The icon project: architecture, cities, and capitalist globalization

"A pioneering look at the ways in which contemporary architecture serves the interests of the capitalist class, from global North to South and through to the petro-cities of the Gulf States In the last quarter century, a new form of iconic architecture has appeared throughout the world's major cities. Typically designed by globe-trotting "starchitects" or by a few large transnational architectural firms, these projects are almost always driven by private interests. In The Icon Project, sociologist Leslie Sklair focuses on ways in which capitalist globalization is produced and represented all over the world, especially in globalizing cities. Sklair traces how the iconic buildings of our era-elaborate shopping malls, spectacular museums and vast urban megaprojects-constitute the triumphal "Icon Project" of contemporary global capitalism, promoting increasing inequality and hyperconsumerism. He sets out to explain how the architecture industry organizes the social production and marketing of iconic structures and how corporations increasingly dominate the built environment and promote the trend towards globalizing, consumerist cities. The Icon Project, Sklair argues, is a weapon in the struggle to solidify capitalist hegemony as well as reinforce transnational capitalist control of where we live, what we consume, and how we think"--

Machine generated contents note: -- INTRODUCTION -- The argument -- Sources -- Structure of the book -- CHAPTER 1 -- ICONIC ARCHITECTURE AND CAPITALIST GLOBALIZATION -- Architecture, Power, Aesthetics -- The Icon: history and theory of an idea -- Iconic for when -- Iconic for whom -- Iconic for where -- CHAPTER 2 -- TWO TYPES OF ICONIC ARCHITECTURE: UNIQUE AND TYPICAL -- The rise of iconic architecture -- Iconicity claims of top firms -- Starchitects and signature architects -- Architecture theme parks and other iconic projects -- CHAPTER 3 -- THE ARCHITECTURE INDUSTRY AND TYPICAL ICONS -- The sociology of architecture -- The architecture industry in the new millennium -- Successful typical icons -- Celebrity infrastructure -- CHAPTER 4 -- CORPORATE STARCHITECTS AND UNIQUE ICONS -- Frank Lloyd Wright and the FLW industry -- Le Corbusier and the Corb industry -- The rise of the starchitects -- Frank Gehry -- Norman Foster -- Rem Koolhaas -- Zaha Hadid -- CHAPTER 5 -- THE POLITICS OF ICONIC ARCHITECTURE -- Architectural iconicity and identities -- Politics and the architecture of transnational social spaces -- Iconic architecture in urban megaprojects -- Paris -- China -- CHAPTER 6 …