Situating architectural performance: ‘star architecture’ and its roles in repositioning the cities of Graz, Lucerne and Wolfsburg

Star architecture, often associated with the Bilbao effect, does not universally follow the logic of international economic competition. Instead, medium-sized cities like Graz, Lucerne, and Wolfsburg employ it for distinction within their nation-states or to reinvent internal dynamics, often with expressive and symbolic significance rather than purely instrumental outcomes. This study challenges the overarching narrative of replicability by analyzing three case studies: Kunsthaus in Graz, Culture and Congress Centre Lucerne, and Phaeno Science Centre in Wolfsburg. It emphasizes the relational situatedness and plurality of roles star architecture plays in urban regeneration, highlighting its socio-cultural performance beyond economic investment.

Alaily-Mattar, N., Bartmanski, D., Dreher, J., Koch, M., Löw, M., Pape, T., & Thierstein, A. (2021). Situating architectural performance: ‘star architecture’ and its roles in repositioning the cities of Graz, Lucerne and Wolfsburg. Dislocation: Awkward Spatial Transitions, 174–200. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003133551-11