“…Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Chicago Milenium Park which tries to achieve the “Bilbao effect”, that is to create a vibrant public space in the midst of the city’s concrete jungle.”  Slavoj Zizek, Living in the End Times, p.262

oddly enough edited out of this web posting of same text -

Architectural Parallax Spandrels and Other Phenomena of Class Struggle

vs

footnote “27. The term Bilbao effect is a clear and intended evocation of the Beaubourg effect, a term coined by Jean Baudrilliard to describe the far-reaching impact of the construction of Centre Beaubourg in Paris in 1977.  Although the former term achieved wide currence soon after Gehry’s building was finished, it is not clear who first used it.” Terrence Riley, On-site: New Architecture in Spain

vs

common understanding (Economist, Forbes, NYTimes)

Urban, social and Economic regeneration and redevelopment of a city triggered by a building. (more or less), more in depth click here

Which one is it? 

(based on the google search "bilbao effect PDF" i'm doing a whole lot of college students a massive favor here, and you're welcome 'merica)

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Zizek's text is exactly what happens when a really smart philosopher reads all the current and trending theoretical texts for his uses, managing to equate poche to interstitial space, and ultimately landing on lots of Frederic Jameson (not surprising given his leanings)and using much Alejandro Zaera-Polo for political arguments.  It's probably the best brief essay as a snapshot of politics and architecture in the last decade, granted there are errors throughout (hint hint), but as he notes he's not an expert.

Lastly, Post-modern in this essay is not this Post-Modern.