The art of state buildings

In recent decades, the Gulf monarchies have expressed a desire to acquire that which gives a face to civilization: monumental architecture. Yet, are they truly following in the footsteps of figures such as Augustus, Suleiman the Magnificent or Napoleon III, who built the state with the stone of palaces, theaters and houses of worship? That is far from certain. The race for “landmarks” marked an opening move: it allowed them to capture an international audience and assert themselves as a dynamic cultural space on the global economic stage. The next step is now to be considered.