Elevations, icons and lines: The city abstracted through is skylines

Elevations, icons and lines: The city abstracted through is skylines

This working paper explores the potential and the limitations of understanding certain social and spatial relationships through a study of the city from a distance. In particular, I will analyse the notion of skylines and their relationships to individual tall buildings and the ‘whole’ city, focussing on the City of London as viewed across the River Thames from the South Bank. This paper is related to my broader PhD research that involves an exploration of the nature, production and significance of skylines with a focus on professional skyline discourses relating to the City of London.

Date

2009

Language

English

Author

Günter Gassner

Keywords

Skyline

Aesthetics

Spatial imaginaries

Spatial practices

Beauty

© 2025 Günter Gassner

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