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Architecture embodies symbolic meanings evolving across shifting socio-political landscapes. This paper investigates the multivalent transformations of Singapore’s iconic colonial landmark – the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall (VTCH). Tracing VTCH’s metamorphosing roles, functions, and identities through historical ruptures like British rule, Japanese occupation, decolonization, and nation-building, it illuminates how the complex underwent profound changes. The analysis underscores how regimes continually reimagined this architectural palimpsest to forge national narratives, consolidate collective memories, and materialize power relations. VTCH’s transition from colonial edifice to a symbolically imbued site mirrors the intricate interplay between built environments and Singapore’s spatial politics. Once symbols of colonial dominance, the buildings later embodied sovereign nationhood and nostalgic roots. Notably, VTCH recently assumed new roles driving cultural tourism and economic growth. Through a diachronic interrogation of this singular icon, the paper elucidates broader dialectics between decolonization, nation-building, and the semiotics of heritage in (re)constructing collective identities. It offers insights into how societies redefine spatial legacies to serve evolving ideological imperatives and identity discourses. Integrating the micro-architectural and macro-national enriches understandings of the mutually constitutive relationships between the built environment, political authority and national consciousness.

Censuses of the world's super-rich now include among their ranks several architects whose personal financial position stems from their status as influential 'starchitects'. We discuss the economic, political and social forces that concentrate fortunes in the hands of a professional elite who are increasingly also members of a global wealth elite. The rise of such starchitects exemplifies how capital flows are generative of subsidiary but important classes of professional agents who have accumulated significant fortunes as a result of city (re)making. Thus a select few in this field possess the kind of 'money power' that is generative of a capacity to direct changes in the built environment. Courted by city administrations and super-rich clients starchitects are increasingly charged with delivering symbolic projects that reinforce expansionary circulations of capital. We develop a concept sketch of how a global cadre of starchitects and their practices are fundamentally aligned with the shift of many cities to plan star-driven vehicles in order to capture capital. We discuss three elements that are crucial in determining the agency of starchitects: first, economic and political constraints or opportunities; second, normative conditions within industry and city institutional contexts; and, third, the important role of professional and power networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the intersection between Frank Gehry’s iconic Hotel Marqués de Riscal (MdR) and the Marques de Riscal winery, investigating their causal relationship with the surge in wine tourism. Using Google Trends data and empirical research, it establishes the influential role of the MdR Hotel in driving positive impacts on the winery and the local economy. Findings highlight: (1) the hotel’s symbolic signaling elevates the winery’s reputation globally, (2) repositioning efforts lead to increased economic returns and profitability, and (3) the transformational MdR Hotel attracts visitors, generating new economic activity and job opportunities in the Rioja region. Insights into the transformative effects of the iconic MdR Hotel on the winery and the local economy are provided.

In this study, we interpret architecture not as a single imaginary stemming from architects and architectural patrons, but as the result of negotiating urban politics and urban imaginaries between different stakeholders, including policymakers, citizens, and developers. We focus in particular on the role of architects within this process as mediators between different stakeholders, who nevertheless have their own specific agenda to pursue. We draw on an empirical case of the Taipei Performing Arts Centre, a cultural flagship project built in Taiwan and designed by the Office for Metropolitan Architecture. Through a review of internal documents, interviews, and content analysis on archival data, we expose the controversy over the integration of the historical 'low culture' local food market into the design for the new 'high culture' Performing Arts Centre. Although the architects imagined and pursued the integration of the new centre into the existing local culture, both policymakers and local citizens contested this attempt. The study concludes that, despite claims from both policymakers and architects of representing 'the people', there were often misunderstandings, deliberate or otherwise, regarding the needs of 'the people' or indeed of who 'the people' are. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of African & Mediterranean Journal of Architecture & Urbanism (AMJAU) is the property of Ecole Nationale d'Architecture and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of African & Mediterranean Journal of Architecture & Urbanism (AMJAU) is the property of Ecole Nationale d'Architecture and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

