Modern iconic structures are fast rising in different regions making this a creative trend and architectural genre. Various explanations for the rise of iconic structures in the contemporary era emerged from the different fields of study.
One explanation from the social sciences is the universal appetite of society for grand structures (Jencks, 2006). Most of the iconic structures that emerged are large scale with huge impact on society. There are also smaller iconic structures but these are also able to create big impact. The appeal of grand structures is explained by the achievement of common goals including the symbolism of social unity and cultural pride (Hein, 2006). Iconic structures also have grand appeal because of the ability to create meaning for a wider group of individuals by representing a commonly held memory and identity (Ho, 2006).
Another explanation from business and economics is the emergence of iconic structures due to globalization and economic growth. On one hand, globalization has removed national and cultural boundaries through immigration to make identity and its symbolisms of dire importance. Many iconic structures emerged as symbolisms of national, cultural and religious identity of group, country or region. On the other hand, globalization also created a wider multi-cultural audience and enabled the sharing of creative ideas and technological tools to foster the emergence of iconic structures in various countries. (Ho, 2006) Economic growth also enabled the creation of grand structures as reflections of prosperity, technological competence, and artistic skill. Business firms have recognized the impact of iconic structures on a wide range of social groups and have taken advantage of this by sponsoring or initiating the building of iconic structures. (Sklair, 2006) Many modern iconic structures were made or sponsored by business firms. These explanations of the emergence of iconic structures recognize iconic structures as a global trend as well as provide explanations of its development from different but complementary perspectives.
There is no commonly accepted definition of iconic structures but iconic structures have common and dominant features. The first feature is the large scale and high value of the structures (Broda, 2006 Jencks, 2006). Examples are the new Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, Taipei 101 in Taiwan, and Burj Ul Arab hotel in Dubai, UAE. All of these structures filled a significant volume of horizontal and vertical space to have a strong impact on the locality. The cost of these projects also reached hundreds of millions in US dollars. Part of the cost of iconic structures is the commissioning of architects with well-known works. The Guggenheim Museum is made by Frank Gehry known for the novelty of his designs for homes, museums and commercial buildings. Taipei 101 was made by C.Y. Lee Partners, a local architecture firm responsible for building other commercial towers and shopping malls. Burj Ul Arab hotel was designed by the British architect Tom Wright, who is a head architect at Atkins H.Q., a firm that specializes in hotel designs for international clients.
The second feature is cutting-edge design (Broda, 2006), which makes the structure new, unique and provocative (Jencks, 2006). The focus of the design could be technological tools, artistry or both. The Future Systems building in Birmingham looks like a fluid structure because of its curvatures in the middle of square and rectangular surrounding structures. The building represents the future of technology in building design. More artistic structures are Casa da Musica a seven-sided polygon building, Prada Headquarters, and LVMH Tower that all communicate creative but modern designs.
The third feature is identification and recognition by the public (Broda, 2006) in conveying different meanings to various groups (Sklair, 2006). Taipei 101is the tallest skyscraper in the world and comprise the commercial center in the city. The building is a source of national pride as well as a symbolism of the economic condition of the territory. Burj Ul Arab hotel is the second tallest hotel in the world and comprise a luxury hotel. This also symbolizes national pride and the degree of modernization and development of Dubai.
While many iconic structures have emerged, the issue that emerged is the impact and longevity of iconic structures. Some structures succeed to achieve the status of an icon while others turn out as failures. This is an important issue since the large scale and high value of these structures are accompanied by high expectations of strong positive impact. Examples of the failure of structures to become iconic are Renzo Pianos two designs, the Parco de la Musica in Rome and Paul Klee Museum in Berne.
