Architectural Sovereignty
iconic architecture plays a leading role in the way in which we form our cultural identity.
Why is it that iconic architecture is still considered to be a source of national pride?
And what role does iconic architecture play in the emergence of the new global architecture and in what way?
It reflects the uniqueness and historical achievements of nations and also its own design assumptions and aesthetics which, for any culture, have been accumulated over a period of time, and represent the pride of nations
The demand for iconic architecture today proves that modernity in general and the Indus- trial and French revolution, as the important hinges of modernity , did not alter the general trend of architecture in its history , which is the search for iconic buildings that prove the cultural and technological accomplishments of the nation.
iconic architecture reflects the uniqueness and historical achievements of nations and their design assumptions and aesthetics
the search for iconic buildings that prove the cultural and technological accomplishments of modern nations.
In the pre-modern era people in power were well aware of the importance of such buildings to the assertion of their sovereignty or, in modern times, to the power of their institution or company.
what role does iconic architecture play in the emergence of the new global architecture and in what way
not all creative works of architecture get the chance to become iconic. On the other hand, there are buildings that were celebrated in many reviews but they havenât proved to be iconic and have been surpassed by other examples.
Architecture is about revitalizing what otherwise would be filled with sameness with no differentiated identity .
What makes iconic architecture necessary is that it celebrates ordinary activities in a new and fresh way.
being different in architecture is, at the same time to show dissociation from others.
Iconic architecture occupies the space in such a way that it dominates what is external to it.
There are norms that cannot or should not be written; there are others that cannot be determined except when the circumstances arise for which they must serve.
the power of iconic architecture comes from its enigma and complexity of symbolism.
modern forms of power are not embedded, and that the modern âpolitics of powerâ make it difficult to find clients that are comparable in power to the clients of pre-modern times.
It also cannot be guaranteed that the architect, who designs one successful iconic building, can continue to do so.
Postmodern iconic architecture, in most cases, do not represent maturity or the beginning of any style; rather , because of their fascination with form, they represent only themselves.
generally speaking a state of exception , not a model for any ordinary practice in architecture that is good enough for wide scale application.
the sovereign is he who decides on the state of exception.
most of iconic architecture becomes a legitimate sovereign.
formal strategies themselves have the power , in their view, to undermine codes and preconceptionsâin fact, the entire apparatus of western humanism itself.
Sovereign architecture acts as a dictator who guarantees the situation, but in accordance with its own rules.
The exception is that which cannot be subsumed; it defies general codification, but it simultaneously reveals a specifically juridical formal element: the decision in absolute purity
The exception is more interesting than the regular case. The latter proves nothing; the exception proves everythingâŚ
After a while, one becomes disgusted with the endless talk about the generalâthere are exceptions âŚ
The sovereign power that is also sometimes acquired by the architect him/herself can free the architect from the existing rules.
The sovereign creates and guarantees the situation as a whole in its totality . He has the monopoly over the final decisionâŚthe exception does not only confirm the rule; the rule as such lives off the exception aloneâŚ