Alexander Girard: Architect of Modern Living

Alexander Girard: Architect of Modern Living

[5m 16s] In April of 2019, the AIGA posthumously honored Alexander Girard with its highest accolade, an AIGA Medal. We’re thrilled at the commendation, one that Girard earned in part for his vast corpus of design over the 21 years he spent at Herman Miller. Girard also joins the likes of Charles and Ray Eames, George Nelson, Tomoko Miho, Steve Frykholm, and others as Herman Miller-affiliated designers who have won an AIGA medal. Produced by Herman Miller.
Andrew Gellar: Segment from Modern Tide

Andrew Gellar: Segment from Modern Tide

Andrew Michael Geller (1924 – 2011) was an American architect, painter, and graphic designer. He is widely known for his uninhibited, sculptural beach houses in the coastal regions of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut during the 1950s and '60s. This is segment of the documentary Modern Tide: Midcentury Architecture on Long Island, directed by Jake Gorst. Produced by Jake Gorst and Tracey Rennie Gorst.
Antonio Gaudi, 1964

Antonio Gaudi, 1964

Presents the major architectural achievements of Gaudi and his integration with early Gothic 'art nouveau' breakthroughs. Explains his theories of organic structure viewing the Casa Vicens, Palacio Guell, Casa Battlo, Temple of the Sagrada Familia and Part Guell. Produced by William Thomson.
Antonio Gaudi, 1984

Antonio Gaudi, 1984

Hiroshi Teshigahara's camera takes us over, under, around, and into buildings and a park designed by Antonio Gaudí (1852 - 1926), Catalan architect, ceramist, and sculptor. Teshigahara suggests the influence of Romanesque churches and monasteries on Gaudí and the influence of the caves and crags of Montserrat, close to Barcelona. Every line of Gaudí's seems curved, and no surface is without textures. Produced by Teshigahara Productions, Toho.
Architect Santiago Calatrava

Architect Santiago Calatrava

New York-based filmmaker Alexandra Liveris profiles Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, the man behind the World Trade Center Transportation Hub. Charites Films.
Arthur Erickson

Arthur Erickson

[1981, 28m 45s] A portrait of Arthur Erickson, a Vancouver-based architect internationally known for his unique style. Seated in his Vancouver home, Arthur Erickson talks easily about his art, the importance of interpreting the site and of achieving harmony between environment and structure, the inseparability of climate and site, and the cultural role of a building. Five of his projects are shown. He explains how the designs evolved and what he was trying to achieve. Shot on location in Canada, Japan and Kuwait, the film introduces the man, the architect, the humanist. National Film Board of Canada. Directed by Jack Long.
Canadian Architect Arthur Erickson

Canadian Architect Arthur Erickson

In this rare interview from 1973, Canadian architect Arthur Erickson talks about design, environment and tradition in his trade. CBC Archives.
Charlotte Perriand, Pioneer in the Art of Living

Charlotte Perriand, Pioneer in the Art of Living

[2019, 53m] ADFF:Online JUNE 17: The designer and architect Charlotte Perriand was a highly creative figure who left her mark on the 20th century. Free-spirited and politically engaged, she designed revolutionary furnishings and participated in the invention of modern dwellings that were in harmony with both their inhabitants and their environment. From her avant-garde battles alongside Le Corbusier in the 1930s to her experience in Japan and affirmation of a lifestyle based on openness and flexibility, this film, in the the shape of a notebook of memories gives us an up-close and personal look at a a life filled with passion and creativity. Directed by Stéphane Guez.
Charlotte Perriand: Inventing a New World

Charlotte Perriand: Inventing a New World

The year of 2019 marks 20th anniversary of the passing of French designer Charlotte Perriand. From 2 October 2019 to 24 February 2020, Fondation Louis Vuitton holds an extensive exhibition of her interior and architectural works in order to pay tribute to the pioneer of modernity.
Citizen Architect

Citizen Architect

[2015, 59min] In 1993, the late architect and MacArthur “genius” Samuel Mockbee started the Rural Studio, a design/build architecture program, in which students create striking architecture for impoverished communities in rural Alabama. The Rural Studio is about more than building. It is also about providing students with an experience that forever inspires them to consider how they can use their skills to better their communities. Directed by Sam Wainwright Douglas.
Citizen Jane: Battle for the City

