Abstract
This contribution is the first attempt to provide a systematic study of the spread of culture-led waterfront projects in Europe that are designed (or inclusive of substantial elements designed) by major transnational firms, often labelled as star architects. We introduce a new method for mapping transnational projects and firms, including a database covering design firms and details of their completed projects within the period 1990–2015. After describing the trajectories of such projects in Europe, this contribution traces the spread of star architecture projects before and after the opening of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao in 1997, one of the most reputed case of this kind, namely, a star architecture project for a cultural facility that is the centrepiece of a larger waterfront redevelopment master plan. By focusing on five case studies of similar projects being completed from the early 1990s to the mid-2010s (in Genoa, London, Oslo, Reykjavik and Lyon), we argue that, despite the spread of the belief in the regenerative power of single star architecture buildings (i.e., so-called “Bilbao effect”), the effects of such projects depend on a wider set of urban planning and policy actions. In addition, we observe that the spread might be due to the political legitimisation of projects in similar urban and planning conditions rather than the mere transfer of the same scheme.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
The collection of projects is based on buildings (singular or complexes), landscape designs (e.g. parks) and infrastructures (e.g. bridges), excluding master plans, as they require different and more complex data, small-scale and generic projects, interior designs and small refurbishments.
- 2.
We have used multiple sources in order to have the most accurate filter regarding the proximity of projects to water bodies: rivers (retrieved from http://www.naturalearthdata.com/downloads/10m-physical-vectors/10m-rivers-lake-centerlines), lakes and inland water bodies (retrieved from WISE, water information system for Europe: https://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/data/wise-wfd-spatial), while for the coastline, we used the Environmental European Agency data (https://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/data/eea-coastline-for-analysis-1)
- 3.
The 1990 World Cup in Italy set an important base for an influx of visitors; 2 years later, the city organised an international exhibition celebrating the Christopher Columbus Quincentenary (Expo ‘92); in 2001, Genoa hosted the G8 summit, channelling the state allocated funds into an extensive programme to upgrade public spaces; the city shared the title of the European Capital of Culture in 2004 with the French city of Lille (Fedeli and Gastaldi 2004).
- 4.
- 5.
Cultural buildings such as Tate Modern, the Hayward Gallery, Royal Festival Hall and Rambert Dance Company headquarters and the National Theatre.
- 6.
Retrieved from https://www.archdaily.com/440/oslo-opera-house-snohetta
- 7.
- 8.
- 9.
- 10.
- 11.
- 12.
Examples of some buildings in this area are the Lyon Confluence Housing complex designed by Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas, the Ycone building by Jean Nouvel and the Confluences Museum by Coop Himmelb(l)au, which is dedicated to science and society.
- 13.
References
Akhavan M (2015) Port development and port-city interface dynamics. Unpublished PhD dissertation, Politecnico di Milano. https://www.politesi.polimi.it/handle/10589/102901
Bobbio R (2005) Complessità di rapporti e iniziative di integrazione fra la città e il porto di Genova. Portus 10:35–41
Carmona M, Wunderlich FM (2012) Capital spaces: the multiple complex public spaces of a global city. Routledge, London
Carpenter J, Verhage R (2014) Lyon city profile. Cities 38:57–68
Castells M (1996) The rise of the network society. Blackwell, Oxford
City of Oslo (2004) “The Fjord City”- the plans for urban development of the waterfront. Agency for Planning and Building Service. 81.47.175.201/plalitoral/SIGlitoral/altresplans/oslowaterfront.pdf
