| Research today is developing to answer the intriguing question why megaprojects exist (Soderlund, 2018). One reason for this trend could be that constructing urban mega projects is a way to a city's sense of "wealth, empowerment and innovation" (Flyvberg 2017).;A subset of urban megaprojects with iconic architecture are projects where this is most apparent because of their visual quality. These projects are called "Iconic Urban Megaprojects" or IUMPs (del Cerro 2017). An example of an iconic urban megaproject is Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi. The island's iconic architecture is aesthetically captivating and centralized around celebrating culture in an effort to showcase their modernity, attract business, and make their city known to other modern nations.;For a construction manager, these can be identified as social actions by project stakeholders to design, plan and build these types of projects (Del 2013, xix). With Saadiyat Island, the "social action" was to identify Abu Dhabi with the world as a modern nation. Flyvberg, shows that these "social actions" are decisions driven by four types of "sublimes"; technological, political, economic, and aesthetic. Together, they become important drivers of the scale and frequency of megaprojects. An explanation of each sublime is described here using the Saadiyat Island megaproject. Technological sublimes refer to the excitement by designers to create iconic projects that extend the limits of what is possible; this is shown by Jean Nouvel's detailed geometric dome functioning to filter light and air at the Abu Dhabi Louvre. The political sublime refers to the recognition politicians receive from the public and media after delivering megaprojects; Saadiyat Island's goal to show the power and wealth of Abu Dhabi royalty is an example. The economic sublime, refers to the capital received from the various stakeholders involved with the project. Saadiyat Island's influx of capital from tourists, start-up businesses and real estate illustrates an economic sublime. The aesthetic sublime is the indulgence designers have in the making of these projects and the pleasure people have when using them; an example is Saadiyat Island's contemporary architecture by Pritzker Prize winning architects.;As with each sublime, there could be many needs and wants from various stakeholders that have a measure of value. Understanding the origin of this value can help in delivering these projects as desired by the project stakeholders. |
