Why Skyscrapers Became Glass Boxes:

A common theory is that it was essentially a plot by modernist architects, who had a particular theory of what made a building “good” — “honest” buildings without excessive decoration or ornament … but this explanation misses a huge part of why this transition happened. Notably, this theory completely omits the role of the real estate developer, who has a greater influence than anyone else in how a building comes together … Unsurprisingly, it comes down to economics.

Takes a while to get there, but was interesting to discover why glass curtain walls got cheap.