The two art forms have a shared understanding of space, structure, and composition, giving them a lot of common creative ground

Fashion and architecture have experienced an unrivaled period of growth, with star architects and major fashion brands working closely to build architectural wonders around the world. But is this simply a classic commercial act or a romantic matter based on a natural affinity from both sides? Clearly, architecture is one of the most powerful tools for achieving corporate identity in the fashion world and, on the flipside, these buildings are the perfect catwalk for promoting architectural creativity at its most extreme. But while this partnership has been able to keep both parties commercially satisfied and conquering new territories, I see a more important social and cultural impact here.

This collection of buildings shows how fashion and architecture are in fact capable of enhancing each other's relevance in the world we inhabit; Architecture and fashion's shared understanding of space, structure, and composition mean the two art forms have a lot of common creative ground as a starting point for evolution.

OMA/AMO's prolific collaboration with Prada is a great example of how architecture -- having recently reached its conscious state of context-awareness and social sensitivity -- is affecting the world of fashion. The Prada New York Epicenter is an exclusive multi-functional public space defined by OMA as: "a part of OMA/AMO's ongoing research into shopping, arguably the last remaining form of public activity, and a strategy to counteract and destabilize any received notion of what Prada is, does, or will become."