The High-rise Office Tower as a Global ‘Type’: Exploring the Architectural World of Getty Images and Co

Stock agencies, or image banks as they are also called, play a crucial role in the production of visual information in contemporary mass media. They provide mass-produced, ready-made images for editorial purposes, advertising and design, and allow media professionals to save time and costs. With the evolution of digital image editing techniques and worldwide internet access, the stock photography market has rapidly expanded and largely moved online since the mid-1990s. Following a series of mergers and acquisitions it has been marked by the emergence of a few ‘super-agencies’ - Getty Images being currently the largest - as well as by the global expansion of these agencies’ activities.