The Parco was shaped like a rat andor a shoe while the museum looked like a rollercoaster track. Piano is a known designer but these works did not produce the expected public enthusiasm to transform these works into icons. (Sklair, 2006) Apart from some structures becoming failures from the beginning, there are also iconic structures that lose distinctiveness in the long-term (Richard Wilson, 2006). The Petronas Towers in Malaysia once held the record as the worlds tallest building and were it not for the distinctiveness of the twin buildings it could have lost its global appeal. Different perspectives emerged over the trend of iconic structures. Some see this as fleeting or temporary while others consider iconic structures as long-term, albeit flexible and adaptable to changing conditions (Jencks, 2006 Sklair, 2006). Investigating this issue involves a context-based assessment.
The Middle East is one of the regions that widely engaged in iconic structures in the last decade. This makes the region a rich source of insight on the impact and longevity of iconic structures. Investigating the iconic structures in the Middle East informs on why the region engaged in iconic structures, how iconic structures have affected the regional environment, and how these iconic structures would become in the future. The results have implications on the significance of iconic structures as an architectural trend and the prospects of iconic structures as investments.
1.2 Aim and Objectives
The aim of the study is to investigate the current relevance and future prospects for iconic structures in the context of the Middle East, where iconic structures are fast rising. To address this aim, the study carried out these objectives
To describe the form and growth of contemporary or modern iconic structures
To explain the development of economic structures in the context of the Middle East
To identify the form and multi-dimensional relevance of iconic structures in the Middle East
To determine the future prospects for iconic structures in the Middle East
To derive implications on iconic structures as a trend, architectural genre, and investment area.
Literature Review
The study consulted a wide range of literature to provide a theoretical framework and empirical background of the study. The literature review covered books on architecture and modern design, journal articles and studies on iconic structures and other related topics, conference papers focusing on iconic structures worldwide and in the Middle East, magazines and newspaper articles featuring iconic structures around the world and in the Middle East, and online sources such as government and business websites discussing various iconic structures including the purpose or intention of the design, the cost, and expected impact of the structure upon actualization.
Research Methodology
The research strategy used in fulfilling the research aim and objectives is the combination of desk or secondary research and case study. Desk research refers to the collection and use of existing data (Saunders, Lewis Thornhill, 2007). This was used in the study because of the need to establish background knowledge on iconic structures in the contemporary period and the growth of iconic structures in regions such as the Middle East. Secondary research was applied by consulting a wide range of available resources including books, journals, magazine, newspapers, and government or business websites. Case study pertains to the focus on a particular case (Saunders et al., 2007), which in the study is iconic structures in the Middle East, and the consultation of a wide range of sources of information (Saunders et al., 2007) on the case. This was used in the study because of the need to understand iconic structures in the particular context of the Middle East as a region where many iconic structures have emerged. The case study method was applied by concentrating data collection on the iconic structures in the Middle East and using a broad range of secondary source. Although, the study only used secondary sources, various secondary sources relevant to the study were exhausted to reflect different perspectives on the research studied. Furthermore, the case study method also applied by discussing particular iconic structures in Dubai, UAE and Bahrain where a number of globally known iconic structures have been built in the last decade and likely to continue to build more iconic structures in the future.
The research design is qualitative method. This method involves accounts and descriptions of the phenomenon studied (Creswell, 2003), which is the impact and prospects for the growth of iconic structures in the Middle East. This was selected as the research design because the study required the collection of data to provide an understanding of the impact and prospects of the growth in the iconic structures in the Middle East, which is fulfilled by collecting and analyzing data describing aspects of iconic structures in the region. This was applied in the study by consulting various secondary sources that describe various aspects of the growth of iconic structures in the Middle East. Concurrently, the quantitative or mixed method was not used because these did not align with the requirements of the study. The quantitative method, which applies to testing hypothesis and identifying the link between variables by collecting numerical or statistical data (Creswell, 2003) is not appropriate to the study.
The data collection method used is desk or secondary research by exhausting all the library and online resources relevant to the research topic. The data collected comprised of general data on the concept and development of iconic structures as well as specific data on the form and growth of iconic structures in the Middle East and descriptions of the selected iconic structures in Dubai and Bahrain. Secondary data was collected to provide an understanding of the growth of iconic structures in the Middle East. Collecting primary data is not sufficient to address the aim of the study because of the limited perspective of possible key resource persons, including architects in the region, government officials, or business firms, given the broader perspective required by the study. Moreover, iconic structures comprise a new development in the Middle East and many key resources were needed with a wide and deep experience with iconic structures in the region was needed, which the timescale of the study did not permit.
