Movies: Architecture
Documentaries mostly about various architects and their work; some seen, some not.
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- DirectorEric BrickerStarsFrances AndertonWim de WitBeth Edwards HarrisNarrated by Dustin Hoffman, VISUAL ACOUSTICS celebrates the life and career of Julius Shulman, the worldÕs greatest architectural photographer, whose images brought modern architecture to the American mainstream.subtitled: The Modernism of Julius Shulman
- DirectorMichael SternStarsAlan HessJulius ShulmanMichael Stern
- DirectorEckhart Schmidt
- DirectorMurray GrigorStarsSean ConneryKarol Lautner PetersonFrank GehryRenowned architectural filmmaker Murray Grigor explores John Lautner's dramatic spaces with choreographed camera moves, as Lautner himself provides the commentary, speaking with insight and wit in recordings culled from archival sources.
- DirectorBette Jane Cohen
- This documentary explores the work of John Lautner, one of America's most visionary architects.
- DirectorKen BurnsLynn NovickStarsEdward HerrmannPhilip BoscoJulie HarrisA biography of the life and work of the American architect.
- DirectorMurray GrigorStarsAnne BaxterFrank Lloyd WrightA look at the work of Frank Lloyd Wright's architecture.
- DirectorJake GorstStarsLauren BrickerTracy ConradBeth Edwards HarrisE. Stewart Williams was a prolic modernist architect based in Palm Springs, California. Follow Williams' history and professional career, from the early days designing a home for Frank Sinatra, to the later years, producing iconic public buildings. With access to never-before-seen material, this compelling documentary provides an intimate portrait of a desert modernist master.
- DirectorElissa BrownIn the mid-1930's a wealthy and idealistic patron of architecture sets out to change society by embracing modernism and commissioning Richard Neutra's first building on the East Coast.
- DirectorPeter RosenStarsEric SaarinenJayne MerkelPaul GoldbergerA renewed interest is emerging in mid-20th century architects and artists who exploded the comfortable constraints of the past to create a robust and daring modernist America. Eero Saarinen: The Architect Who Saw the Future examines the life of an architectural giant who envisioned the future. His sudden untimely death at age 51 cut short what continues to be one of the most influential legacies in American architecture, a body of timeless work that stands apart from the clutter of contemporary design and continues to inspire architects today.
- DirectorJohn C. BrownStarsDydia DeLyserPaul GreensteinAlan HessNeon is the "fire of the night" according to author Tom Wolfe and it "lit the way west" according to historian/author Alan Hess. This film explores the death of this American roadside art and the artists that created it.
- DirectorJohn C. BrownJohn C. BrownBert SimonisA family fights to keep their neon sign business alive as the light of the industry fades away.
- DirectorJohn C. BrownStarsAlan HessHugh M. KapturAnne KruseThis film celebrates the architecture of Hugh M. Kaptur who has been designing homes, hotels, commercial buildings and apartment complexes in Southern California for more than 50 years. From Mid-Century Modern to Desert Contemporary, Kaptur has developed a style that is unique and rooted in the desert.
- DirectorJohn C. BrownStarsRobert ImberJames HarlanHugh M. KapturWhen Father and Son team George and Bob Alexander started building affordable architect designed homes in Palm Springs in 1955, they had no idea they would be the catalyst of what is today a city filled with modern design. This documentary film goes beyond the walls and hedges of Mid-Century homes that were built in neighborhoods like Twin Palms, Vista Las Palmas and Racquet Club Estates. The film features interviews with noted architects James Harlan, author of The Alexanders: A Desert Legacy and Hugh M. Kaptur, a contemporary of Palmer and Krisel, as they articulate their knowledge of the innovations made in construction these mid-century marvels of design. Also well-know preservationists including Gary Johns, Vice President of the Palm Springs Preservation Foundation and Robert Imber, owner and operator of Palm Springs Modern Tours and Chairman of the PS ModCom Education Committee, discuss the impact of the Alexander Construction Company on California Living and the "built environment". Joe Contreras, a journeyman carpenter employed by the Alexander Construction Company, gives a first hand account of what it was like working for Bob Alexander while building these unique structures. Palm Springs ModCom Founder and President, Chris Menrad, discusses his Twin Palms home and the impact the Alexanders had on Palm Springs society, and homeowner Brian Maguire gives us a tour of his Don Wexler designed steel home, now on the National Registry of Historic Places. Watch as home owners in various Palm Springs neighborhoods speak directly to the pride that goes beyond home ownership as they tour us through their homes. They gladly accept that they are the stewards of these mid-Century monuments that they live with everyday.
