ABOUT STAR ARCHITECTURE: REFLECTING ON CITIES IN EUROPE
Edited by
Davide Ponzini, Politecnico di Milano, Italy
Nadia Alaily-Mattar, Technische Universität München, Germany
Alain Thierstein, Technische Universität München, Germany
Springer International Publishing , 2020

Did you ever ask yourself, which effects star architecture has on your city? How can we grasp and assess the impact of star architecture projects on urban transformation? How do we understand the engaging of a variety of actors for the purpose of branded urban development? We put a focus on the interplay of star architecture, media, urban effects and heritage in cities across Europe. We cut across the disciplines and analytical techniques of urban planning, architecture, media studies, urban economics, geography and sociology to make alive a vast array of in-depth case studies in over 20 cities in Europe. In the book you will find the positive as well as the more problematic answers to these questions about star architecture. This fascinating European journey will appeal to architects, sociologists, academic researchers, urban planning professionals, public administrators and real estate practitioners.

About this book
Cities across the world have been resorting to star architects to brand their projects, spark urban regeneration and market the city image internationally. This book shifts the attention from star architects to star architecture, arguing that the process of deciding about and implementing relevant architectural and urban projects is not the product of any single actor. Star architecture can, in fact, be better studied and understood as assembled by multiple actors and in its relationship with urban transformation. In its 18 chapters, the book presents a multidisciplinary collection of expert contributions in the fields of urban planning, architecture, media studies, urban economics, geography, and sociology, consistently brought together for the first time to deal with this topic. Through a vast array of case studies and analytical techniques touching over 20 cities in Europe, the book shows the positive and more problematic impacts of star architecture with reference to the preservation of built heritage, tourism and media. The book will be of interest to architects, sociologists, urban planners, and public administrators.

Publication date: 16 March 2020 ISBN: 978-3-030-23924-4

About the authors

Dr. Nadia Alaily-Mattar is a Research and Teaching Associate at the Chair of Urban Development in the Department of Architecture of the Technical University of Munich (TUM). She is an architect, and graduate of the American University of Beirut (AUB). She holds a PhD Degree from University College of London and a Master’s degree from London School of Economics and Political Science. From September 2015 to August 2017, she managed an inter-disciplinary research project funded by the German Research Fund (DFG), titled “Star architecture and its role in re-positioning small and medium sized cities”.

Dr. Davide Ponzini is an Associate Professor of Urban Planning at the Politecnico di Milano. He received his PhD (cum laude) in Urban Planning from Politecnico di Milano. His research activity focuses on planning theory, policy tool analysis, urban and cultural policy, heritage preservation, spectacularization of contemporary architecture and the urban environment. He has been a recipient of several scholarships and research grants, and has been a visiting researcher at Yale, Johns Hopkins, Columbia University and others. 

Dr. Alain Thierstein is a full Professor of spatial development at the technical University of Munich (TUM). He holds a PhD degree in economic sciences from St. Gallen University. He has held positions at St Gallen and ETH Zurich. He is also a partner of EBP Schweiz AG, Zurich.

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