A desire for nice buildings isn't vanity as it doesn't have to cost much more. Unlike Cidex, most of these are replacing all of the existing facades and adding balconies in the floor plan. That's an additional expense.
Ugly is ugly. We shouldn't see new construction any different from beauty challenged 1970s towers we wish to be demolished but, we do lower our standards for new construction.
Cladding is superficial to living space. A developer cheaping out on cladding is also going to cut corners on interior layout and finishes. It's in the hands of buyers and renters to demand better either by not buying or renting garbage or putting pressure on national building/energy codes with more substance.