Parallel Cities. Film as architectural tool (original) (raw)
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This paper presents the findings, conclusions and results of my PhD research entitled, "The spatial context of the cinematic aspect of architecture". The purpose of this paper is to present the possibilities of adopting the cinematic qualities of architecture as an approach to tracing current modifications in contemporary architectural discourse in relation to the paradigmatic change of perception of urban space towards a movement perspective. The design process tradition, which comprises a standard series of procedural exercises aided by new technology, is in contrast to the experimental architectural research of the last decade that has clearly demonstrated the tendency to enrich the limited traditional approach in order to extend human vision beyond what is perceivable. Accordingly, I propose that we can test the cinematic aspect of architecture, first having harmonized the relationship between architecture and film through their common methodological and didactic approaches. To verify the cinematic aspect of architecture in theory, practice and education, and to maintain the level of creativity present in design practice, I initiated a reassessment of current design practice and proposed alternative architectural design strategies.
The spatial context of the cinematic aspect of architecture
Facta universitatis - series: Architecture and Civil Engineering, 2015
This paper presents the findings, conclusions and results of my PhD research entitled, "The spatial context of the cinematic aspect of architecture". The purpose of this paper is to present the possibilities of adopting the cinematic qualities of architecture as an approach to tracing current modifications in contemporary architectural discourse in relation to the paradigmatic change of perception of urban space towards a movement perspective. The design process tradition, which comprises a standard series of procedural exercises aided by new technology, is in contrast to the experimental architectural research of the last decade that has clearly demonstrated the tendency to enrich the limited traditional approach in order to extend human vision beyond what is perceivable. Accordingly, I propose that we can test the cinematic aspect of architecture, first having harmonized the relationship between architecture and film through their common methodological and didactic appro...
2017
Along with writings, sketches, photographs, and plans, the gta Archives has also amassed important film material. To date, however, this reservoir of knowledge and recollections has remained largely unexamined. This substantial collection of audio-visual documents, in different formats, encompasses films by architects, as well as about architects, buildings, and cities. It includes various kinds of documentation, from recordings of inaugural lectures and discussion panels to materials used for teaching and research, stretching to films that were intended for promotional purposes. In short, this repository consists of a diverse set of fragile materials that has been little or not at all researched. Studying this repository is now a pressing matter, not least for conservation reasons.
In the search for ways to overcome the negative connotations of applying characteristically traditional practice methods in the current regulation of spatio-visual parameters of the urban environment, we are moving towards discussing alternative 'architecture of relations'. The paper elucidates how film may offer an alternative position in architecture, where urban spaces are thought and designed in closer relation to the potentials of film to manipulate reality, change the mode of perception, provide vision and reconstruct unconscious impulses of the metropolis. The experimental designs show how resonating records of space, time and movement through space may simulate the mapping impulse that inspires an alternative approach to designing spaces. My approach relies upon various knowledge production platforms to detect temporal filiation between cinematic and real space. They are indicated here in the context of postmodern discussions to uncover a new interaction point between cinema and architecture, in order to support time-based modes of reception of architectural and urban ideas.
A film studies approach in architectural research
2009
Architecture and film studies are interrelated disciplines, and architects can take advantage of existent commercial, dramatic, comedic or documentary films for inspiration and historical research. As examples of how existent films can be utilized innovatively in architectural research, this paper critically examines three contemporary Iranian films: "Ten" (2002), a realist docudrama directed by Abbas Kiarostami, "Chaharshanbe-soori" (2006), a melodrama directed by Asghar Farhadi, and "Dayere Zangi" (2008), a comedic urban drama directed by Parisa Bakhtavar. Through this examination, the paper argues that the lens through which a filmmaker looks at buildings and urban settings is unique, and that in every film, from the most abstract to the least, and whether the film maker is actually conscious of it or not, there is an underlying exploration and documentation of the way architecture affects and (re)shapes society. In Iran, film has always been one of the few poetic, enlightening, and powerful ways to explore, among other social and cultural phenomena, the issue of power in urban public space. Contemporary Iranian cinema has proven itself able to depict the natural and built environments as the loci for both private and public presentations of self, and these films reveal many suppressed, typically unexamined, issues surrounding the multiple meanings of place and identity. This research shows the aptitude of these filmmakers, or any filmmakers, to present views of contemporary society, supporting a broader understanding of contemporary urban life than is officially permitted or can be academically achieved. Hitherto, no other media has been found to be as great a resource as film to "freeze frame" the flow of life in an urban setting, or time in a space. With their unique lens, filmmakers are architects' fellows, making possible the observation of potential topics of inquiry; for instance, ethical and socio-political themes related to space and power.
Avant-Gard Film and Its Role in Understanding the Space of the City
Cities in Film: Architecture, Urban Space and the …, 2008
This paper will address the category of film with the emphasis on spatial analysis that is relevant in the making and the perception of the moving images. Historically, film has been a product of a predominantly urban psyche, as its emergence is linked to the modern city. As a result of its dissemination, film continues to affect our perception and understanding of the city space. This analysis is followed by the examination of selected examples of the avant-garde film production concentrating on the work of the Constructivists in1920s Russia and examples of the production in the1950s France and Japan.