“Flagship Architecture, Multinational Design Firms and the Urban Transformation of European Cities” is a series of international symposia supported by Villa Vigoni, the German-Italian Centre for European Dialogue. The aim is to discuss the urban implications of star architecture and transnational projects with particular reference to European cities. Cities today create iconic museums, infrastructures or spectacular public spaces, not just for functional reasons, but also to convey one’s image, attract tourists and attention of the media. Star architects and multinational firms are involved in implementing these strategies and in promoting them socially. The three proposed conferences will bring together architecture experts, urban planning, economics and geography to discuss the urban implications and effects of iconic projects in European cities. The findings from the research were published in the 2020 edited volume About Star Architecture: Reflecting on Cities in Europe.
2017-2019
Coordinators
Davide Ponzini (Politecnico di Milano), Alain Thierstein (TU Munich), and Maria Gravari-Barbas (Université Paris 1 Pantéon-Sorbonne)
Participants
- Nadia Alaily-Mattar (TU Munich)
- Magda Bolzoni (University of Turin)
- Alain Bourdin (Ecole d’Urbanisme de Paris)
- Johannes Dreher (HafenCity University)
- Uta Leconte (TU Munich)
- Maria Gravari-Barbas (Paris 1 Pantéon-Sorbonne University)
- Michele Nastasi (independent researcher)
- Davide Ponzini (Politecnico di Milano)
- Jan Silberger (ETH Zurich)
- Alain Thierstein (TU Munich)
- Alberto Vanolo (University of Turin)
- Mina Akhavan (Politecnico di Milano)
- Francesca Cominelli (University of Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne, IREST-EIREST)
- Sebastien Jacquot (University of Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne, IREST-EIREST)
- Laura Lieto (‘Federico II’ University of Naples)
- Giovanni Semi (University of Turin)
- Magda Bolzoni (Università degli studi di Torino)
- Sandra Guinand (Fonds National Suisse)
- Wilfried Wang (The University of Texas at Austin)
- Alberto Vanolo (University of Turin)