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Architecture and national identity in an era of globalisation: the rise and fall of the Sydney Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour
Citation
Orr, K, Architecture and national identity in an era of globalisation: the rise and fall of the Sydney Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour, Proceedings of the 13th Australasian Urban History Planning History Conference (UHPH 2016), 31 January - 03 February 2016, Surfer's Paradise, Queensland, pp. 327-339. ISBN 9780646956893 (2016) [Refereed Conference Paper]
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Copyright Statement
Copyright 2016 Australasian UHPH Group
Official URL: https://www.griffith.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file...
Abstract
The Sydney Exhibition Centre by Philip Cox was conceived as an iconic building and
recognised by the Sulman Award for its innovative steel technology, logical response to
function and distinctive roofscape. It was one of a number of buildings constructed at
Darling Harbour for Australia’s Bicentenary in 1988, intended to showcase the best in
Australian architecture and symbolise Sydney’s cultural identity. Darling Harbour’s
redevelopment from a disused shipping yard is an example of an urban environment
constructed around the creation and representation of iconic forms, to be enjoyed by
locals and tourists alike. This paper examines the iconic status of the Sydney Exhibition
Centre through a brief review of the literature published at the time of its design. Using
the framework established by Robert Adam in The Globalisation of Modern Architecture
(2012), it interrogates the interrelationships between iconicity, identity politics and the
complexity of the global condition that provide the context for the building’s demolition
in 2014. Also considered is the role played by the Transnational Capitalist Class, which
has been defined by Leslie Sklair (2005, 2006) and identified as crucial to the lifecycle of
iconic architecture. The circumstances of the Sydney Exhibition Centre’s demise
demonstrate the fragility of iconicity and the fluidity of symbolic expression, and provide
insights into the remaking of built environments and heritage values.
Item Details
| Item Type: | Refereed Conference Paper |
|---|---|
| Keywords: | globalisation, architecture, national identity, Sydney Exhibition Centre |
| Research Division: | Built Environment and Design |
| Research Group: | Architecture |
| Research Field: | Architectural History and Theory |
| Objective Division: | Cultural Understanding |
| Objective Group: | Understanding Past Societies |
| Objective Field: | Understanding Australia's Past |
| UTAS Author: | Orr, K (Professor Kirsten Orr) |
| ID Code: | 109802 |
| Year Published: | 2016 |
| Deposited By: | Architecture and Design |
| Deposited On: | 2016-07-03 |
| Last Modified: | 2018-03-20 |
| Downloads: | 4 View Download Statistics |
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