Archinect - Features

10 Controversial Buildings That Became Iconic Landmarks

2024-10-07T06:48:00-04:00

Architectural landmarks often become beloved symbols of their cities, but many were not always welcomed with open arms. Throughout history, some of our most acclaimed structures have in fact provoked heated debates, divided public opinion, sparked fierce controversy, and in one case, caused the late great architect Richard Rogers to be attacked by an elderly Parisian with an umbrella.

To mark World Architecture Day 2024, we take a look back through the history of some of the architectural structures most beloved by the public today, and demonstrate how their status as landmarks was hard-won.

To see how a building initially deemed a monstrosity, an eyesore, or an insult to tradition can evolve into the defining element of a city’s character is an interesting exercise in itself. Beyond the novelty, however, these stories raise apt questions for architects today. To what extent do, or should, we design in response to present tastes? Do we too quickly abandon ideas today in response t...

Thoughts on Eric Owen Moss' Gated Gateway Tower

2019-05-19T13:39:00-04:00

Some rumors suggest Samitaur Tower, a project completed by Eric Owen Moss, will open in relation to some milestone for the adjacent public transportation system; others claim it is condemned for exceeding the maximum allowable height according to Culver City’s Zoning Charter. But it is more likely that the act of transgression was designed into the Tower.

Student Works: Questioning monumentality at Cal Poly Pomona

2016-01-29T11:41:00-05:00

What defines a monument? According to “The Heresy of Function, Reprise,” a senior project studio at Cal Poly Pomona run by Frank Clementi (of Rios Clementi Hale Studios), the essence of a monument isn’t based on its utility (or overt lack thereof), but rather its intangible qualities or “meaning.” In order to investigate the apparent meaning of a monument, this Student Works explores the metaphysical import and power of various famous monuments by attaching architectural “prosthetics” to them, applying a programmatic addition to “create a complete, if however incongruous, symbiosis of function and meaning.”