The Iconic Building

Jencks, Charles

ISBN 10: 0847827569 / ISBN 13: 9780847827565

Published by Rizzoli, New York, 2005

About this Item

New York: Rizzoli, 2005. First American edition. 4to. Cloth binding, 224 pp. A new type of architecture has emerged in the last decadse: the iconic landmark building, which challenges the traditional architecture monument. Public architecture is now required to be an amazing piece of surreal sculpture as well as something that appeals to a diverse audience. New in new dust jacket, protected with a mylar cover.

Seller Inventory # AK-B487-2

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Iconic Building
• Publisher: Rizzoli, New York
• Publication Date: 2005
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0847827569
• ISBN 13: 9780847827565
• Binding: Cloth
• Illustrator: Illustrated
• Edition: First American
• Condition: New
• Dust Jacket Condition: New
• Seller catalogs:
  • Arts, Architecture and Photography

About this title

Synopsis

Charles Jencks, the leading architectural critic and writer, takes on "trendiness" in architecture: namely the rise of the "iconic building," instantly famous and distinctively recognizable structures like Norman Foster's "Gherkin" in London or Daniel Libeskind's Ground Zero designs in New York. Although there have always been buildings built to be instant icons such as palaces and cathedrals, Jencks sees this latest trend as being fueled by the real estate industry's thirst for profit and architects' outsize egos. Since the debut of Gehry's Guggenheim Bilbao, a roster of international architects has created iconic buildings that court publicity and controversy in equal measure. Some iconic buildings are successful creations that fulfill their contradictory requirements, while others make the public and the critics wince. In addition to Foster, Gehry and Libeskind, Jencks also discusses recent works by Peter Eisenman, Zaha Hadid, Rem Koolhaas, and Renzo Piano.Anyone interested in contemporary architecture and the direction of urban design will be interested in Jencks' witty, irreverent and sympathetic insights into how buildings can become good architecture that enhances the cityscape-and are truly iconic.

About the Author

Charles Jencks is the author of the bestselling The Language of Post-Modern Architecture, The Garden of Cosmic Speculation, The Architecture of the Jumping Universe, Le Corbusier and the Continual Revolution in Architecture, and many others. He has taught at UCLA and now divides his time between London and New York making frequent appearances as a lecturer.