One method of analysis used is thematic classification by organizing data based on emerging themes and according to the objectives of the study. These themes were used as sub-sections throughout the research paper. The other method of analysis is case study comparison by identifying similarities and differences of the impact and prospect of the growth of iconic structures in the Middle East and determining generalizations for both locations that have implications to the region.
Limitations of the Research
The research is limited to iconic structures in the context of the Middle East, particularly the iconic structures in Dubai and Bahrain. The development of iconic structures in different regions and iconic structures identified in the other regions provided a background to the study. Data collection and data analysis were limited to the iconic structures in Dubai and Bahrain. The conclusions and generalizations relate to Dubai, together with other members of the UAE because of close similarities, and the country of Bahrain as well as similarly situated Middle Eastern countries. The data collected and analyzed is qualitative, which meant that the study does not provide measures of variable relationships or numerical data on iconic structures.
Scope of Dissertation
The research paper is divided into seven chapters. Chapter 2 is the literature review. This discussed the concept of iconic structures and the development of iconic structures as a global trend reaching regions that were not previously involved in modern iconology such as the Middle East. The literature review also covered results of studies and texts on iconic structures in the Middle East. Chapter 3 is the methodology. This detailed the research approach, design, and data collection and analysis methods and techniques, the rationale for selection, and the application to the study. Chapter 4 discussed the form and growth of iconic structures in the Middle East by identifying the factors causing this trend and describing the form of iconic structures. Chapter 5 covered the comparative case study of specific modern iconic structures in Dubai and Bahrain. This described the iconic structures and considered similarities and differences. Chapter 6 is the conclusion relative to the data collected and analyzed as well as the research objectives. Chapter 7 is the recommendations on the limitations of the study and the areas for further study.
One explanation from the social sciences is the universal appetite of society for grand structures (Jencks, 2006). Most of the iconic structures that emerged are large scale with huge impact on society. There are also smaller iconic structures but these are also able to create big impact. The appeal of grand structures is explained by the achievement of common goals including the symbolism of social unity and cultural pride (Hein, 2006). Iconic structures also have grand appeal because of the ability to create meaning for a wider group of individuals by representing a commonly held memory and identity (Ho, 2006).
Another explanation from business and economics is the emergence of iconic structures due to globalization and economic growth. On one hand, globalization has removed national and cultural boundaries through immigration to make identity and its symbolisms of dire importance. Many iconic structures emerged as symbolisms of national, cultural and religious identity of group, country or region. On the other hand, globalization also created a wider multi-cultural audience and enabled the sharing of creative ideas and technological tools to foster the emergence of iconic structures in various countries. (Ho, 2006) Economic growth also enabled the creation of grand structures as reflections of prosperity, technological competence, and artistic skill. Business firms have recognized the impact of iconic structures on a wide range of social groups and have taken advantage of this by sponsoring or initiating the building of iconic structures. (Sklair, 2006) Many modern iconic structures were made or sponsored by business firms. These explanations of the emergence of iconic structures recognize iconic structures as a global trend as well as provide explanations of its development from different but complementary perspectives.
There is no commonly accepted definition of iconic structures but iconic structures have common and dominant features. The first feature is the large scale and high value of the structures (Broda, 2006 Jencks, 2006). Examples are the new Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, Taipei 101 in Taiwan, and Burj Ul Arab hotel in Dubai, UAE. All of these structures filled a significant volume of horizontal and vertical space to have a strong impact on the locality. The cost of these projects also reached hundreds of millions in US dollars. Part of the cost of iconic structures is the commissioning of architects with well-known works. The Guggenheim Museum is made by Frank Gehry known for the novelty of his designs for homes, museums and commercial buildings. Taipei 101 was made by C.Y. Lee Partners, a local architecture firm responsible for building other commercial towers and shopping malls. Burj Ul Arab hotel was designed by the British architect Tom Wright, who is a head architect at Atkins H.Q., a firm that specializes in hotel designs for international clients.
