In my opinion, there is no specific boundary for what is “enough”. It’s more about sensitivity – a sensitivity that rejects rubbish, unnecessary glitz, superficiality, and valueless consumption.
To me, the combination of excess, noise and complexity contains one major issue. While I understand excess and noise, I don’t consider complexity to be negative. In our search for harmony, calm and what is “enough”, we must not abandon complexity. Otherwise, we are doomed to a hell of sameness, where otherness is treated as a crime and the “other” is seen as the enemy, both in socio-political frameworks and in architecture.
I even believe that we are living in an era of excessive, valueless similarity. Sławomir Mrożek once said that Poles are a nation of herd-like individualists. The same goes for excess today: it’s herd-like, an excess of sameness and trivial consumption. Pier Paolo Pasolini hated television and mandatory education precisely because of his disapproval of herd behaviour.
Szymon Rozwalka, Architect
RO_AR Szymon Rozwalka architects, Czech Republic
This contribution is part of our ongoing survey “TOO MUCH? What is just enough?” where we collect personal reflections on excess and balance in life, architecture and design. We are gathering diverse, thought-provoking answers that will help shape future discussions and content.
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