No More Gehry Greats?

There's no doubt that the economic downturn is affecting architecture. Even while big, showy hotels dominate in Dubai, builders in many parts of the world are putting projects on hold. Some critics say that belt-tightening will bring an end to flashy architecture like Frank Gehry's Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain.

"Just as one feels a page turning with the arrival of a new American president, so a page is turning, once again, in the history of architecture," says Robert Campbell of the Boston Globe. Campbell predicts that tomorrow's buildings will be more pragmatic and energy-efficient than anything Frank Gehry has designed.

OK, but we have to wonder: With the push toward thrift and practicality, what happens to art and inspiration?

More:

• Marking the end of 'The Bilbao Decade', the Boston Globe
• Global Downturn Dooms Prestige Construction Projects, Spiegel Online
• Goodbye, Icons; Hello Infrastructure, Chicago Tribune

^{Disney Concert Hall Photo © David McNew/Getty Images}