Citizen Jane: Battle for the City

Citizen Jane is a timely tale of what can happen when engaged citizens fight the power for the sake of a better world. Arguably no one did more to shape our understanding of the modern American city than Jane Jacobs, the visionary activist and writer who fought to preserve urban communities in the face of destructive development projects. Director Matt Tyranuer.
Diller Scofidio + Renfro: Reimagining the Lincoln Centre and the High Line

Diller Scofidio + Renfro: Reimagining the Lincoln Centre and the High Line

Diller Scofidio + Renfro has long been at the forefront of design. The interdisciplinary design firm, founded in 1979, first stirred interest with its provocative exhibitions of theoretically based projects that blurred the boundaries between art and architecture. Produced by Checkerboard Films.
Documenting the Appeal of Mid-Century Modern

Documenting the Appeal of Mid-Century Modern

[6m 17s] Much of the magic that the desert utopia of Palm Springs holds has to do with its prominent mid-century aesthetic. Author Michael Stern outlines how pioneering architect William Krisel relied on the careful eye of Los Angeles photographer Julius Shulman to create the iconic photographs we know today, while also contributing to restoring Krisel's designs for the duration. Featuring an archived interview with Julius Shulman. Segment from Lost LA: Desert Fantasy. KCET.
Frei Otto: Spanning the Future

Frei Otto: Spanning the Future

This documentary profiles internationally-renowned architect and engineer, Frei Otto. Half a century ago, Otto became world famous as a pioneer in the design of tensile structures made from metal armatures and lightweight membranes. Otto’s work includes the Mannheim Multihalle, the Munich Zoo Aviary, the 1967 Montreal World Expo German Pavilion and co-design of the 1972 Munich Olympics Stadium. Directed by Joshua V. Hassel.
Glenn Murcutt: Spirit of Place

Glenn Murcutt: Spirit of Place

Glenn Murcutt – Spirit of Place explores the life and work of Australia’s most famous living architect. Murcutt’s extraordinary international reputation rests on the beauty and integrity of his buildings. Directed by Catherine Hunter.
GOFF

GOFF

ADFF:Online Livestream - May 20th @ 8:00pm (ET & PT): Bruce Goff was one of the greatest American architects of the 20th century. His unconventional perspective challenged stigmas about the Midwest’s inability to produce innovative work. A peer to Frank Lloyd Wright, his work had a profound influence on the next generation of architects, including Phillip Johnson and Frank Gehry. However, Goff’s willingness to explore original forms often solicited polarized perspectives of his work. Directed by Britni Harris.
Gray Matters: Architect and Designer Eileen Gray

Gray Matters: Architect and Designer Eileen Gray

ADFF:Online Livestream – May 17th @ 8:00pm (ET & PT): Gray Matters explores the long, fascinating life and complicated career of architect and designer Eileen Gray, whose uncompromising vision defined and defied the practice of modernism in decoration, design and architecture. Making a reputation with her traditional lacquer work in the first decade of the 20th century, she became a critically acclaimed and sought after designer and decorator before reinventing herself as an architect – a field in which she labored mostly in obscurity. Directed by Marco Antonio Orsini. Mojo Entertainment LLC.
Harry Seidler: Modernist

Harry Seidler: Modernist

The first documentary retrospective of Harry Seidler’s architectural legacy, Harry Seidler: Modernist reveals an intimate portrait of his extraordinary life and internationally recognised work. Seidler is acclaimed as one of the greatest modernist architects. Seidler typified the practice of mid-century modernism in Australia more than any other. From the moment he arrived in Sydney his private homes were in demand and his uniquely stylised and innovatively engineered tower blocks came to dominate the skyline. Produced by Film Art Media.
Hollywood’s Architect

Hollywood’s Architect

[2020, 56m 33s] Nicknamed “Architect to the Stars,” African American Architect Paul R. Williams was one of the most successful architects of his time. But at the height of his career he wasn’t always welcome in the buildings he designed because of his race. Hollywood’s Architect will tell the story of how he used talent, determination and even charm to defy the odds and create a celebrated body of work. Directed by Royal Kennedy Rodgers.
House of Cardin

House of Cardin

[2020, 1hr 36m] House of Cardin is a rare peek into the mind of a genius, an authorized feature documentary chronicling the life and design of Pierre Cardin. Millions know the iconic logo and ubiquitous signature but few know the man behind the larger than life label. Ultimately, we seek to answer the question: Who is Pierre Cardin? What is the story behind this legendary icon? Directed by David Ebersole & Todd Hughes.
Infinite Space: The Architecture of John Lautner

