About Star Architecture

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 Mucnich (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.

“This book is the most up-to-date reference on star architecture in cities in Europe as it brings together a series of original studies on the theme, which can be extended to other contexts. … this book has led to a step forward in the field of urban studies. The various chapters accurately help the reader understand the relationship between famous architects and their multinational design firms with urban planning, the capitalist city-making process and the stakeholders involved.” (Federico Camerin, Journal of Urban Regeneration and Renewal, Vol. 14 (3), 2021)“The book makes the case that it is rather nonsensical to speak about star architecture as if it were a uniform phenomenon. Quite the opposite, the selection of case studies demonstrates that star architecture projects are inevitably as diverse as the entities and processes that procure them. For instance, ‘About Star Architecture’ shows that there is no such thing as a typical political pattern (e.g. neoliberal policy-making) that is more or less likely to promote and produce star architecture projects.” (Jan Silberberger, Journal of Urban Design, September 7, 2020)“One of the most crucial contributions of this book is offering a comprehensive systematization of different debates in urban studies. It proposes a solid understanding of star architecture and it can potentially open the way to a number of further explorations and analytical understandings. Moreover, the book clearly may be of interest for readers beyond academia. The chapters are accurate and engage with international scholarship but they are also enjoyable and readable for practitioners and scholars working in fields such as architecture, communication, media and cultural studies.” (Alberto Vanolo, UrbanStudies, Vol. 57 (13), 2020)

• Chapter1: Introduction: Star Architecture in and across European.- PartI: Approaching star architecture in and across cities in Europe.- Chapter2: Star architecture as socio-material assemblages.- Chapter3: The representation of star architecture between local and global identities.- Chapter4: Star architecture’s interplays and urban effects on cities.- Chapter5: Star architecture and the field of urban design.- Chapter6: Star architecture spreads in Europe: Culture-led waterfront projects between 1990 and 2015.- PartII: Star architecture and the media.- Chapter7: The circulation of news and images: Star architecture and its media effects.- Chapter8: Architecture of the image: Photography acting in  urban landscapes.- Chapter9: Star architecture from below: Narratives and images from the social networks.- PartIII: Urban performances of star architecture.- Chapter10: The multifarious effects of star architecture: The case of Kunsthaus Graz.- Chapter11: Situating star architecture projects: The case of Phaeno in Wolfsburg.- Chapter12: The political context of star architecture projects: The case of the Kultur- und Kongresszentrum Luzern (KKL).- Chapter13: Star architecture and the boundaries of tourism: The case of Paris.- Chapter14: Euro-Star-Architecture: Comparing high-speed rail stations in Europe.- PartIV: Star architecture in heritage rich cities.- Chapter15: Star architecture landing in UNESCO Sites: Local frictions and new perspectives.- Chapter16: The challenges of star architecture in historic cities: The case of the Acropolis Museum in Athens.- Chapter17: Star architecture and the urban landscape: The case of Vienna.- PartV: Conclusions.- Chapter18: Conclusions: Lessons learnt and future research.- Chapter19: Commentary:   Parallel realities: Star architecture and overtourism in  the age of internet