At one time, it was the job of the urban planner to develop streets and city infrastructure, and then the architect would step in and take over design of the buildings. Now, well-known architects are coming forward with a more holistic approach and taking over the entire project. Compare these new neighborhoods to professionally designed homes; the streets, building designs, and walkways would all be part of a master design of urban artwork.
The architect affixes his designer label to the city, just as one would a pair of jeans, and suddenly this design becomes a marketable product. This brand becomes a useful tool when it comes to getting approval for projects, and goes a long way to spark interest in potential investors.
One example of this can be found in Kartal, an abandoned industrial area in Istanbul. The region is in dire need of a facelift, which it will get shortly as part of the Kartal Urban City Project. Soon, Kartal will feel the effects of designer/architect Zaha Hadid, when the bulldozers begin to mold a 555-hectare urban wasteland into a contemporary infrastructure that includes skyscrapers, thoroughfares, and shopping and entertainment venues for over 100,000 residents and visitors.
Hadid is known for her work on the master plan for One-North in Singapore. This 200-hectare residential and science campus had similar lines and flow as her other creations. The distinctive look of her projects, along with her reputation, has become her branding.
Off the coast of Dubai, Rem Koolhaas is designing a waterfront city on a 172-hectare artificial island that will feature a huge mirrored sphere and spiraling tower amongst a series of New York-style skyscrapers. It will take decades to complete, but will eventually house 1.5 million people.
Designer/architect Daniel Libeskind is re-shaping the five-kilometer urban area of Orestad, south of Copenhagen. Once completed, this downtown area will include two 18-story towers (visible from the center of Copenhagen), and several low-rise buildings with landscaped roofs. This is a similar approach Libeskind used in his design at Fiera Milano, where he is redeveloping 43 hectares of Milan's old fairgrounds.
Since the fall of communism and the changes in Middle Eastern economies, Asia is faced with booming cities in need of rebuilding. This holistic design approach changes the entire face of a particular region, as opposed to the addition of just one or two modern buildings. In addition, the exclusivity associated with having a "Zaha" or a "Rem" city design helps to bolster their international standing as an emerging, contemporary city.
It would be nice to see more of this in our own cities.
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