Clark TN (ed) (2004) The city as an entertainment machine. Elsevier, Amsterdam
Czarniawska B (2002) A tale of three cities: or the glocalization of city management. Oxford University Press, Oxford
Dean C, Donnellan C, Pratt AC (2010) Tate Modern: pushing the limits of regeneration. City Cult Soc 1(2):79–87
Evans G (2003) Hard-branding the cultural city – from Prado to Prada. Int J Urban Reg Res 27(2):417–440
Faulconbridge JR (2010) Global architects: learning and innovation through communities and constellations of practice. Environ Plan A 42(12):2842–2858
Fedeli V, Gastaldi F (2004) Pratiche strategiche di pianificazione. Riflessioni a partire da nuovi spazi urbani in costruzione. Franco Angeli, Milan
Gonzalez S (2011) Bilbao and Barcelona “in motion”: how urban regeneration models “travel” and mutate in global flows of policy tourism. Urban Stud 48(7):1397–1418
Guggenheim M, Söderström O (2010) Re-shaping cities: how global mobility transforms architecture and urban form. Routledge, London
Gutman R (1988) Architectural practice: a critical view. Princeton Architectural Press, New York
Harvey D (1989) From managerialism to entrepreneurialism: the transformation in urban governance in late capitalism., Geografiska Annaler. Series B, Human Geography 71(1):3-17
Hayes D (2009) From dome to dome: exploring cultural flagships and their contribution to achieving regeneration goals. In: Kent T, Brown R (eds) Flagship marketing: concepts and places. Routledge, London, pp 91–106
Hofseth M (2008) The new opera house in Oslo–a boost for urban development? Urban Res Pract 1(1):101–103
Jóhannesson B (2013) Now you have one more excuse to come to Iceland! Iceland Issues and Images 8(1):36
Kloosterman RC (2010) Building a career: labour practices and cluster reproduction in Dutch architectural design. Reg Stud 44(7):859–871
Knox PL, Taylor PJ (2005) Toward a geography of the globalization of architecture office networks. J Archit Educ 58(3):23–32
Konior A (2018) The revitalization of the Old Harbor in Reykjavik by a cultural economy. Space Cult (online first):1–15
Malone P (1996) City, capital and water. Routledge, London/New York
Marshall R (2001) Waterfronts in post-industrial cities. Spon Press, London
McCann E (2011) Urban policy mobilities and global circuits of knowledge: toward a research agenda. Ann Assoc Am Geogr 101(1):107–130
McNeill D, Tewdwr-Jones M (2003) Architecture, banal nationalism and reterritorialization. Int J Urban Regional Res 27(3):736–743
Nastasi M, Ponzini D (2018) Towards a photographic urbanism? Images iconizing cities and swaying urban transformation. In: Lindner C, Meissner M (eds) The Routledge companion to urban imaginaries. Routledge, London, pp 217–231
Ockman J (2004) New politics of the spectacle: ‘Bilbao’ and the global imagination. In: Lasansky D, McClaren B (eds) Architecture and tourism: perception, performance and place. Berg, Oxford, pp 227–240
Olds K (2001) Globalization and urban change: capital, culture, and Pacific Rim mega-projects. Oxford University Press, Oxford
Palermo PC, Ponzini D (2015) Place-making and urban development: new challenges for contemporary planning and design. Routledge, London
Ponzini D (2010) Bilbao effects and narrative defects. Cahiers de Recherche du Programme Villes & Territoires. http://blogs.sciences-po.fr/recherche-villes/files/2010/08/Ponzini-Bilbao-Effects-and-Narrative-Defects.pdf
Ponzini D (2012) Competing cities and spectacularizing urban landscapes. In: Anheier HK, Isar YR, Hoelscher M (eds) Cities, cultural policy and governance. Sage, London, pp 99–110
Ponzini D, Manfredini F (2017) New methods for studying transnational architecture and urbanism: a primer. Territorio 80:97–110.
Ponzini D, Nastasi M (2016) Starchitecture: scenes, actors, and spectacles in contemporary cities. Monacelli Press, New York
Ponzini D, Manfredini F, Akhavan M (2018) Transnational architecture and urbanism: outlining and testing a new method for studying the global mobilities of projects and designers. Paper submitted for publication 2019- under review at time of print.
