As society has grown, hyperconsumerism has fostered the mentality of bigger always being better. We need the biggest phone; the biggest meal; the biggest credit balance. We need bigger, grandiose buildings, and we need them now. However, when things get larger, they take longer to create. Shortcuts are taken. Most of the time, it's difficult feel the emotions imbued within modern architecture. Much of modern architecture neglects ingenuity in the creative process. As a result, society loses the novelty of being human.

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However, the emotional capacity of architecture is an art not yet quashed. There are still people like the structural engineer, architect, and artist Santiago Calatrava, and optimism-driven publishers like Taschen. As such, Taschen and Calatrava have debuted Calatrava. Complete Works 1979–Today, a book that depicts the artist's full artistic reckoning, from his earliest concepts of architecture to his most recent. Caltrava emphasizes, “My buildings must serve the people, not myself,” tossing his ego aside to create dynamic structures he believes to refreshing in a society clouded by ambivalence.

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In Calatrava, full double spreads depict the insides of churches, convention centers around the world, and even warehouse buildings, all showcasing the Spanish artist's unique style of architecture that blends engineering with genuine affect. Calatrava's buildings, known for their inclusion of dynamic, naturalistic movement, can be exemplified by structures shaped into wings, or sculptures that curve into lapping waves. The book also includes watercolor sketches— drafts of his buildings—accompanied by multilingual journal entries, allowing readers to peer into his creative process. Calatrava likens the flow of his buildings to that of a human body. No need for soulless consumption. Just gentleness; observation.

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