A globally uniform aesthetic flattened creative-class spaces via cheap knockoffs.

Evidence

Now online culture flattened these aesthetics into what critic Kyle Chayka dubbed “AirSpace”: identical, polished interiors offering the same cortados, craft beer, and avocado toast served on raw wood tables, surrounded by exposed brick and Edison bulbs. AirSpace catered to digital nomads who flitted between low-cost creative hubs like Tbilisi and Tallinn without ever having to compromise on their faux-artisanal tastes. The accessibility of AirSpace’s aesthetics owed much to Chinese-made dupes—convincing knockoffs of high-end furniture and fixtures that allowed proprietors to re-create the look for a fraction of the price. — W. David Marx, Blank Space, 649

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines ‘AirSpace’, a concrete instance of the omnivore monoculture in physical space.
• ADDENDUM: Directly parallels the ‘Grafting & Growth’ article’s interest in how infrastructure and material culture project taste — here the worldbuilding of the built environment is flattened by global supply chains.
• SEED: Article angle: ‘AirSpace is the built environment of the omnivore monoculture’ — a walk-through of how Chinese dupes erased local difference from creative-class districts.