For nearly as long as there have been urban centres, exceptional architecture projects have contributed to transforming city form and city fortunes. In this special issue of 'European Planning Studies', we focus on star architecture and its ability to contribute to urban transformation, with articles on the phenomenon of star architecture from a range of disciplines. Star architecture is a topic where concerns about place, identity, economy, innovation and communication intersect. In this introduction to the special issue, we overview how star architecture participates in urban transformations, and address how research into star architecture connects to ideas of identity and branding, the media, the economy, urban governance and architecture itself. We also overview methodologies for studying star architecture and urban transformation: the choice of research methods and research approach affects the problematization and the types of research questions that can be answered. Studying star architecture offers insight into disparate fields including network analysis, media studies, geography, planning, cultural economy, identity, branding and spectacle. By looking beyond economic effects, researchers can expand the audience for studies of star architecture, and more fully understand its role in urban transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the broadly held assumption that having an iconic building designed by a celebrity architect can effectively rebrand a place, draw tourists, and stimulate economic activity, star architecture does more than just contribute to the economic fortunes of regional cities. Iconic projects also emerge from and reflect the discourses, desires, and identities of city dwellers in the places they are built. In this paper, we use newspaper coverage of five iconic or star architecture buildings in Denver, Colorado, USA, to expose how architecture contributes to local discourses. What emerges is a complex picture of how local press engage with star architecture projects. Star architecture buildings do more than just contribute to the economic fortunes of a city or region: they also contribute to the mental map of a place, become contributors to city identity, and create opportunities for conversations about culture and architecture, including the basis for comparisons with other cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The term 'Bilbao effect' describes the potential of iconic architectural developments (IADs) designed by world famous architects to act as a catalyst for economic revitalization and transformation within neighbourhoods or regions. Despite the ubiquity of this term, its validity is still debated. Furthermore, research on the topic has relied almost exclusively on individual or small-N comparative case studies. This paper builds on this research by testing the Bilbao effect through a quantitative analysis of 142 IADs completed in Canada and the United States between 2000 and 2009. Using fixed effects modelling, a method that controls for selection bias, the analysis examines the effect of IADs on a set of outcome variables that measure neighbourhood-level economic and cultural changes during this period: population, rent, the number of local arts establishments and the number of cultural workers living in the area. The analysis demonstrates that neighbourhoods with IADs generally experienced more economic and cultural growth than non-IAD neighbourhoods during this time period. However, the paper also complicates these findings by examining differences in how this growth manifests itself within emerging versus established neighbourhoods. These differences are illustrated through a comparison of the Dallas Arts District and Lincoln Square, Manhattan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The built heritage, through the multiple meanings it associates (oldness, architectural, aesthetic, symbolic, authenticity), is characterized by uniqueness and irreversibility, being frequently related to the cultural and implicitly tourist image of cities. Due to the seniority of architectural heritage and the special relations established with the place and people, under the direct influence of the socio-cultural and political factors, it ensures the accumulation of symbols that codify the urban space. As a result, heritage buildings are associated with elements of territorial identity. Visual imagery is used as an argument to support the process of selecting significant buildings for local / national culture. These are promoted among the general public. Most of the time, the selection process aims at identifying representative buildings, a process that registers the influence of socio-cultural and politic factors. This article focuses on the socio-cultural evolution of the Romanian Athenaeum, a symbolic building of the Romanian culture. Based on a rich background of historical illustrations and recent observations, the authors analysed the symbols associated with the Romanian Athenaeum, in various historical periods. The authors used a sample of picture postcards with representations of the Athenaeum and interpreted the information they provided. The key results show the cultural role of the Athenaeum for the capital city, Bucharest, and its relation with the political factor, as this building was selected as the host for important political events with a deep historical charge, most often having the support of national authorities. In the course of time, the Athenaeum was represented constantly in picture postcards, as cultural building symbol and tourist attraction, due to its unique characteristics which emphasize its role as element of urban identity for Bucharest. At the same time, the interpretation of visual imagery allowed the decoding of the symbols and identification of the identity narrative and politics built around the Athenaeum, which, through the interactions generated by the socio-cultural and political plans, confer it the quality of symbolic building for the national and European culture.

This article focuses on sustainable development practices used by two major European ports, Antwerp (Belgium) and Hamburg (Germany). The main idea of this research is to analyze which sustainable projects are included in the ports’ activities. One of the main assumptions relies on the possibility of iconic architecture to promote sustainable ideas through city branding. Thus, special attention is given to how iconic buildings construct the connection between can facilitate city branding through sustainable solutions. Urban landmarks are considered an instrument of city branding and a tool for promoting sustainable solutions. The Hamburg Port case and its iconic building, the Elb Philarmonie, and the Antwerp Port case and its iconic building, the Port Authority Building, are analyzed.