Rybczynski W (2002) The Bilbao effect. Atl Mon 290(2):138–142
Shin N (2015) Lyon’s new Musée Des Confluences. https://coolhunting.com/culture/lyon-musee-des-confluences-science-museum/
Sklair L (2005) The transnational capitalist class and contemporary architecture in globalizing cities. Int J Urban Regional Res 29(3):485–500
Sklair L (2017) The icon project: architecture, cities, and capitalist globalization. Oxford University Press, Oxford
Smith A, von Krogh Strand I (2011) Oslo’s new Opera House: cultural flagship, regeneration tool or destination icon? Eur Urban Regional Studies 18(1):93–110
Statsbygg (2005) New Opera House. Oslo, November
Urry J (2000) Sociology beyond societies: mobilities for the twenty-first century. Routledge, New York
Urry J (2007) Mobilities. Wiley, London
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Appendix
Appendix
List of projects for cultural facilities along the waterfront completed by strong-idea firms between 1990 and 2015
Project name | Firm | City | Country | Year of completion | Working abroad | Waterbody |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Porto Antico | Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW) | Genoa | Italy | 1992 | N | Coastline |
Groninger Museum – The East Pavilion | Coop Himmelb(l)au | Groningen | The Netherlands | 1994 | N | Zuiderhaven |
Domus: La Casa del Hombre | Arata Isozaki & Associates | La Coruña | Spain | 1995 | Y | Coastline |
French National Library | Dominique Perrault Architecture | Paris | France | 1995 | N | River Seine |
Museum Jean Tinguely | Mario Botta | Basel | Switzerland | 1996 | N | River Rhine |
SECC Conference Centre | Foster + Partners | Glasgow | United Kingdom | 1997 | N | River Clyde |
Guggenheim Museum | Gehry Partners LLP | Bilbao | Spain | 1997 | Y | Nervión |
Jersey Cafe | aLL Design | St Helier | United Kingdom | 1997 | N | Coastline |
NEMO (National Center for Science and Technology) | Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW) | Amsterdam | The Netherlands | 1997 | Y | Oosterdok |
River & Rowing Museum | David Chipperfield Architects | Henley-on-Thames | United Kingdom | 1998 | N | River Thames |
Tate Gallery | Michael Wilford & Partners | Liverpool | United Kingdom | 1998 | Y | Coastline |
Küppersmühle Museum, Grothe Collection | Herzog & de Meuron | Duisburg | Germany | 1999 | Y | Lake Ruhr |
Malmö City Library | Henning Larsen Architects | Malmö | Sweden | 1999 | Y | Coastline |
Millennium Experience | Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners (RSHP) | London | United Kingdom | 1999 | N | River Thames |
Culture and Convention Center | Ateliers Jean Nouvel | Lucerne | Switzerland | 2000 | Y | Lake Lucerne |
Palais de Justice | Ateliers Jean Nouvel | Nantes | France | 2000 | N | River Loire |
Tate Modern | Herzog & de Meuron | London | United Kingdom | 2000 | Y | River Thames |
The Lowry | Michael Wilford & Partners | Salford | United Kingdom | 2000 | Y | Manchester Ship Canal |
Imperial War Museum North | Studio Libeskind | Manchester | United Kingdom | 2001 | Y | Manchester Ship Canal |
The HydraPier Pavilion | Asymptote Architect | Haarlemmermeer | The Netherlands | 2002 | Y | Westeinderplassen Lake |
Adan Martin Auditorio de Tenerife | Santiago Calatrava | Tenerife | Spain | 2003 | Y | Coastline |
Laban Dance Centre | Herzog & de Meuron | London | United Kingdom | 2003 | Y | Lake Thames |
Wismar Technology Centre | Ateliers Jean Nouvel | Wismar | Germany | 2003 | Y | Coastline |
A.P. Moller Maersk – Extension of Headquarters | Henning Larsen Architects | Copenhagen | Denmark | 2004 | N | Coastline |
Danish Jewish Museum | Studio Libeskind | Copenhagen | Denmark | 2004 | Y | Coastline |
IT University of Copenhagen | Henning Larsen Architects | Copenhagen | Denmark | 2004 | N | Coastline |
Pavilion in Viana do Castelo | Souto de Moura | Viana do Castelo | Portugal | 2004 | N | Coastline |
The Sage Gateshead | Foster + Partners | Gateshead | United Kingdom | 2004 | N | River Tyne |
Copenhagen opera house | Henning Larsen Architects | Copenhagen | Denmark | 2005 | N | Coastline |
