Architecture in the Movies (Harry Potter)

   I happened across this mid-week gem and simply HAD to share it with all of you.  Spectacular model work here.  Be sure to check out the set of press junket images as well.  I've attached one as a teaser and frustratingly short time-lapse of its construction.  I believe the attached picture is an official publicity still, but in the last 18 hours since the images have been released the original source has disappeared amidst a torrent of repostings.  Still, enjoy!

   ...and in case you missed it, this is the Hogwarts Castle model used in the Harry Potter films.

Pritzker Prize 2012

   This year's Pritzker Prize winner has recently been announced!  The laureate is Chinese architect Wang Shu of Amateur Architecture Studio.  This name comes as a surprise to me and just about everyone else, not because of the quality of his work but because of the relative anonymity of the firm until this award.  AIA's Architect magazine reported that as of last weekend Mr. Wang did not even have a Wikipedia article.  Wang Shu is furthermore the first Chinese citizen to win the Pritzker prize -- 1983 winner IM Pei, though born in China, had lived in the United States since 1935.
   The unfortunate dearth of information regarding Amateur Architecture Studio's work precludes the possibility of investigating thoroughly their projects beyond reposting their website's project list.  Perhaps most prominent among those projects is the Ningbo Contemporary Art Museum, shown below.  Full descriptions of their work can be found at the link subtitling this photo under the "Projects" tab.

Photographs from http://www.chinese-architects.com/en/amateur/en/

   Admittedly, i find it difficult to keep up with firms trending popular in the architecture community.  It is much easier and less controversial to discuss great architecture that has been standing for decades or centuries than it is to analyze new works, which is probably why a two semester History of Architecture composed an integral part of my education, while an overview of current architecture did not.  Never fear that F/stop Architectural will shy away from critique of modern design, though.  In fact, today we will highlight those firms that are currently most respected in the field.

   Rather than list previous Pritzker winners, we'll examine some contemporary firms.  Architect Magazine, the official magazine of the AIA (see permanent links at right) occasionally ranks architecture firms by such criteria as "Awards Won", "Sustainability", "Net Revenue per Employee", or some permutation of those by different names.  While i take some exception to profitability as a metric for design quality, this list is as official as any, so let us briefly examine the top ten firms from the most recent report (May 2011).

---

Perkins+Will, established 1935

Chicago, Illinois

Recently Awarded For: 

University of Washington Medicine, Lake Union, Phase II Research Complex

Seattle, Washington

http://www.perkinswill.com/work/university-of-washington-medicine.html

---

SmithGroup, established 1853

Detroit, Michigan

Recently Awarded For:

Freeport-McMoRan Center

Phoenix, Arizona

http://www.smithgroupjjr.com/?id=462

---

William Rawn Associates, established 1983

Boston, Massachusetts

Recently Awarded For:

Williams College '62 Center for Theater and Dance

Williamstown, Massachusetts

http://www.rawnarch.com/featured_williams_college.html

---

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, established 1936

Chicago, Illinois

Recently Awarded For:

KAFD Muqarnas Tower

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

http://www.som.com/content.cfm/kafd_muqarnas_tower

---

Ann Beha Architects, established 1980

Boston, Massachusetts

Recently Awarded For:

University of Pennsylvania Music Building

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

http://www.annbeha.com/portfolio-project-details.html?category=Academic&id=83

---

Sasaki Associates, established 1953

Watertown, Massachusetts

Recently Awarded For:

University of Missouri Kansas City Miller Nichols Library, Phase One

Kansas City, Missouri

http://www.sasaki.com/what/portfolio.cgi?fid=322

---

Ikon.5 Architects, established 2003

Princeton, New Jersey

Recently Awarded For:

Kirkwood Public Library

New Castle, Delaware

http://www.ikon5architects.com/content/view/32/73/

---

DLR Group, established 1966

Omaha, Nebraska

Recently Awarded For:

Marysville Getchell High School

Marysville, Washington

http://www.dlrgroup.com/#/3.8.1/

---

ZGF Architects, established 1942

Portland, Oregon

Recently Awarded For:

University of Texas at Arlington Engineering Research Building

Arlington, Texas

http://www.zgf.com/pages/zgf_main.php?navloc=work

---

FXFowle, established 1978

New York, New York

Recently Awarded For:

Eleven Times Square

New York, New York

http://eleventimessquare.com/gallery.html

Triumphant Return!

   After what i admit was a longer than planned hiatus, it is Tuesday and F/stop Architectural is back!  I was busy until the end of 2011 with M.Arch applications, and by then the habit was broken.  But!  I find myself with the mixed blessing of additional free time, so it is high time to return to sharing hidden architectural treasures with my loyal readership.  Hello loyal readership!
   Because many of my recent applications include references to this website, i have decided to feature one of my own works for this first update of the 2012 season.  These are my own images, so i have hosted them here at high resolution for your viewing pleasure.  Please do not copy, redistribute, or publish these images without my express permission.  Do click on the images to view at full size!  They're rather hard to read at 550 pixel-widths.