Urban scholars have devoted significant attention to the "cultural city," but less attention has been paid to how different forms of culture relate to each other and to the larger urban environment. In this article, we compare two quintessential forms of culture-led urbanization that represent opposite ends on a spectrum: iconic architecture and neo-bohemia. While iconic architecture is a "top-down" approach to culture involving large budgets, elite "starchitects," and powerful clients, neo-bohemia tends to be a "bottom-up" phenomenon formed as individual artists gravitate toward particular neighborhoods, establishing arts scenes. Using a combination of neighborhood case studies and national-level quantitative analysis, we investigate the ecological relationship between these two phenomena. In doing so, we provide new insights into the geographic and social structure of the cultural city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rebranding strategies are fundamental to counteracting economic degeneration and improving inter-city competitiveness of urban areas. Iconic architecture is often associated with brand identity in this context. The article outlines three key approaches: market-led, top-down, and flagship rebranding strategies, each with an accompanying unique architectural precedent: Titanic Belfast, Northern Ireland; Turner Contemporary, Margate, England; and Guggenheim Bilbao, Spain. Addressing the reasons for deterioration and investigating the rebranding strategy of each case study, involving the impact of socioeconomic phenomena such as deindustrialisation, globalisation, and gentrification, allows their distinct architectural significance and overall efficacy to be critically assessed. Ultimately, it is concluded that top-down rebranding strategies are comprehensively the most effective and sustainable.

Copyright of Pixo: Revista de Arquitetura Cidade e Contemporaneidade is the property of Pixo Revista de Arquitetura Cidade e Contemporaneidade and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The Burrell Collection, which opened in 1984, was built to display and house the fine and decorative art collection given to the City of Glasgow by the ship owner, politician and philanthropist Sir William Burrell. The building design was chosen via a competition in the 1970s, with the structure fully listed in the early twenty-first century. It is one of the best examples of late twentieth-century architecture in Scotland. Despite its relatively young age, the building now requires major refurbishment, and the collection has been removed ahead of a planned redisplay and re-installation in 2020–21. The Burrell Renaissance Project has provided the opportunity to examine the relationships between the objects, the building and the public. When the Burrell Collection first opened the important relationship was that between the objects and the building, with the structure including specific design solutions for the collection. During the Burrell Renaissance Project this has been broadened to emphasise the relationships of the public to the building as well as the collection. For conservation staff, this has meant an evaluation of how the building and collection had been related, the re-examining of the methods of display, treatment, installation and maintenance, development of new methods and an acknowledgement of conservators' own emotional relationship with the objects in their care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deindustrialized cities often struggle with developing a new economic base and place-based identity while also honouring the memory of the industrial past. In this process, local governments have used cultural branding and iconic architecture to present their city as a tourist destination and attractive location for capital investment. Such regeneration strategies have been critiqued as elite projects, divorced from a local sense of place and the everyday realities of residents experiencing 'industrial ruination'. Yet, this need not always be the case. Focusing on one example of iconic architecture – the spectacular remaking of the railway station of Heerlen, a Dutch former coal-mining town – this article argues that middle-class memories of industrial Heerlen informed both the genesis of this project and its polarized reception by residents. The article demonstrates the linkages between historical and contemporary class divisions, resulting in a complex politics of memory at play within regeneration strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To date, the story of architectural production in 21st century China has focused on institutions and actors in an ever-globalizing system of practice [1–4]. This worthy approach nevertheless obscures opposite yet equally significant trends, namely the localization of architectural products. Architectural practices are indeed becoming more global, and yet their work is—with notable exceptions—more frequently convicted of a necessity for localization, such that two buildings designed by an American firm, one in California and the other in Shanghai, should not be indistinguishable from each other. Thus, a more complete telling of this story demands an investigation of how the local and the national are represented materially in work that is, structurally, international. Through a close reading of several iconic buildings in China designed by international architects, this contribution proposes a framework for categorizing localization strategies. In addition, it investigates the origins of the localization imperative both in general and specific to China. These findings amplify architecture’s cross-cultural vocabulary and improve the ability of architectural practices to consider the cultural sited-ness of their work not only in China but around