6 Films Architects and Designers Should See

by Lewis Robinson

Architects and designers are both at the helm of creating the iconic buildings and ordinary houses of the world. Both architecture and interior design involve many hands-on steps, like blueprinting the building itself and identifying color schemes and themes. It's also an integral part of cinema for helping to set the scenery and plots. Below are some feature films to source inspiration from that have architecture and design as their major themes.

The Architect (2016)

The aptly-named film, The Architect, is a comedy-drama about an architect named Miles Moss who, while building a dream house for a newlywed couple, builds his own dream house instead. Moss is a prolific modernist architect, and from the interior glass doors to the minimalist exteriors, it shows. Despite this, his arrogance and his work obsession take over and he falls in love with his client, much to her husband's displeasure. This film is a modern take on the lives of architects that pokes fun at stereotypes with a healthy dose of entertainment for architecture lovers and designers alike.

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

The acclaimed Wes Anderson film, The Grand Budapest Hotel, takes the viewer into an intricate European hotel where most of the plot takes place within its walls. It follows the hotel's concierge, Gustave H., and his lobby boy-turned-friend Zero as the former winds up as a suspect in the murder of one of his guests. Adding to this sudden blow, he also becomes the recipient of an authentic Renaissance painting. The aesthetics, including the interior set designs and the architecture of the hotel itself, will appeal to everyone with an eye for details.

Columbus (2017)

Romance and architecture come together in the film, Columbus. Jin, an architecture student, is visiting the city of Columbus, Indiana to visit his architect father, who is in a coma. There, Jin finds himself stranded and meets a librarian who has dreams of being an architect herself. The film examines their developing friendship and connection, with the modernist architecture of Columbus providing the backdrops. While not as extravagant and comedic as the above films, it's an honest, profound watch for fans of design and romance.

Metropolis (1927)

Metropolis, a silent film nearing 100 years since its premiere, is a marvel of cinema to behold. This film explores a futuristic dystopian society where the ruling class and working class collide, forbidden love takes place, and a robot lookalike is a catalyst for doom. It is one of the first sci-fi feature films, with an impressive set design and visual effects that surpass the era in which the film was made.

The Fountainhead (1949)

Based on the successful novel by Ayn Rand, The Fountainhead portrays a struggle of creatives to create what they desire versus the wants and demands of mainstream standards. Howard Roark is an individualist architect who refuses to compromise his ideals for mainstream society, and it's because of this he gets expelled from college. After a period of unemployment, he lands a new job in New York, falls in love with a married woman there, and sees his friend drink himself to death. His warning to Roark is to compromise his vision and not do what he did, lest he faces the same fate. The buildings featured were all designed by the architecture legend, Frank Lloyd Wright.

The Infinite Happiness (2015)

Taking a turn from the fictional realm, The Infinite Happiness is a documentary exploring the "8 House" in Copenhagen, Denmark, and the lives of its residents. The 8 House, designed by Bjark Ingels, is an apartment building that functions like a small village, where people can bike from floor to floor and children attend kindergarten on the first floor. It is an experiment in design that promises a new kind of apartment living and hope for the future.

Design in cinema helps to provide backdrops to all the action and illustrate each scene, bringing an idea to life in every sense. Architecture fans will love any of these films for inspiration and entertainment.