Duck Versus Decorated Shed

I learned about an architectural concept called the duck versus the decorated shed. Most commercial buildings are decorated sheds. That means the building is designed in a utilitarian way and asign is posted out front to tell people what happens in the building. Big box retailers are a great example of this. A duck is a building with a unique design that describes what happens in the building. The theory was inspired by a duck-shaped building outside Las Vegas. It sold ducks. Buildings shaped like donuts and baskets are examples of ducks.