Economical Crisis and the Bilbao Effect

Jan 2009

By David Basulto — Filed under: Architects , Economical Crisis

Guggenheim Bilbao, photo by envisionpublicidad

During the last few months we have been constantly featuring amazing works in ArchDaily, which show the good state of some economies, at least until the economical crisis started to hit.

With the announced tallest tower in the world now on hold, and while big firms in the US are laying off a large amount of their staff (I´ve seen a lot of coleagues with a lot of free time lately….), the inmediate future doesn´t sound promising. This crisis puts and end to an era of mega developments started by the Bilbao Guggenheim by Frank O Ghery, that brought a bonanza that created the stararchitects and put Dubai on the spotlight.

Will the projects that are now on the developer´s desk be put in motion after the crisis is over?

Robert Campbell wrote an interesting article on this on the Boston Globe that i recommend checking out.

What do you think?

27 comments »

Contemporary Art says:

The contemporary art market has dropped off a cliff. We’re in for a rough time. But I try to take the attitude that it’s a good thing. It trims the fat. Whoever’s still around in a year likely deserves to be there, and when the market rebounds the serious people will hopefully be in control of where we go. Let’s keep our fingers crossed!
–
http://www.contemporaryartdaily.com

# January 16, 2009 at 16:30

Hamster says:

We have lived an era of excess and abundance and that has been cristalized in architecture.

Now comes the era of sustaintability…in which we are going to celebrate the carefull use of resources.

# January 16, 2009 at 16:49

Ian says:

I’ll admit, in the last 5 years of excess, I’ve fallen in love with watching the “Design Aesthetic” rush through architecture and industrial design, pushing almost a “designed for the sake of design” ideal. That said, I am looking forward with great anticipation to the next several years to see the subsequent evolution into green and sustainable design and implementation.
These are incredible times in which we live.

# January 16, 2009 at 18:04

roadkill says:

Help save GAZA!

# January 16, 2009 at 20:22

John says:

Archinect has just published a really great feature on the current economy and how it’s affecting the architecture industry.

Checking the Pulse of the Architecture Industry
Part II: the Survey Results
http://archinect.com/features/article.php?id=84596_0_23_0_M

# January 16, 2009 at 20:28

Cameron says:

Roadkill you have the perfect forum and my support. Humanitarian comments/efforts are more important than aesthetics at the moment.

# January 17, 2009 at 05:41

Tom in London says:

I hope that’s the end of vanity architecture, built as part of the Society of the Spectacle, to impress and mystify people and make them compliant. I hope we can now start building what we actually need.

# January 17, 2009 at 07:11

Here’s one for roadkill: Architects and planners for justice in Palestine:

http://apjp.org/

# January 17, 2009 at 07:13

Mike Mecanics says:

Hello. As far as I am concerned the crise taken architecture too, if we compare the nominated’s of this edition of the Mies Van de Rohe award and the other editions, it becames hard to see so many “bizzard” buildings, for the cost don´t be so significant. But we still continue seeing, because in every crises some loses other’s wins…

# January 17, 2009 at 09:00

David says:

currently there is no need for “Architecture” or “Architects”. The profession itself is a simulation established in the renaissance. The fact is that we just need some buildings we can use, and it is the task of the Engineers to design efficient and environmentally friendly buildings. They can handle the task more efficiently than the “architects”, and politicians and other experts can set the strategy of what we need and how to achieve it.
so, farewell to architecture!

# January 17, 2009 at 09:38

archizoo says:

I think we are all beginning to accept the crisis as a transformational event, and are in the process of reshaping the profession, and hopefully our clients, as well. It seems that “critical regionalism” (Remember that? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_regionalism) and an intensely local basis and expression are becoming very attractive. http://archizoo.wordpress.com/2008/12/21/my-emerging-new-rules-for-an-emerging-economy/ and http://archizoo.wordpress.com/2008/12/22/re-it-was-fun-until-the-money-ran-out/

# January 17, 2009 at 14:25

i think most architects are shallow and self centred and unless some post Armageddon fab fills the endless blogs across the net the issues that really matter are never discussed.

Stop killing Gaza, boycott israel and stop financing terrorists who find justifiable the murder… do something meaningful and help the people of Gaza and denounce the real terrorists

# January 17, 2009 at 15:13

Sarah says:

It’s great being an architecture student graduating in this economy! Anyone need to hire someone at a starting salary? ::will design for food::

# January 17, 2009 at 16:49

you can always do volunteer work…. lots of good to do in the world

http://www.awb.iohome.net/

# January 17, 2009 at 18:08

Rokas says:

To roadkill-I,as architect am a professional .And we’re talking here abouth some thesis abouth architecture and its place in the world.Will be my country-or not-or will be Gaza or not-the architecture would be as such.And in this discussion as I think, we’ve been discussing abouth-whats an architecture-a monument?A place for people?Or…?

