3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Power in Stone: 21st century architectural version of "The Prince".... awesome!, June 25, 2007
This review is from: The Edifice Complex: How the Rich and Powerful--and Their Architects--Shape the World (Paperback)
It took me some time to figure out what the Edifice Complex meant.
I first thought, being an "English Patient" in the realms of
English-speaking world, edifice complex meant something like "Sports
Complex". Later I found out that it was a derivitive of Oedipus Complex,
that there is a psychology in a poweful man, an urge to make a mark, a
desire to control, and an ambition to build. To build big and high.
I found this book particulary interesting because it focuses on the
side of clients, their hidden chambers of obsessions, disguised in
the form of political beliefs, orchestrated and realized by the hands
of architects. Plenty of different types of influential clients and
their episodes are portrayed.
Some stories are old (or well known)and some stories are new. To the old
stories, like that of Hitler/Mitterrand/Hussein, Sudjic gave a different
bent, to the new and lesser knowns, like that of
Mao/Rockerfeller/Agnelli/ US Presidents, Sudjic wrote electrifying lines.
Another remarkable aspect of the book is the political skills of many
past and current star architects. Johnson/ Pei/ Piano/
Koolhaas/ Gehry (and many more mentioned in the book) are illustrated as
true Machiavellian architects of this century that have tongue and pen to
realize the dreams of their Princes.
In the conclusion, Sudjic sums up by showing what kind of prevailing
architectural garments are out there for different political strategists.
The author also kindly guides us to the further readings that pertain to
the subject matter of the book.
One thing that made my head skew: Why are Blair and Libeskind beaten
when, in contrast, following French President and English Architect
mentioned in the book are promoted? Does it explain Sudjic's political
stance and his allies? Just a thought...
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Art, architecture and power hold sway over all of us, whether or not we realize it ..., October 28, 2009
This review is from: The Edifice Complex: How the Rich and Powerful--and Their Architects--Shape the World (Paperback)
The reins of power can be fleeting or be erased with the passage of time, but the architecture of the world has made bold statements on the lives of those who once ruled and wooed the world. News events and crises can sometimes be quickly forgotten in a week or so, but imagery of palaces, museums, coliseums, theme parks, libraries, castles, pyramids and other landmarks are indelibly planted in our minds and visual memories. Is there anyone whom, when mentioning New York or Paris, cannot help but visualize the World Trade Center or the Eiffel Tower? Art, architecture and power hold sway over all of us, whether or not we realize it. Architecture is a statement of power, raw power. It is a lasting legacy of those who don't want to drift into obscurity . . . ever.
An Edifice Complex can loosely be defined as a politician or leader who wants to leave behind a structure, sometimes preferably a behemoth, as a part of his or her "legacy." Deyan Sudjic, prolific architectural author, prefers to think of architecture not as an art form, but rather as a "naked expression of power." In his fascinating newest release (which incidentally reads like a novel), THE EDIFICE COMPLEX: How the Rich and Powerful-and Their Architects-Shape the World, Sudjic postulates this theory citing the architectural legacies of the likes of Hitler to Hussein, with a little help from their friends, the actual architects.
It is no secret that Adolph Hitler would have loved to be an architect, but few realize that Saddam Hussein may well have had a similar desire to be a master builder and architect. Hussein modeled "himself on Nebuchadnezzar and on Stalin." His lavish State Mosque and statement of power had room for some 30,000 worshipers, the largest Islamic mosque the Islamic world had ever seen. Sudjic casually writes about many leaders and wealthy people, some well known, others obscure, who hoped to make their mark throughout eternity with their structures. According to him, "It {architecture} cannot make us live forever, but architecture can be used to confront our fear of death, and to offer the hope of some kind of permanence."
I thought this book would be as dry as a bone, but the author had a way with words and numerous stories that actually made it quite interesting. The book drew me in quite quickly when he related the story of how Emil Hácha fainted from the sheer force and intimidation of Hitler and the architecture of the German Reich. Obviously this book would have a narrow readership, particularly those with an interest in architecture, but the eclectic reader certainly wouldn't be disappointed.
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