For this edition of Section D, Monocle 24's weekly review of design, architecture and craft, the team turn their attention to the crossroads where design and architecture meet film. From a documentary about Pruitt-Igoe, the St. Louis housing project, to a new reading of the title sequence of Superman, this episode investigates the role of architecture in film – and visa versa.
Chad Freidrichs on The Pruitt-Igoe Myth
The director of The Pruitt-Igoe Myth tells us about his documentary, which explores the history of the Pruitt–Igoe public housing complex in St Louis, Missouri. The show draws on archive footage and interviews with former residents to document the decline of social conditions within the complex which led to its eventual destruction in 1976.
Ben Rylan’s Ode to the Title Sequence
Discussions about design in feature films frequently focus on set design: backdrops, textures, furnishings and outfits that lay the foundations upon which the action takes place. But the often-neglected opening title sequence can also be a powerful tool for setting the mood. Ben Rylan, presenter of The Cinema Show, tells us more.
Cinemagerie at Vienna Design Week
Vienna Design Week celebrated its 10th anniversary a few weeks ago with an impressive show of contemporary design, architecture and crossover projects. Among the exhibitions was one that asked the audience to engage with cinema as a design object.
Finally, James Taylor-Foster (ArchDaily's European Editor-Large) discusses a few films in which architecture is more than just a backdrop, as well as how architects have used film in their work.