   When i work on designs for my own study, i like to give them working titles.  This one is the "Santa Fe House" in reference to the prevailing style of adobe construction and flat roofs historically typical to the area.  However, this design tends closer to a modernist flair than a pueblo influence.
   One of my personal beliefs on design is that concepts must blend at least three source typologies to form a personalized hybrid.  First, unavoidably, is the bias of the designer's own upbringing.  The remaining two can be any blend of template and highlight.  In this case, the highlight is the borrowed idea of an interior courtyard typical of Moorish homes built on the Iberian peninsula (as well as many other areas).  The courtyard is constructed at a double height with large quantities of operable clerestory glazing.  This allows a flood of light to penetrate all the adjoining rooms regardless of the sun's position.

   The light corridor also serves a vital passive cooling role in the house.  The large planting bed on the thick north wall captures the harsh daylight sun and provides a large thermal mass that cools during the daytime and warms the home at night.  The large, shallow water feature additionally provides evaporative cooling, and the operable windows above allow the hottest air to escape.

   All bedrooms and the office are located on the north side of the building, as this is the ideal location for diffused daylight, which provides the best color rendering...which is very important if you care about that kind of thing.  The living spaces have been divided into a more formal space typically used for entertaining and a slightly more private family room set 1/4 floor lower.

   The more public kitchen area is arranged to allow the increasingly typical dinner party m.o. of chatting with the chef.  However, it is also placed at a terminal location of the house to prevent conflicting uses (i.e., corridor space while the cook cooks).  A refrigerated space below the bar table is included in this drawing, but could be swapped for additional cupboard space if a client opted for the far more awesome sunken-wine-cooler-staircase.  Because of the forgiving climate, an entry area attached to the garage has been omitted, although there is access to the kitchen via the rear garage door.

  

   The upper floor of the home, 3/4 of a floor higher, is dedicated to the master bedroom.  A sliding door is provided to create an enclosed space if there is a desire for additional privacy, but is, strictly speaking, unnecessary.  A walk-out balcony located above the lower floor is oriented to the west of the house to maximize sunlight in the evening hours when it would typically be occupied.  Low glass walls surround the majority of the balcony, but privacy walls extend on either corner to limit the visibility onto the deck.

   That's about it -- i'd love to include elevations of this work, but i find AutoCAD rather lacking in rendering visually interesting elevations.  In the past i would have used Rhino and either Flamingo or Penguin, but unfortunately my student copy is no longer valid.  If there's an angel donor out there that would like to send me a (legal) copy, i'd be incredibly grateful (and surprised!  Rhino is way too expensive).  Hope you enjoyed this spotlight, and hopefully i'll be back next Tuesday!

Seven Essential Movies

   A follow-up to the previous post regarding set design and world creation, here are seven (plus one) essential movies that showcase the power that architecture can bring to influencing the lives of people.  There's a definite theme to this list, so i've refrained from calling it a "top seven" list.  It would be far too complex of an essay to attempt to show how each film uses the built environment to drive plot or set mood, but if you happen to be looking for a good movie to watch anyway, here are a few where you could stand to pay attention to the environment.  In most of the examples, there are at least two diametrically opposed philosophies that are reflected in the architecture.

Blade Runner (1982)

   Blade Runner, the (loose) adaptation of the Philip K. Dick story Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? tells the story of a policeman specialized in hunting down rogue human-like robots known as replicants.
The dirty, crowded streets in which Decker (Harrison Ford) pursues his quarry denies the art deco utopia that the Tyrell Corporation seems to espouse.  Of course, the reason this story is such a pillar of the science fiction genre is the questions it raises about our own humanity.

Brazil (1985)

   There are similar elements to Blade Runner in Terry Gilliam's black comedy Brazil, particularly in the realm of social divide.  However, where Blade Runner waxes dramatic, Brazil dives headlong into the absurd in a mesmerizing dance (both literally and figuratively).  The central character, an exceptionally average Sam Lowry struggles to connect with the woman of his dreams while his every effort is thwarted by a totalitarian authority.


Minority Report (2002)

   Part of what draws me to include Minority Report in this list is the portrayal of "life as usual" in certain scenes, particularly near the introduction where the concept of precrime is first explained.  John Anderton, portrayed here by Tom Cruise, arrests people who are predicted to commit future crimes.  This is another Philip K. Dick adaptation, so it's unsurprising that the technological wizardry of "precognition" causes trouble for our brave protagonist.  
   Unfortunately, what could have been made for an amazing psychological thriller ends with a tedious explanation of what exactly  happened.  A third Philip K. Dick adaption, A Scanner Darkly, didn't suffer from this unnecessary exposition -- a decision which seems to have been paid for in lost box office sales.

