Jencks, Charles — The Iconic Building

New York, NY, Rizzoli, 2005. Hardcover. Amish blue cloth, blue & color illus. dust jacket, 234 pp. many color illus. "Public architecture is now required to be an amazing piece of surreal sculpture as well as something that appeals to a diverse audience -- at once provocative and practical yet without the context that religion and ideology once provided. Such contrary demands drive the architect toward a new convention: the enigmatic signifier. This curious sign suggests many meanings without naming any of them. The most publiczed version of the genre, Frank Gehry's New Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, 1997, became an instant media event that forced other architects to design event buildings routinely. This 'Bilbao Effect' has led to a series of landmark buildings.. While negative reaction has continued to grow, the iconic building is with us to stay. Charles Jencks lucidly helps us separate the best of these new buildings from the mediocre ones." (dj). VG (Slight rubbing to heel of binding spine, otherwise crisp and clean.) .