false 650172 1 This sumptuously illustrated book looks at why the world's most interesting buildings are becoming the hottest destinations for today's travelers. <P>In the last decades architecture has become a major focus for travelers, rather than merely a part of a larger itinerary. Illustrated with nearly one hundred color photographs, this series of provocative essays by leading scholars, critics and architects, explores the role of architecture in the contemporary tourist imagination. <P>From Mont Saint Michel and the Taj Mahal to Bilbao's Guggenheim Museum and the Blur Building in Switzerland's Lake Neuchatel, the authors focus on how certain iconic buildings have found their way into the cultural consciousness. At the same time they offer insights as to why other buildings, such as Minnesota's Mall of America and the faux architecture of Las Vegas, have become integral to their regions' tourist economy&#151;and postulate how this success will influence architecture of the future. 636310 31 10 2005 Architourism: Authentic, Escapist, Exotic, Spectacular total:1|4:1| 1 4 4 0 0 0 false false Thu May 14 02:35:24 -0700 2009 Sat Aug 22 00:15:48 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Sun May 03 10:26:07 -0700 2009 Sun May 03 10:26:07 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Sun Dec 28 06:52:34 -0800 2008 Sun Dec 28 06:52:34 -0800 2008 0 0 false false Thu Jul 10 20:15:17 -0700 2008 Thu Jul 10 20:15:20 -0700 2008