Visibility and symbolism of corporate architecture: A multi-method approach for visual impact assessment

Author:

Talamini Gianni1ORCID,Liu Ting1ORCID,El-Khoury Roula2ORCID,Shao Di1ORCID

Affiliation:

1. Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

2. School of Architecture and Design, Department of Architecture and Interior Design, Lebanese American University, Beirut, Lebanon

Abstract

The global neoliberal cityscape is one of the most iconic products of contemporary urbanization. Inborn to international financial hubs such as New York, London, and Hong Kong, the dense concentration of high-rise bank headquarters became a powerful branding tool in the growing competition to attract foreign investment. Despite the extraordinary international attention this cityscape has attracted, there is a paucity of scientific research on its morphological principles and the gap between its visibility and perception. With a focus on Hong Kong, this study develops an innovative multi-method research design, combining historical investigation, a newly advanced visual impact assessment method, and a survey of a random probability population sample. The historical investigation reveals a volitional attempt to preserve visibility from key vantage points. The comparative assessment of bank headquarters and other corporate buildings, regarding both their visibility and perceived impact on the city’s image, demonstrates a gap between visibility and buildings’ perceived importance. The results illustrate the effective semiotic use of architecture, shedding light on how the symbolism of architectural form can consolidate neoliberal hegemony on the basis of shared perception. This study’s novelty lies in its multi-method approach and methodological advancement in terms of visibility analysis, while its significance is its potential application across a vast geographic area by scholars, designers, planners, and policymakers.

Funder

City University of Hong Kong

Publisher

SAGE Publications

Subject

Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law,Nature and Landscape Conservation,Urban Studies,Geography, Planning and Development,Architecture

Reference62 articles.

1. Abramson DM, Daniel M (2005) Building the Bank of England: Money, Architecture, Society. New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press, 1694–1942.

2. Aesthetic design thinking model for urban environments: A survey based on a review of the literature

3. Symbolism in bank marketing and architecture: the headquarters of National Provincial Bank of England

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