ARCHITECTURE AND THE CITY IN SCIENCE FICTION MOVIES

Course Description

The course scrutinizes the meaning and significance of architecture and urban space in science fiction movies and how architecture is displayed in dystopian visions of the future in movies of the modern and post-modern eras. The dystopian visions repeatedly suggest an anti-democratic future world of surveillance controlled by the international corporations and authoritarian administrations. The architecture of these worlds is variously rendered in Art Déco, Classicism, the International Style, Brutalism, High Tech / Slick Tech, an eclectic Historicism, in vernacular and “eco-” forms, and situated in (decayed) skyscraper mega-cities or within an idyllic natural environment. The course is based on the analysis of selected movies and the reading of scholarly literature on the subject.

ARCHITECTURE AND THE CITY IN SCIENCE FICTION MOVIES

Evaluation Tools (Active Term)

No evaluation items have been defined.

Course outcomes

1. 01 Sound theoretical knowledge of the development of the architectural movements and of the respective styles/design solutions
2. 02 Sound understanding of the relation between theory, urban planning and architecture (exteriors, interiors, plans)
3. 03 Sound knowledge of the influential figures and their theoretical output
4. 04 Sound understanding of how architecture reflects architectural theory
5. 05 Sound knowledge of the socio-political background of the 19th to 20thy centuries.
6. 06 Sound understanding of the interrelation of socio-political conditions and architecture and art
7. 07 Basic knowledge of construction techniques and materials in architectural theory
8. 08 Advanced presentation techniques, incl. writing, reading, speaking skills
9. 09 Strong ability of research, of critical thinking and of discussion in the class

Course Syllabus

Reference Books & Course Materials

1. 01 Neumann, D. (ed.), Film Architecture. From Metropolis to Blade Runner. Prestel: Munich-New York, 1996
2. 02 Fortin, D. T., Architecture and Science Fiction Film. Philip K. Dick and the Spectacle of Home. Ashgate: Farnham/Burlington, 2011
3. 03 Staiger, J., Future Noir: Contemporary Representations of Visionary Cities. In: Kuhn, A. (ed.), Alien Zone II. The Spaces of Science Fiction Cinema. Verso: Brooklyn/London, 1999, 98-121.
4. 04 Sobchack, V., Cities on the edge of Time. The Urban Science Fiction Film. In: Kuhn, A. (ed.), Alien Zone II. The Spaces of Science Fiction Cinema. Verso: Brooklyn/London, 1999, 124-143.

Learning Outcomes

1. L01 Sound theoretical knowledge of the development of the architectural movements and of the respective styles/design solutions SOLO 5
2. L02 Sound understanding of the relation between theory, urban planning and architecture (exteriors, interiors, plans) SOLO 5
3. L03 Sound knowledge of the influential figures and their theoretical output SOLO 4.5
4. L04 Sound understanding of how architecture reflects architectural theory SOLO 5
5. L05 Interpretation of sound knowledge of the socio-political background of the 19th to 20thy centuries. SOLO 5
6. L06 Sound understanding and interpretation of the interrelation of socio-political conditions and architecture and art SOLO 5
7. L07 Basic knowledge of construction techniques and materials in architectural theory and interpretation of the knowledge. SOLO 5
8. L08 Advanced presentation techniques, incl. writing, reading, speaking skills. SOLO 5
9. L09 Strong ability of research, of critical thinking and of discussion in the class SOLO 5

Program Outcomes

No program outcomes have been defined.

Po-Lo Matrix

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