Publications

Through the economic recession that hit many cities in the last two decades, people have experienced a real crisis at all levels; low wages, currency devaluation, general deterioration in the standard of living. Although some of these cities have historical architecture which supposed to generate high income, but unfortunately they became lost in limbo amid the winds of globalization. Very few decision-makers, who have long-term vision, decide to find a real solution to this crisis through establishing one iconic building project that is expected to make a change to this city from locality to internationality. With judicious eye, this paper, therefore, analyzes three different experiences that proved obvious development; Guggenheim Bilbao Museum, Library of Alexandria, and Petronas Twin Towers of Kuala Lumpur as valuable case-studies and how they change their cities from locality to be attractive international points on the 'global map of cultural cities'. The paper will study the economic situation of these cities before and after building the three projects and how their design languages caused an architectural booming that made these cities regain their powerful position all over the world, from the cultural and civilized weight. Finally, the paper sets a group of conclusions. Most important of them is: Changing people's destiny and making them live happier is not so difficult matter, but it needs the right vision that may become true through one building project.