Vertical Europe - The Sociology of High-rise Construction. Habilitationsschrift

In den letzten zwei Jahrzehnten sind weltweit so viele Hochhäuser gebaut worden wie nie zuvor. Auch in Europa, wo lange Zeit vor allem Kirchtürme und Schornsteine vertikale Akzente setzten, prägen sie vermehrt das Gesicht der Städte. Die neuere monumentale Architektur ist mit vielfältigen Versprechen, Begehrlichkeiten und Befürchtungen verknüpft. Am Beispiel von Paris, London und Wien diskutiert diese Studie, welche Vorstellungen von Urbanität dabei im Spiel sind. Sie verortet das vertikale Bauen im Spannungsfeld von globalisierten Vergleichshorizonten und städtischem Eigensinn.

More high-rises have been built worldwide over the past two decades than ever before. Even in Europe, where vertical accents have traditionally been placed by steeples and chimneys, towering buildings are increasingly shaping the face of cities. This new monumental architecture is associated with a variety of promises, desires and fears. Based on the examples of Paris, London and Vienna, this study discusses the concepts of urbanity that come into play here. It contextualizes vertical construction in the field of tension between globalized horizons of comparison on the one hand and urban specificity on the other.

List of contents

IIntroduction7
1Point of departure, research question7
2Research design-Methodological approach, empirical material11
3Structure of the study16
IITheoretical points of reference19
1Simmel's concept of "spatial form" as a starting point19
2Tracing urban specificity20
3City, globalization, fields of observation34
4Architecture as "built society"38
5Contours of sociological high-rise research46
IIIVertical construction between globalized patterns and local specificity-Case studies of European metropolises53
1Formative constellations, translation dynamics53
2Paris62
2.1A ring road as a picture frame64
2.2"Delanoë a plus d'une tour dans son sac"77
2.3Opposing voices84
2.4 Images of Paris and the fixation on beauty88
2.5Omnipresent London and distance from the city's own history93
3London99
3.1The "patchwork" principle and an extraterritorial, surveilled center102
3.2Verticalization as a tour de force-Building practice and justifications111
3.3"The skyline of London is out of control"-Unease in the verticalized city120
3.4Global city, hierarchical interpretation, and dissociation from "the Continent"124
4Vienna129
4.1Fragile refortification of the center and the Danube as a social boundary134
4.2"Vienna is growing again"-Where high-rises (still) promise modernity143
4.3Cat-and-mouse games with UNESCO-Critique of Viennese building practice154
4.4Images of the city-Vienna between morbidity and regained centrality159
4.5Dominant East-West axis of perspective163
IVForms of use and symbolism of tall buildings167
1Local production of meaning-High-rises and urban specificity167
2The role and perception of "iconic" architects173
3"Monsters of the mere market"-High-rises, capitalism, and the logic of one-upmanship178
4Conclusion180
Notes183
Bibliography219
Acknowledgments251

About the author

Andrea Glauser ist Privatdozentin am Soziologischen Seminar der Universität Luzern und lehrt qualitative Forschungsmethoden an der Hochschule Luzern.

Summary

In den letzten zwei Jahrzehnten sind weltweit so viele Hochhäuser gebaut worden wie nie zuvor. Auch in Europa, wo lange Zeit vor allem Kirchtürme und Schornsteine vertikale Akzente setzten, prägen sie vermehrt das Gesicht der Städte. Die neuere monumentale Architektur ist mit vielfältigen Versprechen, Begehrlichkeiten und Befürchtungen verknüpft. Am Beispiel von Paris, London und Wien diskutiert diese Studie, welche Vorstellungen von Urbanität dabei im Spiel sind. Sie verortet das vertikale Bauen im Spannungsfeld von globalisierten Vergleichshorizonten und städtischem Eigensinn.

More high-rises have been built worldwide over the past two decades than ever before. Even in Europe, where vertical accents have traditionally been placed by steeples and chimneys, towering buildings are increasingly shaping the face of cities. This new monumental architecture is associated with a variety of promises, desires and fears. Based on the examples of Paris, London and Vienna, this study discusses the concepts of urbanity that come into play here. It contextualizes vertical construction in the field of tension between globalized horizons of comparison on the one hand and urban specificity on the other.

Product details

• Authors: Andrea Glauser, Jessica Spengler
• Publisher: Campus Verlag
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 19.06.2019
• EAN: 9783593510163
• ISBN: 978-3-593-51016-3
• No. of pages: 252
• Dimensions: 141 mm x 228 mm x 16 mm
• Weight: 326 g
• Subject: Social sciences, law, business > Sociology > Urban and regional sociology