the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a global travelling idea, iconic architecture plays an increasingly important role within transnational urban policy discourses. Nonetheless, the locally specific geographies of governmental rationalities and technologies often remain vague and inexplicit, although they have a profound impact on the powerful processes of iconic architectural production. This aspect can be made particularly clear with regard to the case study of Hamburg’s Elbe Philharmonic Hall – the new iconic concert hall on Hamburg’s redeveloped waterfront. Thus, the case study on hand emphasises the locally distinct ways in which place-specific ‘arts of government’ are tied to contemporary processes of neoliberal urbanisation. Drawing on the Foucauldian notion of governmentality, the paper first lays open the contingent rationalities of the Elbe Philharmonic Hall project and discloses how fundamental transformations within geopolitical and geo-economic discourses gave rise to local policy objectives that emphasise the need to translate Hamburg’s urban change into an ‘adequate’ urbanistic shape. Second, the paper reflects on how place-specific discourses and practices of civic commitment and patronage become instrumentalised for the public legitimation and political enforcement of the project and thus become integral parts of a post-political regime of neoliberal governmentality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on the literature of post-politics and post-democracy, the literature of neoliberalism as mode of governance and the study of the city of Valencia's long-standing emphasis on the development of prestige mega-projects of iconic architecture as a means to achieve economic regeneration and urban revitalisation, this paper evaluates the social and economic effects of urban mega-projects and analyses them as conduits of neoliberal globalisation and de-politicisation of the public sphere. On the one hand, an urban policy based on the use of mega-projects represents a turn from welfarism to entrepreneurialism which, beyond the evident urban transformation and re-imaging, results in an increase in social inequality, the creation of precarious jobs, and an underinvestment in social services. On the other hand, the mechanisms used to implement mega-projects - including both exceptionality measures and privatisation of management through the creation of semi-public delivery bodies - result in a lack of transparency and democratic control, which in turn lead to more authoritative and privatised forms of decision-making. Moreover, mega-projects - through their focus on expertise and technocracy and a populist politics and discourse constructed around them - play a crucial role in the erosion of democracy and the establishment of a consensual politics where ideological struggle does not exist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In recent years, Dutch architect Maurice Nio has built an array of projects in the Netherlands, which have generally been considered within the spectrum of the Superdutch phenomenon, and more broadly, within Iconic Architecture. Seemingly, to his Dutch colleagues, Nio's work is on the track of liberating architecture from the burden of cultural responsibilities (Ibelings Supermodernism: Architecture in the age of globalization: Nai Uitgevers Pub, 1998), yet it evinces significant differences from other work in that vein. Methods: Nio's projects are compared with Jencks' phenomenology of iconic architecture (Jencks The iconic building: Rizzoli New York, 2005), in order to demonstrate the importance and peculiarity of Nio's work within the context of Iconic Architecture and the Superdutch period, and the extent to which his work can be considered different. Results: This article argues that Nio's architecture is not based on the production of outstanding shapes (Lootsma SuperDutch Afterthoughts Post. Rotterdam. Rotterdam: 010 Publisher, 2001), or the clever interpretation of a given program (Betsky Reading MVRDV: NAi 2003), but on the creation of disquieting presences in the built environment. Most of his work consists of pieces of architecture each of which has its own name, character and identity and seems to rely on disrupting the expected and disturbing the quiet. Conclusions: This paper examines Nio's work, with particular attention to three case studies, in order to generate a series of qualitative characteristics that define his idiosyncratic architecture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The revitalization of downtown Richmond, Virginia, in the 21st century has been a slow process, beginning in the financial center near the State Capitol Building and migrating slowly westward along Broad Street, the traditional retail avenue of the City. One by one over the course of the past several years, large, iconic buildings have been rehabilitated for new and exciting uses. These buildings have long been associated with the history of the City itself: the Miller & Rhoads Department Store, the John Marshall Hotel, the First National Bank Building, and the Hotel Richmond among others. The Central National Bank (CNB) Building was built at the dawn of the Great Depression and eventually became one of the last Art Deco style skyscrapers remaining in downtown Richmond. Its location in the neglected western fringe area of Broad Street made it the next logical target for rehabilitation. When Douglas Development purchased the vacant building in 2005, they were buying the crowning piece of architecture that they hoped would become the linchpin project to spur the revitalization of the surrounding neighborhood. That lofty goal was not without challenges, of course, and it took 8 years to put the project together and start the building's renovation. The complications inherent in the rehabilitation of any iconic 75-year old building listed on the National Register of Historic Places to suit continued use for contemporary life also clearly came into play. