ABSTRACT

This article explores design debates through a radical political lens. Examining ways in which architects, urban historians and townscape consultants view speculative office developments and profit-driven building height in the City of London, I argue for the democratization of the cityscape. I contest the prevalence of the consensual city-image in which towers are framed as structures that visual enhance historic landmarks and buildings of 'civic importance' in order to emphasize the importance of critically engaging with consensual pro-market governing processes and the role of tradition therein. Distinguishing between radical aestheticization and conservative beautification, I show how the Royal Fine Art Commission cultivated the latter and prepared the ground for today’s city-image. I suggest that design review can contribute to democratic urbanization processes if a radical conceptualization of aesthetics is being developed.

摘要

本文通过激进的政治视角探讨了设计辩论。通过研究建筑师、城市历史学家和城市景观顾问如何看待伦敦金融城的投机性办公楼开发和以利润为导向的建筑高度，我主张城市景观的民主化。我对共识城市形象的盛行提出质疑，在这种形象中，塔楼被设计为在视觉上增强历史地标和“公民重要性”建筑的结构，以强调批判性地参与共识亲市场治理过程和传统作用的重要性其中。我区分了激进的审美化和保守的美化，展示了皇家美术委员会如何培育后者并为今天的城市形象奠定基础。