1998

1998 was a dynamic year in architectural culture, situated at the height of the digital revolution’s first wave and a period of global economic confidence that fueled ambitious construction worldwide. The late 1990s saw the rise of the “starchitect” phenomenon, with landmark projects by Frank Gehry, Renzo Piano, and Norman Foster redefining public expectations of what architecture could achieve — exemplified by the imminent opening of the Guggenheim Bilbao, completed in 1997, which was still reshaping discourse. Buildings completed in 1998 reflect a rich diversity of approaches within contemporary architecture, from high-tech structural expression and early experiments in parametric form-making to the enduring influence of minimalism and critical regionalism across the globe.