- DirectorKyle ChesserThis documentary explores the legacy of Joseph Eichler, a pioneer in mid-century modern design. Combining historical information with testimonies from Eichler owners and enthusiasts, this film creates a window into the wonderful world of Eichler's design.
- DirectorJake GorstStarsJohn CrosseSamuel Goldwyn Jr.Alan HessThroughout his extensive career in architecture, William Krisel has designed tens of thousands of homes. His visionary style virtually defined the geometric and spatial sensibility of modernist design in Southern California.
- DirectorJake GorstStarsFrances CampaniRick CookAndrew GellerDocumentary exploring the work of the region's best postwar architects and designers, including Albert Frey, Wallace Harrison, Herbert Beckhard, Frank Lloyd Wright, Horace Gifford, Edward Durrell Stone, Marcel Breuer, Andrew Geller and Philip Johnson.
- DirectorMurray GrigorRobin and Lucienne Day transformed British design after World War II with striking furniture and textiles that signaled a new era of modernist sensibilities for everyday living. Robin's revolutionary furniture designs introduced materials such as plastic, steel and plywood to homes, offices and schools. Lucienne's abstract textile designs brought accessible elegance into the homes of postwar British consumers. The Days' fresh design approaches, including their contributions to the Royal Festival Hall in 1951, helped fuel the artistic and commercial awakening that led Britain out of the devastation of World War II. Director Murray Grigor's film traces the Days' careers over more than eighty years from their long heyday as Britains leading designing couple to their recent rediscovery by new generations of design aficionados.
- DirectorMatthew SilvaStarsCharles AybarStephanie BohnFrankie CampioneThe New York State Pavilion, once the shining symbol of the 1964/65 New York World's Fair, now sits in the middle of New York City as a haunting reminder of what became of the age of optimism that was the early 1960's. This film tells the story of Philip Johnson's New York State Pavilion during the glory days of the fair, and chronicles its demise over the past 50 years. The film details its post-fair use as a 60's concert venue and 70's roller rink, including the years of neglect and recent growing advocacy efforts.
- DirectorHiroshi TeshigaharaStarsIsidro Puig BoadaAntoni GaudíSeiji MiyaguchiThe work of Catalan architect Antonio Gaudí, as seen by Japanese New Wave director Hiroshi Teshigahara.
- DirectorChad FreidrichsStarsSlyvester BrownIrvin DagenElmer Fiedler2011 "The Pruitt-Igoe Myth" explores the rise & fall of titular housing complex in St. Louis, examining racism & gov. Policies through interviews with former residents & historical footage. Ft racism, urban poverty & inequality in America.
- DirectorJason CohnBill JerseyStarsCharles EamesRay EamesJames FrancoThe relationship between Charles Eames and his wife Ray ignited a burst of design ingenuity whose impact on the world can still be felt over half a century later.
- DirectorDon HahnStarsPatty BarnbroomTed BosleyIsabelle GreeneThey never wanted to be architects but built a masterpiece.
- DirectorJake GorstStarsBeth Edwards HarrisJean FarrarAlan HessAlbert Frey, a Swiss native architect, had previously worked on his Villa Savoye with Le Corbusier, but once in America his predilection for new materials and daring constructions came to the fore. A sleek aesthetic that appealed to many.
- DirectorLeo ZahnStarsAlan HessAdele CygelmanPeter Moruzzi"Desert Maverick - The Singular Architecture of William F. Cody," iis the first in-depth exploration of the works of this major Palm Springs modernist architect. It captures Cody's singular style and brings it to life through contemporary cinematography as well as Julius Shulman's classic photography, along side interviews with Alan Hess, Adele Cygelman, Sidney Williams.
- DirectorLawrence JohnstonNEON is a celebration of the beauty, invention, design and heritage of the neon sign from internationally award-winning Director Lawrence Johnston.