The second feature is cutting-edge design (Broda, 2006), which makes the structure new, unique and provocative (Jencks, 2006). The focus of the design could be technological tools, artistry or both. The Future Systems building in Birmingham looks like a fluid structure because of its curvatures in the middle of square and rectangular surrounding structures. The building represents the future of technology in building design. More artistic structures are Casa da Musica a seven-sided polygon building, Prada Headquarters, and LVMH Tower that all communicate creative but modern designs.
The third feature is identification and recognition by the public (Broda, 2006) in conveying different meanings to various groups (Sklair, 2006). Taipei 101is the tallest skyscraper in the world and comprise the commercial center in the city. The building is a source of national pride as well as a symbolism of the economic condition of the territory. Burj Ul Arab hotel is the second tallest hotel in the world and comprise a luxury hotel. This also symbolizes national pride and the degree of modernization and development of Dubai.
While many iconic structures have emerged, the issue that emerged is the impact and longevity of iconic structures. Some structures succeed to achieve the status of an icon while others turn out as failures. This is an important issue since the large scale and high value of these structures are accompanied by high expectations of strong positive impact. Examples of the failure of structures to become iconic are Renzo Pianos two designs, the Parco de la Musica in Rome and Paul Klee Museum in Berne.
The Parco was shaped like a rat andor a shoe while the museum looked like a rollercoaster track. Piano is a known designer but these works did not produce the expected public enthusiasm to transform these works into icons. (Sklair, 2006) Apart from some structures becoming failures from the beginning, there are also iconic structures that lose distinctiveness in the long-term (Richard Wilson, 2006). The Petronas Towers in Malaysia once held the record as the worlds tallest building and were it not for the distinctiveness of the twin buildings it could have lost its global appeal. Different perspectives emerged over the trend of iconic structures. Some see this as fleeting or temporary while others consider iconic structures as long-term, albeit flexible and adaptable to changing conditions (Jencks, 2006 Sklair, 2006). Investigating this issue involves a context-based assessment.
The Middle East is one of the regions that widely engaged in iconic structures in the last decade. This makes the region a rich source of insight on the impact and longevity of iconic structures. Investigating the iconic structures in the Middle East informs on why the region engaged in iconic structures, how iconic structures have affected the regional environment, and how these iconic structures would become in the future. The results have implications on the significance of iconic structures as an architectural trend and the prospects of iconic structures as investments.
1.2 Aim and Objectives
The aim of the study is to investigate the current relevance and future prospects for iconic structures in the context of the Middle East, where iconic structures are fast rising. To address this aim, the study carried out these objectives
To describe the form and growth of contemporary or modern iconic structures
To explain the development of economic structures in the context of the Middle East
To identify the form and multi-dimensional relevance of iconic structures in the Middle East
To determine the future prospects for iconic structures in the Middle East
To derive implications on iconic structures as a trend, architectural genre, and investment area.
Literature Review
The study consulted a wide range of literature to provide a theoretical framework and empirical background of the study. The literature review covered books on architecture and modern design, journal articles and studies on iconic structures and other related topics, conference papers focusing on iconic structures worldwide and in the Middle East, magazines and newspaper articles featuring iconic structures around the world and in the Middle East, and online sources such as government and business websites discussing various iconic structures including the purpose or intention of the design, the cost, and expected impact of the structure upon actualization.
