Gare do Oriente architecture criticized for prioritizing beauty over utility

The Gare do Oriente in Lisbon, a Santiago Calatrava-designed structure inaugurated for Expo 98, serves as a critique of contemporary public architecture that prioritizes aesthetics over utility. While the steel and glass forest remains an architectural icon, the station is described as inhospitable for passengers.

Key issues include exposure to rain and wind, a scarcity of seating, and difficult navigation between transport links due to inadequate elevators and escalators. This trend of prioritizing form over function is noted to extend beyond transit hubs to other public spaces, such as schools, universities, and hospital emergency rooms, where human comfort and well-being are often secondary to visual design or ease of maintenance.