Long before the term ‘starchitects’ was coined, the 20th century witnessed the rise of architects to new levels of international prominence. In striking contrast to earlier examples of famous architects, Le Corbusier and Walter Gropius were not only known for specific architectural achievements, but rather as signifiers of the promise of the modern world: rationally organized cities, private spaces allowing for new emancipated life-styles and generally all the expectations coming with technological progress and the rise of planning. As successful architects, they embraced new models of architectural mediageneity. Their skills as publicists, organizers, and media theoreticians enabled them to assume a ‘Technocelebrity,’ the celebritized embodiment of technology and technocracy. Their immense, enduring allure as the protagonists of the Modern Movement is arguably based on the combination of architectural appeal with intentional mediatization. In this presentation, I will introduce my investigation into how and why Le Corbusier and Walter Gropius became the first celebrity architects.
Bio: Natalia Kvitkova is a PhD candidate and part of the KU Leuven project “The Rise of the ‘Technocelebrity’. The Politics of Social Expertise in the Public Careers of Le Corbusier and Walter Gropius.” She investigates the entangled and reciprocal processes that produce architectural celebrity and its connections to mass media and society. Her wider research deals with the social, cultural, and political ramifications of post-war architecture: from housing estates to the obsolescence of the socialist modernist urban landscape post-1989 and the conditions defined by neoliberal logics on urban space.
NB: because entrance to campus currently requires a Columbia ID, please reach out to Matthew Lopez ([email protected]) by Monday, April 21 if you require guest access this event. Due to campus restrictions we are unable to honor last-minute requests.
