The Importance of Iconic architecture

In the past year, I have seen nine art museums in the United States of America. In each of the nine, not

one piece of art moved me more than the building itself. That led me to question if we are going into

buildings for what they assemble inside them, or are we going to experience the building itself- to ogle,

grumble or awe! Let’s face it- there is much greater interest in architecture in the common public in the

US now than there ever was. To use Frank Lloyd Wright’s words, there is a new “Democratization” of the

“Mother Art.” What really generates this great interest is these new architectural “Icons” springing up

everywhere. Why, even Milwaukee is literally on an international map of important buildings now. We

are in an age where “Iconic architecture” is important to everyone, and where the creators of these

icons are elevated to the rank of “starchitects”. Paul Goldberger says- “We have taken at least some

architects and made them into celebrities about whom we “ooh” and “ahh” rather than really analyze

their work and think about it thoughtfully.” Mr. Goldberger is an architecture critic, and writes for “The

New Yorker.” Frank Gehry, arguably the most celebrated of them all (as of today), demurs: “I don't know

who invented that fucking word 'starchitect'. In fact a journalist invented it, I think. I am not a 'star-

chitect', I am an ar-chitect..."

Buildings, and their architects have played a major role in the history of the world, every once in a while

one is built that changes the face of a city or even a country. Over the years, these buildings become the

icons of these cities. The world would not be the same without the pyramids of Giza, the Taj Mahal,

Hagia Sophia, the Eiffel tower, the Sydney opera house, the St.Louis arch, Burj Al Arab, the list can go on.

These are examples that were built with a purpose more than just the functional, and today have a great

impact on the culture and economy of the places they inhabit. Iconic buildings are some of the most

important architectural achievements man has accomplished. Yet they are often spoken about in a bad

light, that they are too expensive, don’t work, or are not practical.

But what about the practicality of these buildings? The Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao - one of the most

exciting and controversial buildings of our time. It cost $300 a square foot to build, on a $100 million

budget. Today it brings the city about €300 million a year in tourist revenue, has completely

transformed Bilbao – It has helped clean up the waterfront, enriched its neighborhood, and has led to

new public infrastructure projects like trams, and water transport. Calatrava’s Milwaukee art Museum

attracts more than 300,000 visitors a year – In a city whose population is less than twice that size. It has

become the icon the city identifies itself by. The Burj Al Arab, in Dubai changed the future architecture

of the city, and is slowly becoming the iconic building capital of the world. Buildings are often seen as

“profit opportunities”, if it is unique enough, it will add value to the investment. This may not be a

morally ideal situation, where we go for the “wow” factor hoping to make money off it. With newer

technologies and vastly improved CAD devices, doing so is not only easier, but also practical. In most

cases iconic buildings are great feats of engineering requiring immense skill and vision on the part of

their designers. The architects of these buildings are visionaries who have dared to be out of the

ordinary. Students of architecture visit and study these buildings and are inspired to design even bolder

structures. It is after all, up to the architects of the future to innovate and lead the way in the

development of new technologies. The question is - are the people ready for the bold new buildings of

the future?

To me it feels like humankind was always ready for iconic buildings. There was a brief lull in this with the

advent of modernism- creating a sort of gap in the understanding of the purpose of architecture, making

it responsible for purity. Modernism bleached the world of architecture for a little while. We are so

accustomed to it now, that we feel something is wrong with architecture that serves a purpose other

than the functions outlined in the project brief. “There is a suggestion iconic architecture is a pure

resultant of current capitalist forces: but is it not a fashion – like Modernism was – that is interlinked to

the zeitgeist? It is clearly not the only answer predicated by our times.” 2 Obviously there is no place for

iconic architecture on every street corner, no one place needs too many. It does have value when

interspersed with simpler structures. We need to have an open mind about our buildings. With the tools

at our disposal today we are capable of designing and building anything our imagination conjures up, the

sky is the limit. Why stop at anything less?

Pranav Naik

Notes:

1. "Frank Gehry: 'Don't call me a starchitect' - Architecture, Arts & Entertainment - The Independent." The Independent | News | UK and Worldwide News | Newspaper. http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/architecture/frank-gehry-dont-call-me-a-starchitect-1842870.html (accessed July 13, 2011).

2. Welch, Adrian. "Architecture Debate, Iconic Architecture, Discussion Forum, Built Environment Debate." Architecture News, World Architects, Building News, Architectural News, World Buildings. http://www.e-architect.co.uk/architecture_debate.htm (accessed July 14, 2011).

Bibliography

1. "Frank Gehry: 'Don't call me a starchitect' - Architecture, Arts & Entertainment - The Independent." The Independent | News | UK and Worldwide News | Newspaper. http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/architecture/frank-gehry-dont-call-me-a-starchitect-1842870.html (accessed July 13, 2011).

2. "How "Starchitects" Have Influenced What Gets Built | Paul Goldberger | Big Think." Big Think | Blogs, Articles and Videos from the World's Top Thinkers and Leaders. http://bigthink.com/ideas/21034 (accessed July 13, 2011).

3. "Milwaukee Art Museum | museum info." Milwaukee Art Museum | Art Lives Here. http://mam.org/info/ (accessed July 14, 2011).

4. "Starchitect - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starchitect (accessed July 14, 2011).

5. "Top 10 Iconic Buildings | Top 10 Lists | TopTenz.net." Top 10 Lists - Top Ten Lists - TopTenz.net. http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-iconic-buildings.php (accessed July 13, 2011).

6. Welch, Adrian. "Architecture Debate, Iconic Architecture, Discussion Forum, Built Environment Debate." Architecture News, World Architects, Building News, Architectural News, World Buildings. http://www.e-architect.co.uk/architecture_debate.htm (accessed July 14, 2011).