Summary

This sumptuously illustrated book looks at why the world's most interesting buildings are becoming the hottest destinations for today's travelers. In the last few decades architecture has become a major focus for travelers, rather than merely a part of a larger itinerary. Illustrated with nearly one hundred color photographs, this series of provocative essays and contributions by leading scholars, critics, architects, and artists explores the role of architecture in the contemporary tourist imagination. From Mont Saint Michel and the Taj Mahal to Bilbao's Guggenheim Museum and the Blur Building in Switzerland's Lake Neuchâtel, the authors focus on how certain iconic buildings have found their way into the cultural consciousness. At the same time they offer insights as to why other buildings, such as Minnesota's Mall of America and the faux architecture of Las Vegas, have become integral to their regions' tourist economy-and postulate how this success will influence architecture of the future. ILLUSTRATIONS: 116 colour 25 b/w