"Stararchitects"

Yesterday I read an interesting article in a Catalan newspaper. The article talked about all the building projects that the Catalan government had to stop because of our bad economic situation. All these projects are important buildings in the city, huge projects that will be a reference point in the city, like university buildings, parks, museums...

The main problem that the article talked about is the huge cost of the construction of these buildings but in my opinion, the problem comes from the desire of some politicians who want to have buildings in the city designed by famous architects. They want iconic buildings in the city that will become famous around the world, buildings as merchandizing products, designs for magazines and tourists not for the city and the community's needs.

I'm not saying that the "stararchitects" don't build great buildings, I'm saying that there are a lot of good architects who can build more affordable buildings because they have lower fees. Also sometimes these famous architects design projects like a brand to sell because it is fashionable and modern. It's like wearing a Louis Vuitton coat instead of hand-made coat. The first one is more expensive and it is fashionable but that doesn't mean that it is more comfortable. What I mean is that local architects can make great buildings, affordable and serving the community needs and that is better for the city and the economy.