Architecture and Culture – Building in the Tension of Increasing Global Interaction
von Andrea Rieger-Jandl
In a world of rapid cultural transformation there is a growing need to introduce the theme of “culture” in architecture. This book presents an interdisciplinary approach towards the role of culture in the built environment from the perspective of social sciences and cultural studies. The meanings of such topics as globalization, identity, tradition or homogenization are examined in relation to architectural issues using a cross-cultural approach.
Contemporary architects have to face a world without certainties. They are requested to design for a broad variety of cultural environments necessitating a number of new considerations for meeting cultural challenges. New approaches and guidelines are called for that cannot be found in the discipline of architecture alone.
Reflecting cultural changes and globalization processes from various viewpoints will provide us with an almost unlimited potential for creative transformations. By making the “cultural issue” a topic – also and especially in the field of architecture – such creative transformations can give rise to a wide range of new architectural forms and features that will be unique in their expressions and far away from the much discussed “homogeneous global pulp”.