Temples de la culture

Tempel der Hochkultur

Temples of Culture

Templos de la cultura

Świątynie kultury

Templi della Cultura

Museums, concert halls, and opera houses are beacons of the urban landscape. More and more cities are building iconic constructions by star architects, the bigger and more spectacular the better. Designed to attract tourists, boost the economy and awaken civic pride, are these expensive signature buildings worth the investment? 

How Cultural Buildings Enhance Cities

Museums, concert halls, and opera houses are beacons of the urban landscape. More and more cities are building iconic, magnificent constructions by star architects, the bigger and more spectacular the better. They are designed to attract tourists, boost the economy and awaken civic pride. But are these expensive signature buildings worth the money? Does the much-vaunted Bilbao effect really exist?

The Bilbao Effect

More and more cities are building iconic buildings by star architects to boost their international profile. But does it work?

Szczecin, Dundee, Herford, Blaibach - they are certainly not among the most well-known metropolises in Europe. And yet they have made a name for themselves internationally in recent years - with outstanding new cultural buildings. Szczecin has built an innovative, bold philharmonic hall, Dundee was able to step out of the shadow of Edinburgh thanks to the V&A Museum by Kengo Kuma, Herford in German East Westphalia has its very own Frank Gehry and Blaibach – a small town of just 2,000 inhabitants- caused a worldwide sensation with its radical concert hall by Peter Haimerl.

Small Cities - Big Dreams

Smaller towns and cities have made bold architectural statements that have brought them international renown.

Spectacular architecture for new museums and opera houses is now commonplace. Rotterdam shows that even purely functional buildings such as art warehouses do not have to be boring. The depot by MVRDV Architects for the Museum Boijmans van Beuningen is original and witty.
Valencia’s City of Arts and Sciences is a spectacular ensemble of cultural buildings developed by Santiago Calatrava. But was the eye-watering price tag for the city worth the investment?

Signature Buildings and the Selfie-Effect

Spectacular architecture for new museums and opera houses is now commonplace. But is the often eye-watering price tag worth the investment?

The iconic cultural buildings of the future are not being built in London, Paris or New York but rather in up-and-coming metropolises such as Abu Dhabi and Shenzhen. Both the capital of the United Arab Emirates and the Chinese megacity in the Pearl River Delta have attracted international attention with spectacular museums, concert halls and performing arts centres designed by star architects. This last episode presents the latest projects, including the eagerly awaited Guggenheim Museum Abu Dhabi by Frank Gehry.

Tomorrow's Culture Buildings

The cultural buildings of the future are not being built in London, Paris or New York but rather in up-and-coming metropolises like Abu Dhabi and Shenzhen.

Temples of Culture

How Cultural Buildings Enhance Cities

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