> it's because of the materials, the ornamentation, the history, the culture, the craftsmanship, the uniqueness

Reactions to beauty are instinctive, immediate, emotional. The average person on the street knows little about any of the post-hoc rationalizations you mention.

The topology of beauty has been studied, and we know that proportions are important in art, architecture, sculpture, the human body itself.

It costs nothing to create beautiful buildings.