Research Methodology
The research strategy used in fulfilling the research aim and objectives is the combination of desk or secondary research and case study. Desk research refers to the collection and use of existing data (Saunders, Lewis Thornhill, 2007). This was used in the study because of the need to establish background knowledge on iconic structures in the contemporary period and the growth of iconic structures in regions such as the Middle East. Secondary research was applied by consulting a wide range of available resources including books, journals, magazine, newspapers, and government or business websites. Case study pertains to the focus on a particular case (Saunders et al., 2007), which in the study is iconic structures in the Middle East, and the consultation of a wide range of sources of information (Saunders et al., 2007) on the case. This was used in the study because of the need to understand iconic structures in the particular context of the Middle East as a region where many iconic structures have emerged. The case study method was applied by concentrating data collection on the iconic structures in the Middle East and using a broad range of secondary source. Although, the study only used secondary sources, various secondary sources relevant to the study were exhausted to reflect different perspectives on the research studied. Furthermore, the case study method also applied by discussing particular iconic structures in Dubai, UAE and Bahrain where a number of globally known iconic structures have been built in the last decade and likely to continue to build more iconic structures in the future.
The research design is qualitative method. This method involves accounts and descriptions of the phenomenon studied (Creswell, 2003), which is the impact and prospects for the growth of iconic structures in the Middle East. This was selected as the research design because the study required the collection of data to provide an understanding of the impact and prospects of the growth in the iconic structures in the Middle East, which is fulfilled by collecting and analyzing data describing aspects of iconic structures in the region. This was applied in the study by consulting various secondary sources that describe various aspects of the growth of iconic structures in the Middle East. Concurrently, the quantitative or mixed method was not used because these did not align with the requirements of the study. The quantitative method, which applies to testing hypothesis and identifying the link between variables by collecting numerical or statistical data (Creswell, 2003) is not appropriate to the study.
The data collection method used is desk or secondary research by exhausting all the library and online resources relevant to the research topic. The data collected comprised of general data on the concept and development of iconic structures as well as specific data on the form and growth of iconic structures in the Middle East and descriptions of the selected iconic structures in Dubai and Bahrain. Secondary data was collected to provide an understanding of the growth of iconic structures in the Middle East. Collecting primary data is not sufficient to address the aim of the study because of the limited perspective of possible key resource persons, including architects in the region, government officials, or business firms, given the broader perspective required by the study. Moreover, iconic structures comprise a new development in the Middle East and many key resources were needed with a wide and deep experience with iconic structures in the region was needed, which the timescale of the study did not permit.
One method of analysis used is thematic classification by organizing data based on emerging themes and according to the objectives of the study. These themes were used as sub-sections throughout the research paper. The other method of analysis is case study comparison by identifying similarities and differences of the impact and prospect of the growth of iconic structures in the Middle East and determining generalizations for both locations that have implications to the region.
Limitations of the Research
The research is limited to iconic structures in the context of the Middle East, particularly the iconic structures in Dubai and Bahrain. The development of iconic structures in different regions and iconic structures identified in the other regions provided a background to the study. Data collection and data analysis were limited to the iconic structures in Dubai and Bahrain. The conclusions and generalizations relate to Dubai, together with other members of the UAE because of close similarities, and the country of Bahrain as well as similarly situated Middle Eastern countries. The data collected and analyzed is qualitative, which meant that the study does not provide measures of variable relationships or numerical data on iconic structures.
Scope of Dissertation
The research paper is divided into seven chapters. Chapter 2 is the literature review. This discussed the concept of iconic structures and the development of iconic structures as a global trend reaching regions that were not previously involved in modern iconology such as the Middle East. The literature review also covered results of studies and texts on iconic structures in the Middle East. Chapter 3 is the methodology. This detailed the research approach, design, and data collection and analysis methods and techniques, the rationale for selection, and the application to the study. Chapter 4 discussed the form and growth of iconic structures in the Middle East by identifying the factors causing this trend and describing the form of iconic structures. Chapter 5 covered the comparative case study of specific modern iconic structures in Dubai and Bahrain. This described the iconic structures and considered similarities and differences. Chapter 6 is the conclusion relative to the data collected and analyzed as well as the research objectives. Chapter 7 is the recommendations on the limitations of the study and the areas for further study.
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