I’ve recently come across several articles on the demise of the starchitect. While this may or may not be true, what strikes me is the general misunderstanding of the starchitect phenomenon. It is not a plot to promote certain architects. It is not a media invention. It is not a system. It is not merely a reflection of celebrity culture. The term ”star” derives from Hollywood. The movie star is an actor or actress who achieves exceptional public name recognition. This is ultimately an economic measure because it means that, all things being equal, the participation of a star in a proposed movie can make it bankable. That is, a star adds real economic value. Clothing manufacturers discovered this early with designer jeans. Similarly, the presence of a starchitect can add real economic value to a building project. This does not mean that the starchitect is the best architect, anymore than the Hollywood star is the best actor. It means that name recognition can facilitate promotion and fund-raising in a new concert hall, increase attendance in a museum, raise rents in an office building, and increase sales in a condominium tower. Although an early example is the office buildings that Philip Johnson designed for Gerald Hines in the 1970s, the real accelerant for starchitecture was globalization and the popularity of air travel. Obviously, the Bilbao Guggenheim was a benchmark. That’s why 8 Spruce (illustrated above), a condo tower in Manhattan’s Financial District, was originally marketed as “New York by Gehry.”