# January 17, 2009 at 18:34

” and politicians and other experts can set the strategy of…”Let’s tell us more anecdotes. David!The humor-it never dies!
As for the question abouth an enginieers…The case from my own practice-one firm was doing office lamps.Designed by engineers.Which wasnt “friendly to use, and so on.We’ve designed a little over their work-the amount of ligtht increased about 30 %…I dont think that engineers isnt needfull.Simply the situaction isnt so simply :)

# January 17, 2009 at 18:42

freq says:

“..and it is the task of the Engineers to design efficient and environmentally friendly buildings. They can handle the task more efficiently than the “architects”, and politicians and other experts can set the strategy of what we need and how to achieve it.”

you’ve obviously never lived in or experienced the built environment of (ex)-socialist countries, or you wouldn’t seriously be peddling this kind crackpot view on a public forum, “David”.
somehow I’m glad that you’re ready to believe what “experts” will tell you, but be aware that said group wouldn’t be interested in your opinions at all- so be glad the world still functions differently – and flame on if you dare.

# January 17, 2009 at 20:24

scarpasez says:

For all of the Israel/Palestine politicos: please keep your respective jingoism and self-righteousness to yourselves. Find a political blog to hash out your differences, if you must. I’m sick to death of the rhetoric from both sides.

it is the task of the Engineers to design efficient and environmentally friendly buildings

You’re joking, right? No doubt there are many creative engineers who engage wonderfully in the design process, but they simply aren’t trained to develop a fully coordinated design response to complex program. It isn’t their job. You may well wish it, or think that all architects do is draw and preen over themselves. You might well think that architects just play with models and draw floor plans. This may even be a delusion you enjoy. But virtually all urban-scale buildings – even the most basic in appearance – that function as they are meant to engaged an architect’s office to manage the process of pulling all of the design together.

Personally, I see much of the architecture of the last decade as a good correlation to general patterns of debt, consumption, and environmental neglect. Western, even Global culture at large – obviously headed up by the US – has put itself in a deep hole. The extravagant designs of the past fifteen or twenty years are surely unsustainable. But great design doesn’t have to die because double-curvature titanium skin is no longer viable. Look to Renzo Piano, William McDonough, and Peter Zumthor as architects who have positioned themselves well to lead the practice in a new direction. Architecture will surely change…expense, sustainability (in all senses) must be considered…but there is in the future vast opportunity for architects to engage in dramatic and exciting design.

# January 17, 2009 at 22:53

yea david that’s an embarassing statement.. but too funny.

angrily replied to it last night already, but archDaily mods dropped my comment, or what? pls. clarify.

# January 18, 2009 at 10:31

oh! .. there it is. so drop my last comment pls ;]

# January 18, 2009 at 10:33

i mean let’s just make energy-efficient buildings that have no negative impact on the environment, that are comfortable to use. that’s the mainstream ideology today.. the word architecture itself is misleading.. “building designer”, or “engineer” – that’s clear enough..
we can just remember how good it was in the past to be an architect..
i bet most people would agree with me..
firmitas, utilitas venustas, what is venustas anyway?
sorry for bothering you all with my posts.

# January 18, 2009 at 11:32

what is venustas anyway?

What do you have against beauty? People are happier in buildings that evoke a sense of well-being and aesthetic delight. And this notion of venustas isn’t mutually exclusive from the utility of environmental consideration. Unless, of course, you think this ugly, in which case, all the best. So memory be damned: I’ll prefer to look forward to a career as an architect synthesizing sustainability with design that intrigues and inspires.

# January 18, 2009 at 15:23

…no hyperlinks here? Ok, “this” above is here:

http://www.archdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/592419672_21-rainforest-interior.jpg

# January 18, 2009 at 15:28

Sorry,but personally I dont feel as “building designer”’cause I design everything.And the word-”designer” is somehow…like an insult?Its like someone says-”hey,you,yes you boy,who makes those funny curves-come on,we’ve finished,if you like you can draw a curved line over!”.I dont feel like a god,if someone tries to accuse “all those architect”.But as scarpasez said,when you know that everything is a part-all the joints physical,mental,social and so on-thats our work-then you understand the difference between “the star-architect(someone like Madonna or Kylie Minoque), an architect,and engineer.
I think,were talking abouth the direction in which “the star-architects”which hits our imagination with the buildings like no one has saw as a SHAPE will go from the scene.Will it be so?The life will show.Only one thing I want to remind-the Sydney opera house-which was build long ago-not in the last fifteen years,or that Wrights “fallingwater” was made just after the Great Depression.

# January 18, 2009 at 15:37

freddy wolf says:

I ‘ve read in architectural press that Bilbao is considering plans for another new museum because of the recession in tourism. This time a few kilometers out of town, as a new jumpstarter for architectural visits. Because a full visit to this city takes about a weekend, they hope to convince tourists to stay longer than four days and pair this with visits to neighbouring cities with architecture-awareness like Santander and San Sebastian.

# January 19, 2009 at 09:22

… using the Foster-designed metro infrastructure of course :-)

# January 19, 2009 at 09:24