At the turn of the century, the globalizing and urbanizing world began to compete for the attention of influential architects, master planners, and buildings of the highest quality. Attracting Foster and Partners or Zaha Hadid became a matter of national prestige for many capitals. Yet today, a generation of European starchitects is gradually leaving the stage, and the next generation seems to be somewhat less full of stars. Architectural reviews and competitions are increasingly drawing attention to new architects previously unknown to the public. giving them awards and inviting them to supervise projects.

• How is the figure of a star architect evolving? Can we say that the era of starchitects is coming to an end? What will the next generation of architects be like?
• How have technological trends altered the architectural profession? Was there a revolution in the profession analogous with the media’s UGC revolution?
• To what extent have superstar architects defined the look of superstar cities?