IA 617 - Contemporary Architectural Icons

Architectural icons, whether they are design firms, individuals or projects, will be examined with a critical eye: The “Bird’s Nest” of the Beijing Olympics, The Guggenheim at Bilbao, Spain, The Burj Al Arab Hotel at Dubai. Through extensive readings by and about recent icons of the design world, we will try to answer questions like: Have they met the standard of “firmitatis, utilitatis, venustatis?” Does it matter? Icons are, by definition, popular. How does “popularity” fit into criticism? Can critical standards be applied uniformly? Do only wealthy and powerful clients build icons?

Credits: 3