Institute, Centre d’Interpretation du Canal de Bourgogne | Shigeru Ban Architects | Pouilly-en-Auxois | France | 2005 | Y | Canal de Bourgogne |
Nobel Peace Center | David Adjaye | Oslo | Norway | 2005 | Y | Coastline |
America’s Cup Building (Veles e Veints) | David Chipperfield Architects | Valencia | Spain | 2006 | Y | Coastline |
De Kunstlinie Theater & Cultural Center | SANAA | Almere | The Netherlands | 2006 | Y | Weerwater |
Mercedes-Benz Museum | UN Studio | Stuttgart | Germany | 2006 | Y | River Neckar |
Museum Du Quai Branly | Ateliers Jean Nouvel | Paris | France | 2006 | N | River Seine |
Am Kupfergraben 10 | David Chipperfield Architects | Berlin | Germany | 2007 | Y | Lake Spree |
Petter Dass Museum | Snohetta | Alstahaug | Norway | 2007 | N | Coastline |
Arp Museum | RMJM | Remagen | Germany | 2008 | Y | River Rhine |
Biblioteca Municipal de Viana do Castelo | Álvaro Siza | Viana do Castelo | Portugal | 2008 | N | Coastline |
Bridge Pavilion | Zaha Hadid Architects | Zaragoza | Spain | 2008 | Y | River Ebro |
Norwegian National Opera and Ballet | Snohetta | Oslo | Norway | 2008 | N | Coastline |
Agora – Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias | Santiago Calatrava | Valencia | Spain | 2009 | Y | Coastline |
Copenhagen Concert Hall | Ateliers Jean Nouvel | Copenhagen | Denmark | 2009 | Y | Coastline |
Neues Museum | David Chipperfield Architects | Berlin | Germany | 2009 | Y | Lake Spree |
Champalimaud Centre | Charles Correa | Lisbon | Portugal | 2010 | Y | Coastline |
ExCel Phase II | Grimshaw Architects | London | United Kingdom | 2010 | N | Lake Thames |
Grand Canal Theatre | Studio Libeskind | Dublin | Ireland | 2010 | Y | Coastline |
Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre | Henning Larsen Architects | Reykjavik | Iceland | 2011 | Y | Coastline |
Riverside Museum | Zaha Hadid Architects | Glasgow | United Kingdom | 2011 | N | River Clyde |
Megaron Concert Hall | Arata Isozaki & Associates | Thessaloniki | Greece | 2011 | Y | Coastline |
Turner Contemporary | David Chipperfield Architects | Margate | United Kingdom | 2011 | N | Coastline |
The Hepworth Wakefield | David Chipperfield Architects | Wakefield | United Kingdom | 2011 | N | River Calder |
Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art | Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW) | Oslo | Norway | 2012 | Y | Coastline |
The SSE Hydro | Foster + Partners | Glasgow | United Kingdom | 2012 | N | River Clyde |
The Cutty Sark Conservation Project | Grimshaw Architects | London | United Kingdom | 2012 | N | River Thames |
Genoa New Cetaceans Pavilion | Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW) | Genoa | Italy | 2013 | N | Coastline |
House of Music Ii | Coop Himmelb(l)au | Aalborg | Denmark | 2014 | Y | Coastline |
ICE Krakow Congress Centre | Arata Isozaki & Associates | Krakow | Poland | 2014 | Y | River Vistula |
Musée des Confluences | Coop Himmelb(l)au | Lyon | France | 2014 | Y | Rive Rhone and River Saone |
SDU University of Southern Denmark – Campus Kolding | Henning Larsen Architects | Kolding | Denmark | 2014 | N | Coastline |
Väven | Snohetta | Umeå | Sweden | 2014 | Y | River Ume |
Yacht Club de Monaco | Foster + Partners | Monaco | Monaco | 2014 | Y | Coastline |
Theatre Spijkenisse | UNStudio | Spijkenisse | The Netherlands | 2014 | N | Oude Haven |
Tate Modern Switch House | Herzog & de Meuron | London | United Kingdom | 2015 | Y | River Thames |
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Ponzini, D., Akhavan, M. (2020). Star Architecture Spreads in Europe: Culture-Led Waterfront Projects Between 1990 and 2015. In: Alaily-Mattar, N., Ponzini, D., Thierstein, A. (eds) About Star Architecture. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-23925-1_6
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-23925-1_6
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-23924-4
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-23925-1
eBook Packages: Literature, Cultural and Media StudiesLiterature, Cultural and Media Studies (R0)