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FROM THE CITY TO THE METROPOLITAN AREA

B. Podhalanski

Abstract

The current pace of urbanization is so rapid that, as of the moment of the writing of this article, more than half of the world's population lives in cities. This causes the eyes of many researchers from many different fields to focus on them. This essay illustrates the relations that shape the influence of technology, architecture, ecology and society on the functioning of and the form that cities take. The technical death of many buildings and structures, which have until recently met the expectations of the inhabitants of cities, is starting to claim its victims quicker than ever. The most valued buildings, the ones that are the most recognized for their aesthetics, are given the chance to continue their existence and functioning. They are being set against new buildings that are being given forms that form striking contrasts with the surrounding structures. These are becoming alienated from their surroundings, sticking out from a built environment that has been shaped by the local cultural legacy. When discussing newly designed buildings in urban areas, a key element of assuring the success of a building in the spheres of marketing and commerce is a striking architectural form. It must shock its viewers enough so that it draws the attention of architectural critics, achieve the rank of an iconic building and, as a result, receive widespread attention in the media. The problems of ecology or those that are related to society are being overlooked in the face of the chase for maximum profit from a particular piece of real estate. This is one of the reasons why we can observe the phenomenon of cities spreading into metropolitan regions.

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