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'I don't want realism, I want magic'

3 August 2021

Why do we exhibit an insatiable appetite for property voyeurism and fantasy at a time when young people, especially, are less and less likely to be able to afford housing at all?

Dr Andrew Toland, School of Architecture

In 2014, a Florida real estate group began advertising its latest in a series of luxury condominiums designed by global “starchitects”.

The ads featured photorealistic computer-generated imagery inhabited by rich and beautiful people lounging by the rooftop pool; staring languidly out towards the endless view of the sea from expansive balconies; working out in the lavishly appointed gym.

Its marketing slogan? 'I don’t want realism. I want magic.'

Why do we exhibit an insatiable appetite for property voyeurism and fantasy at a time when young people, especially, are less and less likely to be able to afford housing at all? Why do we love to scroll, watch, swipe and drool over luxury property on television, in magazines and via social media?

Read the full story in The Conversation: ‘I don’t want realism. I want magic’: behind the fantasy fuelling our real estate voyeurism

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