Fake Structures – Real Architecture? From the Parthenon in Athens, Greece to the Parthenon of Banned Books in Kassel, Germany

The duality of structure, building and communicated message has been the subject of numerous architectural debates especially in the 19th and 20th Century. The field of tectonics has explored the interrelationship between the science of construction and a building’s artistic and cultural expression, encountering renewed interest in the 21st century. The continuing duality of structure and form is dynamic and undergoes changes as buildings impact other buildings over time. This essay explores the evolving role of built structure and cultural messages, of real and fake – in the case of the Parthenon in Athens, Greece and its replicas.