NON PLACES
EX FIGURA
Contemporary architecture finds itself increasingly disconnected from the symbolic and cultural narratives that once imbued it with meaning. Historically, architecture has served as a vessel for ideological expression, a materialization of cultural continuity and social function. Yet, in the world in the beginning of the XXI century, the architectural object has largely become an autonomous entity, existing not in reference to lived experience or historical precedent but within a self-referential system of aesthetic codes. This shift, reflecting broader cultural transformations, can be understood through the critical lenses of Jean Baudrillard and Anthony Vidler. Their respective theories of hyperreality and the architectural uncanny—offer profound insights into the conditions of contemporary architecture, its detachment from reality, and its unsettling and unprecedented effects on human experience. Baudrillard’s analysis of hyperreality describes a world in which signs no longer refer to an external reality but instead circulate within an endless cycle of simulation. In this framework, architecture no longer mediates between human beings and their environment but instead functions as an image designed to be disseminated through media networks. The built environment, once deeply embedded in cultural and functional specificity, has been subsumed by a system of floating signifiers. No longer rooted in historical or material reality, architecture now operates within an aesthetic economy in which form and spectacle have much more value than substance.
The notion that architecture has lost its connection to reality is particularly evident in the rise of globalized urbanism. Cities today are dominated by architectural forms that prioritize visual appeal over spatial logic, producing an increasingly homogenized landscape of glass towers, fluid parametric designs, and fragmented urban compositions. These buildings, while technologically sophisticated, are often produced abroad, by people who have no local knowledge, regularly resulting in a lack of engagement with their immediate context, appearing as free-floating objects within a media-driven architectural discourse. Baudrillard’s fourth stage of representation—the realm of pure simulation—thus finds its most striking manifestation in the contemporary architectural field, where buildings are conceived as visual commodities before they are even inhabited.
A critical consequence of this transition is what Baudrillard terms the “implosion of meaning.” In the face of an overproduction of architectural forms that circulate primarily as media images, meaning collapses under its own excess. Classical architecture relied on ornamentation, materiality, and spatial organization to communicate religious, political, or social values. Modernism, even in its rejection of ornament, maintained a coherent ideological project based on rationalism and functionalism. However, contemporary architecture makes an active effort to disassociate itself from such narratives, embracing abstraction without ideological substance. Minimalism, once an intentional rejection of historical excess, has now become an aesthetic default—an architectural language that often appears devoid of content, a surface without depth, a formal exercise untethered from existential concerns.
The role of digital technology in architectural production further reinforces the logic of hyperreality.
Furthermore, architecture is first experienced as a rendering rather than as a built reality. Photorealistic digital models present seductive visions of space long before construction begins, often shaping public and critical perception more decisively than the final built form. In this way, the digital model becomes more real than the building itself, reversing the traditional relationship between representation and reality. Baudrillard’s insight that the map precedes the territory finds an architectural equivalent in this phenomenon: the representation is no longer a derivative of the built form but rather dictates its very existence. In such a condition, architecture becomes a simulacrum, existing primarily within the realm of visual consumption rather than lived spatial experience.
Parallelly, Anthony Vidler’s analysis of the uncanny reveals another dimension of contemporary
architecture’s estrangement. Drawing on Freud’s notion of the uncanny—an experience of the familiar rendered unfamiliar—Vidler examines how modern architecture produces conditions of alienation, dislocation, and psychological unease. Unlike the symbolic stability of classical forms, contemporary architecture often generates spaces that resist orientation, producing an environment in which individuals struggle to locate themselves within a coherent spatial narrative. One of the first manifestations is through the increasing fragmentation of the urban fabric. Traditional cities were structured around clear spatial hierarchies, where public squares, streets, and monuments created legible environments that fostered social interaction and civic identity. In contrast, contemporary urbanism is often characterized by discontinuity, where isolated architectural objects stand apart from their surroundings. The experience of moving through such cities—where one encounters abrupt shifts in scale, incoherent juxtapositions of style, and spaces that seem to exist independently of human presence—exemplifies the spatial uncanny. Rather than providing a sense of belonging, these environments provoke a subtle but pervasive estrangement.
Vidler’s notion of “warped space” further elaborates on how contemporary architectural forms contribute to this condition. Unlike the classical paradigm, in which spatial composition was governed by principles of symmetry, proportion, and order, contemporary space is often marked by fluidity, distortion, and excess. While digital design technologies have enabled unprecedented formal complexity, they have also produced environments that resist human intuition. The smooth, undulating surfaces of parametric architecture, while visually striking, often lack a clear spatial logic, reinforcing a sense of disorientation. Instead of inviting habitation, these forms often appear as autonomous entities, existing primarily as aesthetic objects rather than as spaces designed for human experience. Baudrillard’s hyperreality and Vidler’s architectural uncanny intersect in a critical way, diagnosing the increasing detachment of contemporary architecture from both existential and phenomenological concerns. Together, these theories lay bare how contemporary architecture has drifted away from its role as a mediator between people and place, favoring instead abstract formalism, visual spectacle, and mediated representation over meaningful human engagement. This shift has resulted in the production of environments that are unmoored from the contexts of history, culture, and lived experience—spaces that exist not to be inhabited but to be consumed as visual commodities. The dominance of these abstract forms—where buildings increasingly resemble autonomous entities, detached from the environments in which they sit—aligns with Baudrillard’s broader critique of a world where signs no longer reference reality. Instead, architecture has become part of an endless cycle of self-referential imagery, a phenomenon that distances the built environment from its social, cultural, and functional roots. The physical and psychological spaces we inhabit are now a fragmented reflection of the image-driven world in which they are created.
