Creating Identity, Or Taking It Away?

As architecture gets more and more creative, and buildings spring up in shapes and configurations never before thought possible, the “wow” factor frequently gives way to more practical reactions. “Are the new skyscrapers giving us a new poetic language — or are they the architectural equivalent of profanity, strictly designed to grab attention and make a buck? Do the towers create vibrant urban places — or are they simply drop-dead objects that could be shifted from one look-at-me boomtown to another without anyone noticing?”