- DirectorRoyal Kennedy RodgersKathy McCampbell VanceStarsWillow BaySteve BoggsWren T. BrownNicknamed "Architect to the Stars," African American architect Paul R. Williams had a life story that could have been dreamed up by a Hollywood screenwriter. His name is associated with architectural icons like the Beverly Hills Hotel, the original MCA Headquarters Building and LAX Airport. But at the height of his career Paul Williams wasn't always welcome in the restaurants and hotels he designed or the neighborhoods where he built homes, because of his race. "Hollywood's Architect: The Paul R. Williams Story" tells the compelling, but little known story, of how he used talent and perseverance to beat the odds and create a body of work that can be found from coast to coast.
- DirectorLucille CarraStarsPeggy BangArthur FischbeckTerry HarrisonFrank Lloyd Wright's last standing hotel reflects a century of change in a Midwest city.
- DirectorKarim AïnouzMichael GlawoggerMichael MadsenStarsMeret BeckerGennadi VengerovBenedicte C. WestinSix directors tackle the question "If buildings could talk, what would they say about us?" by capturing iconic buildings with narration from the perspective of the buildings.
- DirectorCarlos SauraStarsJavier BotinEmilio BotínRenzo PianoThe architect, a contemporary master, Renzo Piano. The filmmaker, another contemporary master, Carlos Saura.
- DirectorRoberto RosselliniThe camera of the veteran neo realist director Rossellini explores the high tech/postmodern architecture of the Georges Pompidou center and its surroundings in the Beaubourg area of Paris, on its opening day.
- DirectorManfred KirchheimerStarsDylan BakerThe development of the American skyscraper, starting in the late 19th century, in Chicago and then New York, centers on the conflict between architects Daniel Burnham and Louis Sullivan.
- DirectorKen RussellStarsHuw WheldonAntoni GaudíA study of Antoni Gaudí's architecture (especially the Church of the Holy Trinity in Barcelona), his sources of inspiration, and his influence on Picasso.
- DirectorBruce BeresfordStarsLarry SitskyJørn UtzonSam WanamakerA celebratory film about the construction and opening of the Sydney Opera House. Made just prior to the official opening in 1973, it traces the history of Bennelong Point and the development of the site on Sydney Harbour. The concept for the building was inspiring but unproven for construction.
- DirectorPaul TilzeyStarsMatthew RhysFrank Lloyd Wright is an American icon -it's most famous modern architect whose life was characterized by public scandal, financial chaos and personal tragedy.
- DirectorLynda WaggonerIn 1935, Frank Lloyd Wright designed a country house for the Kaufmann family over a small stream in Western Pennsylvania. He named it Fallingwater. It, perhaps more than any other building, exemplifies Wright's concept of 'Organic Architecture,' which seeks to harmonize people and nature by integrating the building, the site, and its inhabitants into a unified whole. And today, the iconic image of the house over the waterfall, remains a testament to a great architect working at the height of his career.
- DirectorTimothy SakamotoStarsShiromi ArserioCheryl BachandDonald KalecBeauty, Wright believed, stands paramount among all aspects of life. He sought it in everything from music, poetry, and sculpture, to his own environments. He conceived organic architecture an innovative philosophy of building appropriate to time, appropriate to place, and appropriate to man as a basis for creating beauty in his life and the lives of his clients. Wright embarked on this approach with the first residence and workplace he designed for himself: the Home and Studio in Oak Park, a suburb of Chicago. For two decades, it served not only as his own family residence but an experimental laboratory where he envisioned and tested many of the basic principles that he would develop throughout his career, principles now synonymous with organic architecture. The Home and Studio represents a critical link in fully appreciating Wright s body of work.
- DirectorTimothy Sakamoto
- DirectorPaul LamontStarsArmand AssanteDavid Ogden StiersThe thirty-year friendship between Frank Lloyd Wright and Buffalo businessman Darwn Martin is explored.
