THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS NEW YEAR'S ARCHITECTURE... BUT MAYBE THERE IS

As New Year approaches, the same scene always unfolds: spaces begin to behave as if redesigned by an invisible hand. The light softens, rooms spontaneously fall into order, and an outdoor area that has sat untouched for months suddenly begins to breathe. Technically speaking, there is no design movement called “New Year architecture”; no such course is offered at universities, architectural competitions do not recognize this category, and no one writes a thesis on “New Year Postmodernism.” But here is the interesting part: when New Year arrives, everyone suddenly becomes an architect. They know where to place the lights, become...