One of the most telling consequences of this detachment is the rise of “non-places”—spaces that do not hold meaning or connection to any cultural or historical context. In Baudrillard's terms, these non-places are, in a certain way, hyperreal environments—abstract constructions that exist only within the logic of simulation, disconnected from the lived realities of individuals. Non-places represent a transformation of space into something that is no longer tied to human presence or narrative continuity. The "place" becomes a location for fleeting consumption, a surface without depth, and a transient environment without lasting significance, such as airports, shopping malls, or chain stores, among others. These spaces, stripped of identity or cultural reference, come to embody the disconnection that marks contemporary urban life. Their role is not to shape identity, foster community, or encourage meaningful social interaction, but rather to provide an anonymous backdrop for consumption and circulation. The modern city, increasingly dominated by the repetition of glass towers, sterile public spaces, and generic shopping districts, follows this logic: it is no longer a place where history and culture coexist within spatial form, but a simulacrum of a place that exists for no reason other than to perpetuate its own repetition.
Vidler’s exploration of the uncanny adds another layer to this critique, showing how contemporary
architecture, in its abstraction and lack of connection to a coherent narrative, amplifies feelings of
estrangement and alienation. The uncanny refers to spaces or experiences that, while familiar, induce a sense of discomfort or eeriness because they are rendered unfamiliar, strange, or unsettling. Contemporary architecture, particularly the more fragmented and stylized forms of modern and postmodern design, often produces such feelings of dislocation. These designs, with their sharp lines, unpredictable geometries, and jarring forms, can confuse the body’s spatial orientation, creating discomfort for the inhabitant. Where classical architecture sought to order space in ways that were intuitively understood and aligned with human scale, contemporary designs frequently resist comprehension, leaving the individual with a sense of spatial disorientation. Vidler’s concept of the "warped space" elucidates this further, suggesting that modern architecture disrupts the coherence ofspace, distorting it in ways that challenge human perception. Instead of being a place of belonging or identity, space becomes an alienating zone—an estranging space that the body cannot intuitively navigate. The human subject is left adrift in a world of abstract forms, divorced from the narrative continuity that once made urban environments coherent and meaningful.
This estrangement is deepened by the increasing dominance of digital technology in architectural
production. Digital design tools and media have shifted the way architecture is created, experienced, and consumed. Increasingly, buildings are conceived as digital models before they are ever built—an experience that often overshadows the final physical form of the architecture itself. Architectural
renderings, often hyper-realistic in their representation, have become an integral part of the architectural process, dictating the direction of design far before the building is ever realized in the material world. These renderings, designed to impress and evoke a sense of awe, tend to emphasize visual appeal and spectacle rather than the lived experience of the space. In this way, architecture becomes less about the creation of spaces for human occupation and more about creating images for visual consumption. These renderings circulate widely across digital platforms, amplifying the spectacle of architecture in a media-driven culture. The building's ultimate purpose becomes secondary to its ability to perform within the digital sphere.
This shift from lived experience to mediated experience has become particularly evident in the rise of “Instagrammable” architecture. Buildings are increasingly designed with the awareness that they will first be experienced as an image, viewed through a smartphone screen or shared across social media. Architects and designers now often prioritize visual impact above functional or experiential
considerations. The spaces that are created are designed not to be inhabited or to foster human
connection, but to be aesthetically striking, to capture the viewer’s attention in an instant, and to be
consumed visually. As architecture increasingly becomes a commodity in the age of digital media, its role shifts from a material practice grounded in human experience to a surface-level spectacle, meant to be consumed fleetingly. The architecture is less about creating enduring spaces that encourage human connection and more about constructing moments for visual consumption, which can be quickly photographed, posted, and forgotten. The pressure to create spaces that appeal to the visual logic of digital platforms speaks to the shallowness of this architectural shift, which prioritizes an ephemeral experience over one that is grounded in human life.
Considering these challenges, it is possible to argue that architecture must embrace its new condition as a media-driven spectacle, a form of visual culture. The justification is that architecture’s role as a cultural and social artifact has been irrevocably transformed in the digital age and that we must come to terms with architecture as a primarily visual, image-based practice. Contrarily, one can also advocate for a return to a phenomenological understanding of architecture—a conception of space that emphasizes its capacity to shape lived experience. Here, the challenge would lie in rediscovering the potential for architecture to mediate between individuals and their environment, in a continuous effort to offer spaces that foster identity, continuity, and connection. It is possible that the future of architecture will require a balance between these competing demands—between the need for visual engagement and the desire to create spaces that invite deeper, more meaningful interaction with the built environment. Whether through material experimentation, the rediscovery of spatial coherence, or a renewed emphasis on the social and historical context of design, the future of architecture will depend on its ability to navigate these complexities, reaffirming its potential to shape the human experience in profound and lasting ways.
EX FIGURA (Barbara Stallone and Francisco Silva) creates experiences and environments that explore every artform and that can drive the work to its most effective result. Merging art, architecture, design, film and music to generate new realities and combining diverse skills in a dynamic environment, to always inspire the next project.