The Rise Of The Starchitecture

A“starchitect” is an architect who has achieved iconic fame in the architecture world. Often used tongue-in-cheek, the term denotes someone who not only is recognised amongst their peers for their work but alsowithin the general public eye.
Why and how does an architect achieve such status and what can we learn from them?

Architects have always served an important place in human culture due to their ability to bring art to our utilitarian society. Before Mies van der Rohe was telling us that “less is more” and Frank Lloyd Wright was refining his prairie style, we had the ancient architects.

Take Imhotep for example. Born c.2650BC, he isoftentimes considered to be the first known architect. As well as being a polymath and doctor, he designed the first step pyramid. Prior to Imhotep’s influence, pharaohs were buried in flat-topped structures called mastabas. Imhotep brought a unique and imaginative solution to burial places of the gods and the pharaohs, for which he is still known today.

Fast forward to the Renaissance. Michelangelo became a star of the art world, but is also known for his dramatic influence on architecture. Michelangelo challenged our concepts of the basic elements of structures. Windows which were wider than they were tall, stairs that were free-standingand decorative.
Starchitects think differently, bringing unique insight and solutions to the otherwise practical and unromantic.

Even today we celebrate our architects who much like Imhotep and Michelangelo challenge our idea of structure, design and art through their work. Luckily for us, many of these architects work with speaker agencies and have taken the opportunity to speak about their work and educate the public and the next generation of starchitects.

Michael Pawlyn

Michael Pawlyn was the lead designer of the Eden Project. Michael’s TED Talk on biomimicry is the most watched of any architect with over one million views, with good reason. Michael speaks of how nature’s 3.6 billion years of research and development has unlimited potential for architecture and humanity to gain from its solutions and abilities. From beetles that can create fresh water in the middle of the desert, to the structural capacities of soap bubbles. By mimicking nature, architects can reduce costs, manage energy more efficiently, be more mindful to the environment and increase the life and strength of structures.
Michael’s work in biomimicry and architecture more generally means he is celebrated and much sought after on the conference speaking circuit.

ZahaHadid

ZahaHadid is one of the world’s pre-eminent architects, with huge critical acclaim and awards for her unique “neo-futuristic” geometrical designs.

Hadid’s sweeping curves and sharp angles went on to win her the most prestigious prize of architecture, the Pritzker Prize, in 2004. She was the first woman to do so.
Having won the bid to build the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Stadium, it will join her other celebrated projects: the Guangzhou Opera House in China, the Phaeno Science Center in Wolfsburg and the London Olympic Aquatics Centre.

Hadid has featured in both the Forbes list of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women and in Time magazine as an influential thinker.

Rem Koolhaas

Another recipient of the Pritzker Prize is Rem Koolhaas. In fact, Koolhaas was described by Thomas Pritzker as ‘a prophet of modern architecture’.
As a continuous provocateur, Koolhaas spurs the architectural world into debate with each new design. His influence will live on far past his own work, since his studio, OMA (Office of MetropolitanArchitecture) has seen many of our age’s up-and-coming architects, such as ZahaHadid and Jeanne Gang, do stints there.

Richard Rogers

Richard Rogers is nothing short of a living legend in architecture, having won every prestigious prize of architecture and having his buildings achieve iconic status. His most famous work includes the Pompidou Centre in Paris, the Lloyd’s building and Millennium Dome in Londonand the European Court of Human Rights building in Strasbourg. Rogers is known for his skeletal exteriors exposing the innards of buildings, along with his adventurous sense of design.

As a field, architectural design is in a time of massive evolution with the rise of technology and CAD(computer aided design). Almost all architectural design and analysis takes place away from the drafting table and on the screen of the computer. Advances in the technology behind architecture mean more is possible, faster and more accurate than ever before.
No doubt as the technology develops, we’ll see a new breed of young architects bringing fresh concepts and designs to the table.

What do you think about this posting?
What differentiates a great architect from a starchitect?
Did I miss any architects who are making a difference in architecture today?
Did I miss any architects who are acclaimed conference speakers?

Please let me know your thoughts and questions in the comments below.