The literal meaning of the Latin phrase is closer to "durability, convenience, and beauty", but the more familiar version is derived from Henry Wotton's liberal translation of Vitruvius, "The Elements of Architecture" (1624):[1] "Well Building hath three Conditions; Commodity, Firmness, and Delight".
[3] While popular again nowadays, the original order of words was modified in 15th century by Leon Battista Alberti who moved the commodity to the first place in the triad.
[3] 19th century brought the new materials and construction techniques that allowed architectural forms to be built seemingly defying the laws of gravity, and societal changes that forced a rethinking of proper spatial arrangements.
This gave an additional momentum to the idea, first expressed in the late 18th century by Jacques-François Blondel, that beauty ("decoration") is the only worthy aspect of the architectural theory, while the space planning and structural analysis should be left to practitioners (and later, to other disciplines).
For example, the system of seating used in the UK House of Commons (government and opposition facing each other) has roots in the constraints of its original location, St Stephen's Chapel.
Some theorists are arguing that due to rapid obsolescence of the modern building, the architects should design temporary structures that are easy to demolish after a few years of use.
In French Île-de-France, with its abundance of high-quality stone that did not need covering, the architectural theory suggested that the structural elements should stay visible.