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Culture & Communication / Kültür ve İletişim is the property of Imge Publishing House and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The focus of this article is on the importance of collective imaginaries for urban policy mobility, and on the agents and modes of power through which imaginaries are translated, mobilized and become materialized in specific places. Through the case study of the monumental complex of the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia, designed by Valencian global architect Santiago Calatrava, I discuss Calatrava's mobilization of ideas of modernity, tradition, democratization and self-esteem already present in the collective imaginary of the people and the politicians of post-Franco's Spain to promote his global architecture. In this process, I argue, global imaginaries were translated into local imaginaries and vice versa as they became embodied in persons and objects, represented in this case by Calatrava's figure as a local/global architect and by the architecture of the City of Arts and Sciences. Particularly, I analyse Calatrava's use of the power of seduction, persuasion and coercion to mobilize such imaginaries in order to build his ubiquitous signature architecture in Valencia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The introduction of the Green Deal provides evidence of the UK Government's commitment to improving the energy efficiency of our ageing and underperforming housing stock. However, the issue of what to do with those buildings which for reasons of historical or architectural significance do not lend themselves to conventional fabric interventions has not been addressed fully. A residents' survey was conducted at the Grade II listed Barbican Centre in London, to characterise levels of occupant comfort and satisfaction, to identify any problems experienced by the residents, and to explore possibilities to improve the energy performance of the estate without compromising its status as an iconic example of post-war architecture and planning. This paper explores how occupant feedback surveys can inform the development of energy-saving interventions at an atypical case study site. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Cultural, technological, economic and social phenomena are changing the meaning and importance of different cityscape elements. The article focuses on contemporary architecture landmarks and architectural iconicity. It suggests the hierarchical classification of contemporary architectural landmarks, considering the global urban tendencies and capitalist globalization. The contemporary architectural icons are treated as urban landmarks of international importance. The dominants of cities spatial structure are recognized as other important their hierarchical type. The importance of distinguishing buildings and distinguishing urban details is limited in terms of territory, view and time. Santrauka Architektūros orientyrai dažnai aptariami bendrai su gamtinės aplinkos elementais ir nenagrinėjami atsietai. Tačiau pastarųjų metų miestų vystymo tendencijos, nuolat didėjantis antropogeninių orientyrų skaičius miestovaizdyje bei auganti jų svarba reikalauja atidesnio požiūrio į šiuos miestų urbanistinės struktūros elementus. Straipsnyje aptariamas ikoniškų pastatų fenomenas bei kiti šiuolaikiniai architektūros orientyrai – aplinkoje savo fizinėmis bei estetinėmis savybėmis išsiskiriantys pastatai, urbanistiniai elementai bei šių kompleksai. Atsižvelgiant į pastarųjų metų miestų raidos kryptis bei urbanizuotos erdvės suvokimo sampratos pokyčius, siūloma šiuolaikinės architektūros orientyrus skirstyti į ikoniškos architektūros, erdvinės struktūros dominančių ir išsiskiriančių ženklų hierarchinius tipus. Aptariamos skirtingų tipų architektūros orientyrų skiriamosios savybės. Raktiniai žodžiai: architektūros orientyrai; ikoniška architektūra; ikoniškas pastatas; globalizacija; miesto suvokimas

The UAE and Qatar have been consciously constructed as specialised geographic zones for the global elite and transnational capitalism. Never undergoing a historic bourgeois democratic period and lacking citizenship rights for the large majority of their residents, the UAE and Qatar are not modern nation states. Nevertheless, the Gulf aristocracy is fully integrated into global flows of accumulation. They have adapted their societies at every level – finance, culture, leisure, education, legal structures and labour relations – to create a unique crossroads for globalisation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study investigates the willingness of homebuyers to pay for co-location with iconic architecture. Oak Park, Illinois, was chosen as the study area given its unique claim of having 24 residential structures designed by world-famous American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, in addition to dozens of other designated landmarks and three preservation districts. This study adds to the limited body of existing literature on the external price effects of architectural design and is unique in its focus on residential architecture. We find a premium of about 8.5 per cent within 50–100 m of the nearest Wright building and about 5 per cent within 0–50 m. These results indicate that an external premium to iconic architecture does exist, although it may partially be attributable to the prominence of the architect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying the drivers of actually existing capitalist globalization as the transnational capitalist class, this paper suggests that theory and