- DirectorIan Michael JonesStarsJonathan AdamsFrank Lloyd WrightWyn ThomasFrank Lloyd Wright is America's greatest ever architect. But few people know about the Welsh roots that shaped his life and world-famous buildings. Now, leading Welsh architect Jonathan Adams sets off across America to explore Frank Lloyd Wright's masterpieces for himself. Along the way, he uncovers the tempestuous life story of the man behind them, and the secrets of his radical Welsh background . In a career spanning seven decades, Frank Lloyd Wright built over 500 buildings, and changed the face of modern architecture.
- DirectorTimothy SakamotoStarsShiromi Arserio
- DirectorHeinz EmigholzAustrian architect Adolf Loos was one of the pioneers of European Modernist Architecture. Here, twenty-seven of his still existing building are explored.
- DirectorMark Richard SmithStarsMadolyn Smith OsborneMark Richard SmithDocumentary about the revolutionary and brilliant Chicago architect Louis Sullivan (1856-1924); his rapid rise to fame, tragic decline, and the ultimate triumph of his creative spirit.
- DirectorJudith McBrienFew individuals have had more impact on the American city than architect and planner Daniel Hudson Burnham. In the midst of late nineteenth century urban disorder, Burnham offered a powerful vision of what a civilized American city could look like that provided a compelling framework for Americans to make sense of the world around them. He built some of the first skyscrapers in the world, directed construction of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition that inspired the City Beautiful Movement, and created urban plans for San Francisco, Washington, DC, Chicago, Cleveland and Manila all before the profession of urban planning existed. In fact, some say that he invented it. His work sought to reconcile things often thought opposite: the practical and the ideal, business and art, and capitalism and democracy. At the center of it all was the idea of a vibrant urban community.
- DirectorNathaniel KahnStarsEdmund BaconEdwina Pattison DanielsBalkrishna DoshiDirector Nathaniel Kahn searches to understand his father, noted architect Louis Kahn, who died bankrupt and alone in 1974.
- DirectorJohn J. SughrueStarsCharles BoyerGermain BazinBefore this film no one else, including the French was ever permitted to film the Louvre. The priceless treasures and incomparable art can be shared through the eyes of award-winning filmmaker Lucy Jarvis. Set against the panoramic history of France, and hosted by Charles Boyer, The Louvre, regal palace and home to so many of the world's great gifts of art, becomes THE LOUVRE, a film acclaimed and winner of fourteen national and international awards, so rich in its story that even the Mona Lisa smiles.
- 1985– 1h 23mPG-137.1 (1.6K)TV Episode71MetascoreDirectorSydney PollackStarsFrank GehrySydney PollackJulian SchnabelA look at the life and work of the renown architect.
- DirectorValentina GanevaStarsMeryl StreepUdo KierXander BerkeleyArchitect R.M. Schindler, transformed the way we see space and laid the foundation for what is now considered the California lifestyle of indoor-outdoor living. His life story (1887-1953) unfolds in parallel with that of Modern Architecture. The film follows Schindler's journey from Vienna through Chicago to Southern California, observing where possible through the lens of his own camera or listening to his own words. The story is told through narration, interviews, Schindler's theoretical writings, correspondence, photos and renderings of his many works and projects. This film explores his richly complex work, with its influences from the turn of the 20th century Vienna, the early work of Frank Lloyd Wright, the pueblos of Taos and the 20th century realities of Southern California. It is an investigation into Schindler's philosophy of Space Architecture as contrasted with the International Style that ruled modern architecture during most of the architect's life. It reexamines Schindler's complicated relationship with his mentor F.L. Wright and his rival Richard Neutra. The story asks key questions about the importance of domestic architecture in creating a national culture and as a living entity that shapes humanity. The film affirms the singular genius of one man, and the eternal challenge every artist faces to stay true to their vision in an effort to leave a lasting impact.
- DirectorHarry LynchStarsKevin AlterTadao AndôPeter ArendtFort Worth, Texas: a little known museum Mecca in the heart of the American West, home to three of the most important collections in the United States. Here in 1997, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth set out to build a new home, which was to become the second largest modern art museum in the US, behind New York's MOMA. They selected as their architect the visionary new modernist, Tadao Ando. Practically unknown in America, Ando has won every major international architecture prize and is a celebrity in his home country of Japan. But would his Eastern-influenced designs translate to this most Western of towns? Would his difficult and painstaking construction techniques confound the American construction team? This compelling High Definition documentary follows the design and construction of this masterpiece, Ando's largest and most ambitious work outside of Japan, while divining the secrets of his unique style through a study of his previous work. Shot on location in Japan, Germany, Washington DC and of course, Fort Worth, the film captures the beauty of Ando's architecture in its many settings and follows the design team as they test the building's specialized lighting structures. Edited without a narrator, the film relies on action and the voices of its characters - among them renowned architects Richard Meier and Frank Gehry, and sculptor Richard Serra - to tell the story of this remarkable building.
