The results are in and our readers have spoken. Rem Koolhaas is the "Star" architect that most people would hire. In our most recent sidebar poll we asked the aforementioned question. The results show that 44% of you would hire OMA/Koolhaas , 22% said that they would choose Frank Gehry, while 10% said Zaha Hadid, Steven Holl Architects, or another firm entirely. Morphosis received no votes in the opinion poll. So is "Star" architecture still en vogue? Has the "Bilbao Effect" run its course or are certain architects still being hired in a cyclical fashion based on who is kitsch today? What do you think? Please feel free to comment.
I absolutely think the Starchitects have a shelf life. Once they become household names, it actually becomes more difficult for them to create cutting edge architecture... just look at Gehry. When a starchitect is hired for his/her star quality, its often with the intent of duplicating prior success. However, we all know that isn't realistic.
ReplyDeleteRem Koolhaas may be the current choice, but that won't last forever either (although it may seem like it). Just like lime green is the new orange, Rem will eventually be replaced... just as Gehry and Morphosis are no longer the frontrunners...
I would add that even diversifying an architect's talents does not substantially add to his/her longevity. Michael Graves and his collection for Target comes to mind.
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