Starchitects, Emblematic Buildings and the Effects on Urban Economies

Emblematic buildings, constructed by the leading ¿artists¿ in this field or ¿starchitects¿ such as Lord Norman Foster, Frank Gehry, Santiago Calatrava, Jean Nouvel are exactly the new dimension that is capable solving the problems of businesses and achieve sustainable growth. Case studies of Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, ¿the Gherkin¿ in London, Sydney Opera House are vivid examples of how an emblematic building is capable of achieving synergy from exterior design, internal environment and operational purposefulness. This paper discussed the economic, social, environmental, touristic and commercial impact that iconic structure can generate. Construction of emblematic buildings allows gaining synergy from the external and internal factors and achieving outstanding positive impact on regional development.