- DirectorMarkus HeidingsfelderMin TeschStarsDirk BaeckerCecil BalmondRene DaalderRarely has an architect caused as much sensation outside of the architecture community as Rem Koolhaas. His outstanding creations--such as the Dutch Embassy in Berlin, the Seattle Library and the Casa da Musica concert hall in Porto--are working examples of the Dutchman's visionary theories about architecture and urban society. But Koolhaas' work is as much about ideas as it is about constructing buildings; he is equally celebrated as a writer and social commentator. For Koolhaas, what is essential is not to create individual masterpieces, but to provoke and excite through the wide range of his activities. REM KOOLHAAS: A KIND OF ARCHITECT is an engaging portrait of a visionary man that takes us to the heart of his ideas. Directors Markus Heidingsfelder and Min Tesch have made a visually inventive, thought-provoking portrait of the architect, prompting Rem Koolhaas to state, "It's the only film about me that I have liked."
- DirectorMandy ChangStarsXavier CorberóBeth GalíRobert HughesRobert Hughes examines the legacy of Antoni Gaudi, whose buildings have left an indelible mark on the city of Barcelona.
- DirectorTeresa GriffithsStarsRobert HughesRobert Hughes visits Germany to examine the legacy of Hitler's architect Albert Speer, whom he met and interviewed in 1979.
- DirectorPhilip SmithStarsCristian CiriciGeorge DanforthTimothy GibbonsArt critic Robert Hughes analyses the work of Mies van der Rohe, the master of light and space who had an enormous influence on modern architecture.
- DirectorMichael BlackwoodStarsPeter BlakeGeorge DanforthArthur DrexlerNo understanding of the modern movement in architecture is possible without knowledge of its master builder, Mies van der Rohe. Together with documentation of his life, this film shows all his major buildings, as well as rare film footage of Mies explaining his philosophy. Phyllis Lambert relates her choice of Mies as the architect for the Seagram building. Mies's achievements and continuing influence are debated by architects Robert A.M. Stern, Robert Venturi, and Philip Johnson, by former students and by architectural historians. Mies is seen in rare documentary footage.
- DirectorJoseph HillelStarsSamuel BronfmanArthur EricksonCharles-Édouard Jeanneret-GrisCity Dreamers is a film about our changing urban environment and four women architects, inspiring trailblazers with over 60 years of experience each, who are working, observing and thinking about the transformations that are shaping the city of today and tomorrow.
- DirectorPatrick DemersJoseph HillelREGULAR OR SUPER is a fascinating and informative introduction to the work of Mies van der Rohe (1886-1969), one of the 20th century's most influential architects, and a thought-provoking demonstration of the social and artistic contributions that architecture at its best can make to our urban environments.
- DirectorTeri Wehn-DamischStarsPhyllis LambertGeorge MorrisA look at the life and career of Canadian woman architect Phyllis Bronfman Lambert.
- DirectorTomas KoolhaasStarsRem KoolhaasA documentary about legendary architect and master provocateur Rem Koolhaas.
- DirectorMichael BlackwoodStarsStanley AronoffMichael BarzJay ChatterjeeWith the participation of famed architects such as Frank Gehry, Daniel Libeskind and Zaha Hadid, Peter Eisenman: Making Architecture Move provides an intimate look into the work of the daring and controversial creator. Filmed in the U.S. and Germany, Eisenman takes the viewer through several of his buildings, including the Wexner Center in Columbus, Ohio, while explaining his upcoming projects such as the Rebstockpark community in Frankfurt and the Max Reinhardt monument in Berlin. His predecessors and contemporaries offer praise and commentary on Eisenman's complex body of work including their own thoughts and theories surrounding his unique style.