The Matrix (1999)

   The Matrix takes Descarte's figurative deceiving demon and conjures it up materially as the machinations of a civilization of, well, machines.  The choice of which physical laws can be broken is an interesting one, but because the environment of the Matrix is entirely simulated, the impermanence of the surrounding conditions becomes an obstacle to the crew of the Nebuchadnezzar as much as the pursuing Agents.  It's never more clear than after Cypher's betrayal and the subsequent brick infill of every window in a particular building.
   If you can bring yourself to watch the sequels, the video-game-esque use of doors that can lead to more than one place highlights some fun implications about the future of virtual space.

Batman (Gotham City 1940-Present)

  I've specifically avoided titling this as "Batman Begins" because the real character here is Gotham City.  Described by comic juggernaut Frank Miller as "...New York at night" ("Metropolis is New York in the daytime, Gotham City is New York at night."), the city is truly its own character.  It seems permanently poised on the edge of collapse, as much from the evil plots of supervillains as from widespread corruption and an ceaseless spree of petty criminality.

Dark City (1998)

   As the name might suggest, the city of Dark City is shrouded in a permanent night.  The twist that makes this more than a cheap visual trick is that this darkness is a nagging problem that no one seems to understand.  John Murdoch, the character who awakens in a bathtub after having apparently committed a particularly brutal murder, seems to hold no more answers than the viewing audience, and we discover the world as he does.  The world appears as a silver screen interpretation of Plato's Allegory of the Cave, a metaphor made all the more poignant because the medium is itself presents a closed entity beyond which the characters simply do not exist.

Gattaca (1997)

   The idea that humanity can be "improved" runs through most of these films, and Gattaca is no exception.  In a society where social status is largely determined by the probability of an exceptional life, Vincent Freeman suffers from the disadvantage that he oughtn't be as exceptional as he is.  The struggling lower class world isn't as emphasized here as in previous films on this list, but images of Vincent staring out the atrium windows of the Gattaca launch site (actually the Marin County Civic Center) provide an inspirational backdrop that gives weight to the fear that all this might be taken away.

...honorable mention goes to
Metropolis (1927)

   I've heard excellent reviews of this film, but unfortunately i haven't yet seen it, so i can't rightly include it on this list.  Many of the themes present in the previous seven films owe their inspiration to Fritz Lang's Metropolis.  The central theme revolves around the sharp divide between a hidden working class, an increasingly distant "utopian" elite, and the need to somehow bridge the gap between these two groups.

On a personal note, i'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for being patient while F/stop Architectural was on unplanned hiatus.  During the break we hit 1,000 unique views!  Thank you so much for your support!

Toronto

As you may have noticed, i've been having trouble keeping a regular Tuesday schedule.  It's more important to me to deliver high-quality posts than to post regularly, so i've changed the sidebar to reflect the "most Tuesdays" attitude.  Facebook followers will still receive updates each time there's a new post, so hitting that "like" button is a good way to stay informed.

Today's post about Toronto will go live later tonight.
(More about movies next week)

Architecture in the Movies (LotR)

   As part of a larger theme of exploring imaginary architecture, i'd like to spend some time examining movies in which architecture plays an important role.  I'll avoid the obvious and rather boring choices of The Fountainhead or Towering Inferno, which really don't have nearly as much to do with the setting as one might be lead to believe by the premises.
   Instead, i'd like to link to a production video for the Lord of the Rings.  More about this below the video.

   It goes without saying that a good flick on the silver screen needs to have a good script and quality actors, but the extra details that go into set design and sound are the difference between "good" and "important".  It's not just that elves are slender, graceful and sing haunting melodies whereas dwarves are stocky, tough and drink heavily.  Consider the difference between Rivendell, Moria and Minas Tirith (no links, i don't have rights to film stills -- you could spend 11 hours in a lot worse ways than rewatching the trilogy).  There's an implied difference in the way each race LIVES, not just their aesthetic style.
  The real trick though, is in creating a used universe.  These sets don't define the aesthetic of the movie -- the backstory of the setting defines how the aesthetic must be.  This is the difference between Star Wars IV, V and VI and the more recent I, II, and III.  The juxtaposition of the sleek and the grungy is part of the appeal of The Matrix.  To make my point with another behind the scenes video: Joss Whedon.

  Watching these making-of films are making me nostalgic for worlds that never existed.  The sideways point i'm trying to make is that these worlds are lush with details that aren't thrown in haphazardly but are intentional and part of the larger story arc.  This is how all design should be.

   

   More on this during the week (or next Tuesday, as time permits).  Also, Facebook fans should stay tuned for some design work i've been tooling around with for the past few weeks!  I'm pretty excited about it.

Abandonment Week (Tuesday)

Due to unforeseeable circumstances, the culmination of Abandonment Week is ironically postponed.  I hope to have it up sometime, but i can't make any promises at the present.  Hope you enjoyed the rest of the updates -- if you missed them you can see the whole set here: http://fstoparch.blogspot.com/2011_07_27_archive.html