Kaika, Maria

Bio Sketch

Maria Kaika is a geography and urban-studies scholar (University of Amsterdam; formerly Manchester) who works on the political economy of urban space, iconic architecture, and "urban imaginaries." Her account of the icon as "urban totem" and of "autistic architecture" is central to Geoffrey's spectacle & iconic architecture area.

Key Works

• "Architecture and Crisis: Re-inventing the Icon, Re-imag(in)ing London and Re-branding the City" (2010)
• "Autistic Architecture: The Fall of the Icon and the Rise of the Serial Object of Architecture" (2011)

Key Concepts

Concepts associated with this author that have pages in this wiki:

• Autistic Architecture
• Iconic Architecture
• Gentrification

Relevance to Geoffrey's Research

Kaika matters to Geoffrey's spectacle & iconic architecture and capitalism, urbanization & gentrification areas: her distinction between "autistic" and "public" icons, and her urban-imaginary framework, offer a critical-normative way of evaluating whether the icon serves the urban commons or only capital.

Source Support

Source notes in this wiki drawn from this author's work:

• Who Wins and Who Loses in the Production of Cultural Iconic Architecture? (via Goudsmit's use of her framework)
• Architecture and Crisis: Re-inventing the Icon
• Autistic Architecture: The Fall of the Icon and the Rise of the Serial Object
• Organizing the City through Architectural Projects: The Elbe Philharmonic Hall, Hamburg