The Role of the Public Institution in Iconic Architectural Development

Abstract

Research on iconic architecture has typically explained its popularity with reference to global political-economic trends like neo-liberalism and urban entrepreneurialism, but the role of the immediate clients has often been overlooked. Quantitative analysis demonstrates that the majority of these clients are public cultural institutions. In order to explain the affinity between this organisational form and iconic architecture, this paper develops a model of the public institution based on its need to establish public legitimacy and attract outside support. To develop this model further, the paper presents a comparative case study of two museum expansion projects in Toronto: Daniel Libeskind’s Royal Ontario Museum and Frank Gehry’s Art Gallery of Ontario. The study addresses the underlying motivations behind the projects, the role of global political-economic trends and how the unique logic of the public institution structured the development process itself.