

Well, believe it or not, a lot of those buildings actually looked quite fresh and striking at the time. There are some buildings that I admired in my youth which look just hideously depressing to me now. It is unfortunate that many examples are governmental or other institutional type structures and so were built with cost in mind and very little attention to detail which, as we all know, is where god is. It is also impossible to over-estimate the allure of a brand new revolutionary building material: Pre-cast concrete. Its overuse necessarily created an aesthetic backlash but in its early years it seemed a modern miracle.

As for what people in the 70's were thinking: God only knows. Personally, I was stoned for much of them.