The Good, the Bad, and the STARchitecture

          When I think about the values of the star system, I really don't know what side to support. I'm stuck in the middle. I wouldn't say I'm "pro-". Nor would I say that I am "anti-". But there are different issues that I address with the star system.

Frank Gehry

          The "pro-" side of me says that the star system is valuable in the field of architecture. It's usually the "starchitects" that design the iconic buildings. Their buildings usually attract the visitors. And it's their buildings that always stand out. Most importantly, it's the "starchitects" that we as students usually look to for precedent when we take on a new studio project.
          The  "anti-" side of me says that the star system is corrupt. These architects that were lucky enough to make it to celebrity status only care about one thing...MONEY. They create their "signature building" and repeatedly design the same building all throughout their career. And of course the worse thing is, (because they are famous) these "starchitects" charge bookoo money for these buildings. Take for instance Frank Gehry. When he designed his Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, each square foot cost $300 for a grand total of $100 million dollars. His Disney Concert Hall cost $215 million dollars. $215 million dollars for a piece of shit building? Really? How can Frank Gehry call himself an architect when all he does is crumple up a piece of trash, then calls it architecture. Does that allow us to call his architecture trashy?  But apparently people like his work. Obviously he's doing something right. And I'm not going to deny the fact that his Guggenheim Museum did a lot for the city of Bilbao. Today that city is known all because of that one building, or ICON.
          On a side note, I've been thinking about the actual classification of a "starchitect". Do the architects that WE classify as "STARchitects", actually classify themselves as "starchitects". In one article that I came across, an interviewer asked Frank Gehry about the star system. Gehry replied, "I don't know who invented that fucking word "starchitect". In fact a journalist invented it, I think. I am not a "star-chitect", I am an ar-chitect". I think it's funny that one of the most talked about architects can't stand the classification of "STARchitect". I guess it all depends on the overall ego of the specific architect...(a.k.a. Rem Koolhaas).

Works Cited:

 http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/architecture/frank-gehry-dont-call-me-a-starchitect-1842870.html