Architecture today is responsible for a great part of the tourism industry.

Egypt is represented by its pyramids, India by the Taj Mahal and France

by the Eiffel Tower. But what is it that makes a building so iconic that

people will travel miles for it?

According to the magazine Malaysian Business, there are several key

factors that cause a property to be iconic. These include concept, meaning

that a structure is “architecturally brilliant” and unique”, value which

means that it should involve “major… investment” and land area, viability

(located in a business center), innovation, reception (become a tourist

attraction) and sustainability. < Chong, Yvonne…”A Look at Local Iconic

Architecture”, p24.>

These factors are however, contradictory because a building may not be a

tourist attraction yet a wonderful example of unique architecture. An

iconic structure neither requires extensive funding nor needs to be in a

business center. A simple structure in a quiet place can be iconic.

An example of this is Thorncrown Chapel which was visualized by

architect E. Fay Johns. Although it is small, located in woodland and was

built on a relatively tiny budget of $ 180,000, it is still perceived as iconic

because of the wonderful way in which it blends with its surroundings.

Although it is not as big a tourist attraction as the Empire State Building,

for example, it was voted as one of the top 10 buildings of the 20th century
by the American Institute of Architects. <Ivy, Robert. "Thorncrown Chapel

still beckons.">

Cleo Broda defines iconic architecture as a large-scale structure with

cutting-edge design that is instantly recognizable to the general public. It

should also be commissioned by a renowned architect. Often it serves as

headquarters for an organization (an example is the Chrysler Building).

<Broda, Cleo. "An examination of a series of small structures against the

criteria for defining iconic architecture" >

Iconic architecture seems to be worldwide, the same in every country-

architecture that if removed from Paris would fit just as well in Melbourne

or New York. Melbourne Museum is an instance of such international

architecture with an “aesthetic” that represents the “idea of modernism”

and defines Melbourne as an “international location” without attributing it

to a certain country. <Jungwirth, Tamara, and Amber Wallis. " Filming

Melbourne’s Iconic Architecture.">

One of the problems with recognizing iconic architecture is that it is not as

simple to classify as it depends on individual tastes. Today, iconic

architecture is very much controversial. An example is the conflict

between Alsop Architects and the Liverpool City Council over “The Cloud”

in 2004 although the council approved the design before construction

even began. Architects are also becoming increasingly worried about the

functionality of iconic buildings. <Hurst, Will, Charlie Gates, and Damian

Arnold. "End of the iconic age?"

Charles Jencks, as it is defined by the “icon”, it must be simplified in some

ways which obviously means that some of the meaning is lost. This is a

problem because iconic architecture depends mainly on the ‘idea’ or the

‘concept’ behind it. Many other architects believe that iconic architecture

is simply a fad that replaced the monumental architecture so revered

before it. Jencks disagrees, stating that it will stay, because of its immense

popularity with the people and the money it earns. An example that he

mentions is the Bilbao Museum designed in 1997 by Frank Gehry.

<Jencks, Charles. "The iconic building is here to stay">

In my personal opinion, for a building to be iconic, it need not be world-

famous or receive millions of visitors each year. Neither does it need to be

controversial. It should fulfill the basic requirement of being architecture

while having slightly more. That is to say, it should be aesthetically

pleasing and fulfill a function. To be iconic though, it needs to be

memorable, especially beautiful or with some other unique feature that

creates an appeal to the general public. While some people may view

certain controversial structures as iconic, a truly iconic building will have

unanimous agreement on its status.

<The Fourth Grace. "BBC Liverpool - Arresting Scenes." >

"BBC Liverpool - Arresting Scenes." bbc.co.uk, n.p., n.d. Web.25

Sept.2010.

<http://www.bbc.co.uk/liverpool/culture/2004/06/archweek/alsop/calendar

Pop5.html >

Broda, Cleo. "An examination of a series of small structures against the

criteria for defining iconic architecture" City: analysis of urban trends,

culture, theory, policy, action 10.1 (2006). 25 Sep. 2010.

Chong, Yvonne; Cheah Chor Sooi; Gurmeet Kaur; Mior Azhar; Johannes

Ridu. "A Look at Local 'Iconic' Properties" Malaysian Business. 16 July

2009. P. 24. Web.

Hurst, Will, Charlie Gates, and Damian Arnold. "End of the iconic age?."

Building Design 1635 (2004): 1. Business Source Complete. EBSCO. Web.

25 Sept. 2010.

Ivy, Robert. "Thorncrown Chapel still beckons." Architectural Record 194.6

(2006): 200-201. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 25 Sept. 2010.

Jencks, Charles. "The iconic building is here to stay" City: analysis of urban

trends, culture, theory, policy, action 10.1 (2006). 25 Sep. 2010

http://www.informaworld.com/10.1080/13604810600594605
Jungwirth, Tamara, and Amber Wallis. "Filming Melbourne’s Iconic

Architecture." Metro 151 (2007): 68-70. Communication & Mass Media

Complete. EBSCO. Web. 25 Sept. 2010.