Essay

Famous architecture can be instantly recognized from anywhere in the world. You can see a photograph of a famous building, and get an instant sense of its larger context like its location’s culture, architect’s style, and timely era. In other words, famous architecture can become iconic. But, why does this happen? Why do some buildings get all the fame, while others sit quietly by, doing their respective “jobs”? And perhaps the more pertinent question becomes — Do you want your architecture to reach iconic heights, putting it in the realm of famous architecture, instantly recognized by people everywhere?

There are certain qualities that seem to follow suit when it comes to famous architecture. These qualities are authenticity, uniqueness and whether or not the building is innovative in any way. You see, authenticity shows that a building sits within its surrounding context well, while contributing toward it in its own right. Uniqueness lends itself toward famous architecture because it helps a building stand out from the rest, becoming memorable and highly sought after. And the innovative qualities of a building are important because if it creates a “first-time” for something, then it is creating history. In fact, famous architecture does just that. It becomes a part of history — standing the test of time and serving the people who visit as it does so.

Yet, we should not forget the power of flight and publication as contributing factors toward what makes a famous architecture so iconic. You see, flight allows people to travel all over the world to visit architecture for themselves. Some architecture becomes more popular than others to visit — and this creates the fame. Another factor that contributes toward architecture becoming famous is publication. With photographs of buildings being printed in books, magazines, and newspapers — this allows people to virtually “visit” buildings, giving them the sense that they know the building for themselves. This becomes even more exaggerated with social media today, where friends share travel photos of architecture with their friends (all over the world) and instantly architecture can achieve fame.

The key to why certain buildings reach the status of becoming famous architecture is perhaps because of the experiential qualities of a particular building. Some experiences are so great, that they must be preserved, shared, and re-visited again and again. So, on your quest to create famous architecture remember to create truly authentic, unique, and innovative experiences for visitors. This will carry your work far on its quest to become known by the many.

Image Credit: © ricardodiaz11 | Flickr