Rosser, Stephen Francis (2022) Rebuilding the City of London in the age of global markets: a study of architectural discourse. PhD thesis, Birkbeck, University of London.
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Abstract
This thesis is concerned with public discourse on the subject of architecture, as relating to four significant developments in the late-twentieth century City of London. It sets out from two reference-points: first, the 1980s deregulation of London’s financial markets labelled ‘Big Bang’ and its consequences for the City’s mode of operation and general culture; and second, the reshaping of the City’s built environment, a process commencing in the Big Bang era and continuing into the new century. The thesis seeks both to explore the extent and nature of interaction between those two themes and to examine how far discussion of the City’s new architecture reflects or, as the case may be, diverges from the generality of architectural discourse relevant to this period. In only one of the case studies examined – Broadgate – does the discourse display an unambiguous relationship between the development project and the Big Bang City. In the other cases a connection between the two themes can be detected, but it emerges in more nuanced form, whether by way of purely circumstantial factors; perception of City finance and City architecture as existing in a state of tension; or extension of the City context into the contemporary political environment. The four developments were major projects of the time and their reception reflected broader strands of contemporary architectural discourse. What distinguishes the response to these projects within the general body of discourse relating to late- twentieth century British architecture is partly one of degree, these cases presenting contemporary strands of debate in a notably complete or focussed way. Otherwise what most marks out the response to these projects is the fact of their location in the City of London, a setting which has remained wholly distinctive in character, function and history.
Metadata
| Item Type: | Thesis |
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| Copyright Holders: | The copyright of this thesis rests with the author, who asserts his/her right to be known as such according to the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988. No dealing with the thesis contrary to the copyright or moral rights of the author is permitted. |
| Depositing User: | Acquisitions And Metadata |
| Date Deposited: | 25 Aug 2022 15:00 |
| Last Modified: | 01 Nov 2023 15:42 |
| URI: | https://eprints.bbk.ac.uk/id/eprint/48996 |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.18743/PUB.00048996 |
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