Abstract
The iconic building is here to stay? Charles Jencks contrasts the view that asserts the buildings’ staying power with that of, for example Deyan Sudjic, who argues that it is a short‐lived phenomenon and about to disappear. It will stay, Jencks argues, because iconic buildings reflect the dominance of powerful forces and the decline of others. He sees the struggle for a religious dimension as essentially lost (contra Christopher Baker, ‘Religious faith in the exurban community’ in City 9:1, pp 109–123). At best, these buildings bring together conflicting metaphors and embody cosmic meanings. They can then tend towards meaning, but they can also tend towards meaninglessness. Jencks weighs up the pros and cons of these ‘enigmatic signifiers’ and explores the possible elements of a code of good practice which could ‘neutralise those embarrassing mistakes that come with any high‐risk venture.’
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