巨神陰影下的台北：摩天樓的再現政治與全球化不均等發展

Abstract

本文旨在透過台北101摩天樓此類鉅型建築，分析有關它在接合全球化、全球城市之各種的再現與行銷策略，所牽連出與資本發展的矛盾性，回應對於全球化與不均等發展的主要關懷。在亞洲許多城市企圖與世界爭高的模式中，可以發現在作為後殖民時代下的國家，經常會試圖效法第一世界的巨塔建築形式，以建構並強化一種新興的國家自我認同，同時，這也是象徵國家高度的現代化，更試圖擠身全球城市的地位。然而，爭取摩天樓世界第一的地位，在20世紀末、21世紀初的時代下，是大幅縮短了其擁戴世界第一皇冠的頭銜。因此，在這樣的脈絡下，曾為世界第一高的台北101，它的特殊性地位和對於全球化的意義便顯得格外重要。 透過眾多語言和影像所建構的象徵意義與行銷活動，可謂是彩繪摩天樓最佳的化妝師。然而，服膺於全球資本、跨國菁英的巨塔，表面上高度象徵國家進步的發展；但實際上，卻存有更多包括對於權力、階級身分與公共性等問題之省思。因此，本研究將由台北101的不同論述再現，透過對意識形態的批判，來思考摩天樓的文化意義。究竟我們到底需要摩天樓，還是根本不需要，台北101的案例分析，在作為省思摩天樓和資本的發展外，同時，也是一種對整體亞洲藉由興建摩天樓企圖與世界爭高模式的反省。

This thesis attempts to analyze the mega-project of Taipei 101 in terms of its representations and marketing strategy as a skyscraper in the context of globalization and its self-making as a global city. Addressing the underlying contradiction underlying in the capitalistic logic of development as is seen in the case of Taipei 101, this thesis also intends to tackle the implicated correlation between globalization and uneven development. Postcolonialism has clarified that many Asian cities would imitate those located in the “First World” and construct gigantic buildings, so as to constitute and consolidate national identity of the newly formulated nations. With the establishment of towering skyscrapers, these Asian cities can boast of their extent of modernization and invent themselves as global cities. However, the dream of owning the highest building in the world will be end up as an impossible one, in particular so at the end of the twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first century. The outcome of such “skyscraper race,” that is, the effort to have the tallest structure on earth, is usually the reduction of the time these cities can assert that they are cities with the highest building and hence of the top status in the world. Considering this, an exploration of Taipei 101, once the tallest building in the word, especially its extraordinary status and its relation with globalization and uneven development, will be of specific significance. The symbolic meanings and marketing strategies created in a plethora of texts can be regarded as the best cosmetician of a given skyscraper. At the superficial level, gigantic towers, whose ideological and material operation pivots upon the global capital and international elites, symbolize the advancement and progress of a given (nation-)state. At the deeper level, they demand a more thorough and critical thinking regarding the interrelationship between power, class, and publicness. Therefore, this thesis will criticize the ideology embedded in the different discourse of Taipei 101 to think the cultural meanings of skyscraper. It is always essential to think over the necessity for a given city to have skyscrapers and highest buildings in the world. In this view, the investigation of Taipei 101 in the thesis suggests not only an examination of the cultural implication of skyscraper and capital development. It also refers to a reflection of the ideological work embedded in the phenomenon of building skyscrapers and “skyscraper race” as is seen in the context of Asia.