Where I was living earlier this year was near Guildford, in Perth, Australia. Not far away is the old Midland Rail Yard. The site is dominated by three giant industrial sheds built for rail engine maintenance. Internally they look much like any 1900s factory, with brute thick walls to support fixed cranes and fantastic natural light from 2-story wall windows and sawtooth roof windows.

Outside the brickwork is formed into lovely arches with tasteful adornments. All in all these utterly functional buildings are beautiful.

(Only half-decent photo I could find online: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sengster/134135743/in/photostre...)

Today you could not justify the cost. Brickwork of that kind takes too long and so costs serious money; windows like those allow too much heat in. So instead we get lego buildings, giant concrete cubes without soul or feeling.

Where the money is spent these days is no longer on craftsmanship, it's on wanktastic monuments to some puffed up architect's desire to win an architecture award. Go find a building in your city that has won any such award since the 60s. Dollars to donuts it is ugly and impractical.