Circulating knowledge, marketization and norm-making: International developers and construction firms in Eastern Europe since 2000

In this article, I explore how international actors in the development of real estate projects affect building practices in local markets. The focus is on the dynamics of interaction and exchange of knowledge between the disciplines of architecture and construction. Using the German ECE group and its expansion in the region as a case study, I look at shopping centre development in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) over the past two decades. I seek to show that the implementation of globally circulated design and planning solutions relies heavily on the particular construction practices and technologies available in a local market. I also argue that the role of marketization in diffusing building practices in the construction sector is as powerful as the work of global architects. Nonetheless, judging from the existing links and feedback between architectural practices and the construction industry, there is a definite need for further research to bridge the gap between analysis of knowledge mobility within the field of urban studies on the one hand and construction studies research on the other.