Constructing Identity in Contemporary Architecture

The spread of uniform modes of production, cultural values and social patterns has been accompanied by a dissemination of stereotypes of "modern" architecture styles almost everywhere around the globe. This is to document "modernity" and affiliation to what is perceived as the leading international trend. Paradoxically, though not unexpectedly, the reverse process has also emerged: National governments, as well as leading social and economic groups of a given society, feel the necessity to counterbalance the "loss of identity" and defend their own cultures against the "intruding" and overwhelming forces of globalization. What started as a defensive notion has developed into a more progressive attempt to re-create what has allegedly been lost. This trend is being strongly expressed in discourses about architecture in countries of the South where the question of identity emerged in an attempt to counteract the accelerated globalization process.

This book provides answers to questions such as: What does identity mean in a specific context? How are these new identities in architecture created in various parts of the world? Who are the actors feeling compelled to "construct" new identities? And, which are the ingredients borrowed from various historical and ethnic traditions and other sources? These and other questions are discussed in five case studies from different parts of the world, written by renowned scholars from Brazil (Ruth Verde Zein), Mexico (Susanne Dussel), Egypt (Khaled Asfour), India (Rahul Mehrotra) and Singapore (William Lim).