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Vertical Horizons: Dealing with luxury urban skies

Author

Listed:
  • Andrew Harris

    (University College London, UK)

  • Tom Wolseley

    (Independent Artist/Film-Maker, UK)

Abstract

There has been a conspicuous growth in the height and extent of luxury urban development in the 21st century. This has been accompanied by important critical analyses exploring how this upward construction has created new vertical social divides and landscapes of power. This article argues, however, that there are spatial and methodological limitations to the way luxury urban skies have tended to be framed and pursued. Through a focus on the decisions taken in producing the 2017 meditative film Vertical Horizons by Tom Wolseley, the paper offers an expanded agenda for engagements with elite vertical development. This film juxtaposes views of London and Western Europe’s tallest skyscraper, the Shard, from different vantage points, with contrasting narratives about the building. Vertical Horizons seeks to use its focus on the Shard to open up more imaginative experiments with high-rise landscapes, and better recognition of the potential complicities in responses to the gleaming façades of contemporary urbanisation. The paper posits that more multi-sited, creative and reflective approaches, such as those pursued in Vertical Horizons , are required in efforts at levelling with the social and symbolic power of urban vertical luxification.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrew Harris & Tom Wolseley, 2024. "Vertical Horizons: Dealing with luxury urban skies," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 61(4), pages 654-668, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:urbstu:v:61:y:2024:i:4:p:654-668
    DOI: 10.1177/00420980231206972
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. John Lauermann, 2022. "Vertical Gentrification: A 3D Analysis of Luxury Housing Development in New York City," Annals of the American Association of Geographers, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 112(3), pages 772-780, March.
    2. Louise Dorignon & Ilan Wiesel, 2022. "Five-Star Homes: Hotel Imaginaries and Class Distinction in Australia’s Elite Vertical Urbanism," Annals of the American Association of Geographers, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 112(7), pages 2111-2129, October.
    3. Monika Grubbauer, 2014. "Architecture, Economic Imaginaries and Urban Politics: The Office Tower as Socially Classifying Device," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(1), pages 336-359, January.
    4. Rowland Atkinson, 2019. "Necrotecture: Lifeless Dwellings and London's Super‐Rich," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(1), pages 2-13, January.
    5. Megan Nethercote, 2018. "Theorising vertical urbanisation," City, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(5-6), pages 657-684, November.
    6. Günter Gassner, 2017. "Wrecking London’s skyline?," City, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(6), pages 754-768, November.
    7. Hung-Ying Chen, 2020. "Cashing in on the sky: financialization and urban air rights in the Taipei Metropolitan Area," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 54(2), pages 198-208, February.
    8. Ju Tjung Liong & Helga Leitner & Eric Sheppard & Suryono Herlambang & Wahyu Astuti, 2020. "Space Grabs: Colonizing the Vertical City," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(6), pages 1072-1082, November.
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    Cited by:

    1. Casper Laing Ebbensgaard & Michał Murawski & Saffron Woodcraft & Katherine Zubovich, 2024. "Introduction: Verticality, radicalism, resistance," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 61(4), pages 619-635, March.

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