Architecture is not just about designing beautiful buildings and merely just for aesthetics. Good Architecture is a driving force for economic growth for any given place. The history of many cities around the world can pay a testament to this and even today, most cities continue to do so. The cities in this article represent examples of instances where architecture has influenced or influences the economy of a city.
1. Dubai | Economy of a city
Elevating itself from a cluster of fishing villages to a worldwide business hub, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has undergone dramatic change over the past few decades. During the 1960s and 1970s, Architecture in the UAE was heavily influenced by the desert landscape, culture, and readily available materials.
During the 1980s UAE experienced globalization and this was the awakening of a new UAE, making it the wealthiest country in the Gulf. Having been heavily dependent on oil and the core form of the country’s income, the country decided to branch into other streams of income. Deciding to get into tourism, Architecture was one of the branches the UAE decided to get into.
One city, among others, that did a tremendous job at this was Dubai. Today, Dubai is marked as a top luxury tourist destination, and a lot of hard work, time, and money was put into the making of this city; and it continues to be. Now home to the world’s tallest building (Burj Khalifa), the jaw-dropping Architecture in Dubai pulls in billions of tourists every year to experience the Middle-Eastern wonderland. This of course has had an impeccable impact on the city’s economy bringing it to an incredible high. The architecture is very modern but continues to carry elements of its heritage from Islamic, Arabian, and Persian culture, truly making it a middle western wonderland. Other notable buildings in Dubai include Burj Al Arab, Cayan Tower, Atlantis, and the palm.
Image b The Burj Al Arab. The world’s 7-star hotel. ©https://emerging-europe.com
2. Barcelona
Having had gotten its influences from foreign styles like Italian and French, Barcelona was able to create its signature style. Gaudi, who was a huge influence on Architecture in Barcelona helped shape its identity through his use of color and imagination. These bright, colorful and flowing buildings became a badge to the city by enriching not only the culture of the people but the economy of the city. Today, many people travel to Barcelona from all parts of the world to see some notable places like Sagrada Familia, Jean Novel Agbar tower, Casa Mila, Casa Batllo, and the Palace of Catalan Music.
3. Istanbul | Economy of a city
Some say if the world had one capital, it would be Istanbul and there’s no surprise why. The rich history of this former Byzantine capital not only lies in its culture but its architecture. Every different era in this city created architectural pieces that paid tribute to its principles and so historical mosques, churches, synagogues, palaces, castles, and towers are placed all around the city. Architecture that dates as far back as 479 BC can still be seen in the city today among many other remarkable landmarks.
However, in this modern-day and age, modern architecture is also marking its place in the city. A lot of efforts have been driven towards the preservation of older buildings and the creation of new modern ones. All these efforts towards the Architecture in Istanbul, and many other parts of Turkey, have had a tremendous impact on the economy of the city. Some of the most popular places include Hagia Sophia, Galata Tower, Blue Mosque, Grand Bazaar, and the new Istanbul airport.
4. Marrakech
Architecture in Marrakech truly pays testament to the rich cultural heritage that dates back to many centuries. Also known as the red city for its red sandstone buildings, Marrakech was also a cultural and religious center. Today, it is one of the busiest cities in Africa and serves as a huge economic center and tourist destination. Despite the economic recession, architecture in Marrakech, particularly real estate and hotel development, have grown dramatically over the century.
5. Paris
Paris is a city filled with notable architecture dating from the middle age to the 21st century. It was the birthplace of many architectural styles making it a pioneer in Architecture. French renaissance, classical revival, belle epoque, art nouveau, and art deco are just among some of the different styles that have been brought forth to the world by the city of Paris.
A lot of these buildings played a role in reflecting the era it was currently in and today these buildings show the history of Paris. A lot of parliaments, monuments, and religious buildings are just examples of the great pieces of art left today. It is undoubtedly for this reason that architecture had a massive role to play in the economic growth of the city. Today the practice of contemporary architecture in the city gives a whole different and fresh perspective. The hotel Berlier, Le Monde, and Flower tower are some examples of modern architecture while the antique globally recognized buildings include The church of Notre Dame, the Basilica of Sacre Coeur.
6. Beijing | Economy of a city
An important world capital and global power city, Beijing is one of the world’s leading centers for culture, diplomacy, and politics, business and economy, education, language and science, and technology. It’s no surprise that architecture has had a huge role to play on the economic growth of the city and vice versa. Beijing is one of the oldest cities in the world with remarkable traditional and modern architecture. The city is known for its opulent palaces, temples, parks, gardens, tombs, walls, and gates and is also home to seven UNESCO world heritage sites.
