Grab Your Popcorn

TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) is just around the corner! Now, I’m not a fan of Marvel movies that ruthlessly destroy great architecture and cities almost every time. Architecture is a great mood-setting medium in movies, and when considered attentively, architecture is all it needs. I’d like to share three movies with spectacular architecture. Forget about the Fountainhead and Metropolis for now. *NO SPOILER*

Ex Machina (2015)

Originally filmed in two buildings (Summer House Storfjord and Juvet Landscape Hotel) by Jensen & Skodvin Architects based in Norway, the movie takes place in isolated buildings that mimic nature. A chunk of natural bedrock blends perfectly with the concrete wall, marble furnishings and wooden flooring. High ceiling and glass wall enrich the depth of space with abundant light.

Continuous glass wall frames a breathtaking panoramic view of the gorge and mountain, constantly changing with time. Modern setting increases sense of reality and tension within this sci-fi movie, implying the future of A.I. is not distant at all.

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

The Grand Budapest Hotel isn’t an existing building, but the movie mesmerises audience with gorgeous Art Nouveau and Art Deco architectural details and ornaments. Art nouveau is less appreciated in modern architecture where simplicity and minimalism are favoured over, but its organic imitation of nature reflects the fundamental elegance of craftsmanship and creation of details.

The interaction of colours stands out very well. The predominant colours are flamingo pink, crimson red and black plum purple, creating a warm, upbeat atmosphere, but the director’s almost magical manipulation of colour spectrum keeps you captivated throughout the movie.

Spectre (2015)

Image Courtesy: Soelden

As part of 007 series, Spectre showcases multiple great architecture and cities around the world, including the Ice Q in Austria. Glass boxes among piles of snow seem impractical and raise many questions: energy efficiency? effectiveness? sustainability? Yet, it is still feasible. Observing the clouds floating through the mountains through crystal-clear glasses sounds phenomenal.

Architecture and film are highly associated in terms of imagination: they visualise and shape possibilities. If you haven’t yet, check out my another blog about virtual reality and what it can do. Also, leave in the comment if you know any movie with great architecture!