The Campus as Petting Zoo for Starchitects' Designs

Lawrence Speck, writing as a Guest Blogger in The Chronicle of Higher Education's Building & Grounds Blog, shares his take on starchitects' effects on campus ambience:

What is the impact of a building that is a clear expression of its architect’s personal signature on a campus? . . . in most good campus settings, these prima-donna buildings can strike a crushing blow. A campus with a whole series of strutting divas could become just a petting zoo for famous architects’ personal statements. Is that really what institutions of higher education should be communicating about themselves?