Architecture documentaries are one educational yet entertaining way to learn more about architecture. You may gain much more from a documentary movie than you could learn from a public lecture or a book. Instead of only listening or reading, a documentary lets you see things in action: architects going on about their work, buildings being built, and structures already functioning. Here, we will list outstanding architecture documentaries to add to your 2018 watch list. Let’s begin!
Read: 33 Most Notable Architecture Documentaries
1. Big Time (2017)
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2017 has been Bjarke Ingels‘ year when it comes to documentaries. We start and conclude our list with documentaries featuring the rising Danish starchitect and founder of Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG). Big Time documents Ingels’ tremendous work throughout the past seven years and uncovers his creative thinking process. It was first released during the Copenhagen Architecture Festival last April.
2. Microtopia (2013)
Would you live in a mobile home? If the idea of portable dwellings and tiny homes intrigues you, this movie is for you. Microtopia explores unconventional and sustainable housing solutions that use the available technology to counter the unprecedented surge in population.
3. Archiculture: A Documentary Film That Explores the Architectural Studio (2014)
This short documentary by Arbuckle Industries investigates studio-based architectural education. It films students working on their final design projects and, in parallel, interviews professors and experts who discuss this unorthodox teaching method.
4. A Short History of Abandoned Sets (2012)
Do you know what happens to movie sets once the filming is over? They could be dismantled, reused, sold, turned into museums, or abandoned. This documentary follows two local kids who explore abandoned sets near Ouarzazate in the Moroccan desert.
5. Barbican | Urban Poetry (2015)
This documentary reveals the story of the brutalist post-war British icon: The Barbican Complex, as told by its residents. The original historical site had held ancient Roman gates before the Germans bombed it during World War II.
6. The World’s Most Extraordinary Homes (2017)
Founder of UK-based Invisible Studio, Piers Taylor, and British actress Caroline Quentin explore “The World’s Most Extraordinary Homes” in this 4-episode series by BBC. Each episode features a different theme: mountain, forest, coast, and underground. The presenters meet with the architects and owners of homes built in unusual contexts to discuss their endeavors.
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7. Frank Lloyd Wright: The Man Who Built America (2017)
In 2017, the world celebrated—America’s all-time great architect, Frank Lloyd Wright 150th anniversary. BBC joined the celebrations by releasing this documentary about Wright, highlighting the little-known influence of his Welsh roots on his life and work.
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8. Abstract: The Art of Design: Season 1 Episode 4 (2017)
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Finally, as promised, we conclude with Bjarke Ingles. Earlier this year, Netflix started the series: “Abstract: The Art of Design,” in which they host creative designers from different fields to discuss their work and creative process. Episode 4 of the show features Ingels, who explains more about his innovative designs, the first of which was the VM Houses in Copenhagen.