research on its agents and institutions could help us to explain how the dominant forms of contemporary iconic architecture arise and how they serve the interests of globalizing capitalists. We define iconic architecture in terms of buildings and/or spaces that are famous, and that have distinctive symbolic and aesthetic significance. The historical context of the research is the thesis that the production and representation of architectural icons in the pre-global era (roughly before the 1960s) were mainly driven by those who controlled state and/or religious institutions, whereas the dominant forms of architectural iconicity in the global era are increasingly driven by those who own and control the corporate sector. The argument is illustrated with reference to debates around the politics of monumentality in architecture; the relationship between iconic architecture and capitalist globalization; and an explanation of why these debates are being overtaken by critical and uncritical conceptions of architectural iconicity derived from an analysis of the use of iconicity and similar terms in the discourses of major architecture and architect–developer firms and mass media presentations of their work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cultural, technological, economic and social phenomena are changing the meaning and importance of different cityscape elements. The article focuses on contemporary architecture landmarks and architectural iconicity. It suggests the hierarchical classification of contemporary architectural landmarks, considering the global urban tendencies and capitalist globalization. The contemporary architectural icons are treated as urban landmarks of international importance. The dominants of cities spatial structure are recognized as other important their hierarchical type. The importance of distinguishing buildings and distinguishing urban details is limited in terms of territory, view and time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the challenges face by Western architectural firms in shaping major iconic architectural projects in St. Petersburg. Russia. It says that Dominique Perrault won the competition for designing a stage for Mariinksy Theater but he had met challenges due to financial scandals, missed deadlines, and bureaucratic red tape. It mentions that the design of Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa for a stadium of the soccer team Zenit was modified.

London’s skyline is changing significantly with a new generation of iconic buildings, of which the Swiss-Re Tower is the most well known. Despite the fact that many of these buildings are located in the City (London’s financial heart), little attention has been paid to the relationship between the transformation of London’s skyline and the recent institutional reconfiguration of the Corporation of London, the authority that runs the City. Focusing empirically on the City’s iconic architecture, and foregrounding a period of institutional crisis for the Corporation (1970–1990), the paper: first, departs from the standard analysis of iconic buildings as signifiers of economic success, and sketches a framework for examining the role of iconic architecture during moments of crisis and, second, offers a new approach to understanding the City’s iconic commissions: not as signifiers of London’s international economic power, but as symptoms of changes in the institutions and élites that promote the City’s new urbanity. The article details how the internationalisation of London’s economy after the 1970s challenged the Corporation’s insular character. The Corporation’s resistance to the ‘invasion’ of foreign companies, people and architectural styles in the City in the midst of a rapid expansion of London’s economy and growing inter-urban competition, led to open threats from the government for the abolition of the Corporation. Responding to these threats, the Corporation reinvented itself with an institutional reform and re-branded its identity in the early 2000s as an outward-looking institution, open to London’s new transnational élites. The 2002 Unitary Development Plan that introduced a new architectural language in the City corresponds to the same need to construct a new imaginary identity for a re-branded Corporation. Towering over the City’s traditional signifiers, the City’s new buildings constitute an ode to the Corporation’s new identity and a visual coup d’état against its time-old heritage-oriented planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the theoretical and substantive connections between iconicity and consumerism in the field of contemporary iconic architecture within the framework of a critical theory of globalization. Iconicity in architecture is defined in terms of fame and special symbolic/aesthetic significance as applied to buildings, spaces and in some cases architects themselves. Iconic architecture is conceptualized as a hegemonic project of the transnational capitalist class. In the global era, I argue, iconic architecture strives to turn more or less all public space into consumerist space, not only in the obvious case of shopping malls but more generally in all cultural spaces, notably museums and sports complexes. The inspiration that iconic architecture has provided historically generally coexisted with repressive political and economic systems, and for change to happen an alternative form of non-capitalist globalization is necessary. Under such conditions truly inspiring iconic architecture, including existing architectural icons, may create genuinely democratic public spaces in which the culture-ideology of consumerism fades away. In this way, a built environment in which the full array of human talents can flourish may begin to emerge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]