ABSTRACT
‘The Image of Metropolis’ is the result of a four-month tour of twenty-six metropolises undertaken by NEXT architects. 1 Our purpose was to research the ways in which metropolises are beginning to adopt a similar form under the influence of globalization and extreme urbanization. Each metropolis was systematically documented visually according to more than seventy themes, and by carrying out interviews and collecting information in a wide range of media. The ABC represents twenty-six contemporary phenomena, utilizing diverse collected information, to form an inventory of the appearance of the metropolis. We attempt to map here the relations between the phenomena, speculate on the transformation of metropolitan society, and examine some spatial and social implications of the ways in which a metropolis influenced by globalization is experienced, used and interpreted. Finally, there is a summary of design considerations.
