Between responsibility and starchitecture

The brand is an aggregate of elements that differentiate one product from another: name (used to identify a company, product, service or concept), logo (corporate identity), tagline (slogan) but also distinctive forms, colors, sounds, smells, tastes, movements. In architecture, we can talk about the building itself as a brand, an identity landmark (socio-cultural, historical, economic hub etc.) at community, regional, territorial or national level; building as a tool for brand promotion (commercial); the architect as brand (transmitter of valuable concepts / creator of recognizable forms). Starchitects are renowned for a particular "signature" design linked to a representative public building becoming particularly famous. After the 2008 world economic crisis lesson, public opinion questions how our buildings perform socially, environmentally and economically in sustainability terms. On the other hand, the media commercialization process is rather biased and dismissive, recently depicting the image of a sole architect-creator, as social insensitive, unethical and destructive. Is this the time for a paradigm shift and the legitimate rise of the social responsible architect, the activist type focused on locatecture and thus regaining community sympathy?