Infinite Space: The Architecture of John Lautner

As a young man. John Lautner broke with his mentor Frank Lloyd Wright, and went to California to forge his own unique style of architecture. His life was marked by innovation and inspiration, endless battles with building codes, an accidental leap into the epicentre of pop culture, bitterness of lost opportunities, and finally - monumental achievement. Produced by Concord Media.
James Hubbell: Between Heaven and Earth

James Hubbell: Between Heaven and Earth

James Hubbell has been driven to have a conversation with the world, using his art and his architecture to give flight to his deepest beliefs. A life lived in harmony with the environment that surrounds his southern California mountain home has inspired works so exquisite…they’ve been commissioned for churches …synagogues, … parks, even a palace. Produced by Gerdes Creative.
Louis Kahn: Silence and Light

Louis Kahn: Silence and Light

The first documentary film examining the work of Louis Kahn following his death in 1974. This film, which was released in 1996, examines six of his most significant completed works: The Salk Institute ; the Kimbell Art Museum; the Center for British Art; the Library at Philips Exeter Academy; the Indian Institute of Management; and the Dhaka Parliament Buildings. Michael Blackwood Productions.
Louis Sullivan: The Struggle for American Architecture

Louis Sullivan: The Struggle for American Architecture

[2010, 1hr 37m] Louis H. Sullivan (1856-1924) was one of the most celebrated architects to come out of the Chicago School of architecture in the late 1800s. He is often called the "father of the skyscraper" and the "prophet of modern architecture." Sullivan also coined the most famous phrase ever to come out of his profession, "form ever follows function."This award-winning documentary is not simply the first film on Sullivan, but the first time a filmmaker has presented architecture in the broader context of American social, political and cultural history. His works that survive are recognized by architects and critics as among the most beautiful buildings in the world. Directed by Mark Richard Smith.
Magical Imperfection: The Life and Architecture of Raymond Moriyama

Magical Imperfection: The Life and Architecture of Raymond Moriyama

[2020, 57m 55s] Raymond Moriyama's acclaimed architectural achievements emerge from his life experience including the trauma of wartime internment as a Japanese Canadian, and his view of the architect's role in society - to reflect inclusion and democracy. This is an unflinching first-person chronicle of his journey to prominence as an architect. Directed by Scott Calbeck.
Mario Botta: The Space Beyond

Mario Botta: The Space Beyond

[2018, 1hr 18m] This film is a rare, in-depth artistic journey into the work of internationally acclaimed Swiss architect Mario Botta. The film explores Botta’s ever-growing curiosity and reflections on the contradictions of society through his sacred spaces. Why does a globalized society feel the urge to build such spaces? Passionate, tireless, at age 76, Botta is one of the few architects who has built places of prayer for the three main monotheistic religions. After building many churches, chapels and a synagogue, he is now working on a mosque in China. Directed by Loretta Dalpozzo & Michèle Volontè.
Paul Revere Williams: An African-American Architect in Jet-Age L.A.

Paul Revere Williams: An African-American Architect in Jet-Age L.A.

[26min, 18sec] Although best known for designing the homes of celebrities like Lucille Ball and Frank Sinatra, the pioneering African-American architect Paul Revere Williams also contributed to some of the city’s most recognizable civic structures — all while confronting racial barriers. In this episode, we visit LAX’s iconic Theme Building; a Williams-designed church; and the Pueblo del Rio public housing project archive. KCET.
Philip Johnson: Diary of an Eccentric Architect

Philip Johnson: Diary of an Eccentric Architect

[1997, 54m] Philip Johnson was always on the forefront of stylistic change, and his property in New Canaan, Connecticut, is a kind of laboratory where Johnson was his own best client. It was there that he built the famous "Glass House" that he resided in for so many years. This documentary depicts Johnson at work and the importance of the architectural act, the actual construction, and how the buildings interact with their environment — in this case, the autumn leaves or snow of New Canaan. Directed by Barbara Wolf.
Rams

Rams

For over fifty years, Dieter Rams has left an indelible mark on the field of product design and the world at large with his iconic work at Braun and Vitsoe. The objects Dieter has designed have touched the lives of millions of people––so many of us have had a Braun coffeemaker, shaver, stereo, calculator, speakers, or alarm clock. Or an Oral-B toothbrush. Or a Vitsoe 606 shelving system. Or any of the hundreds of other products Dieter has designed or overseen the design of. Produced and Directed by Gary Hustwit.
Ray Kappe: California Modern Master

Ray Kappe: California Modern Master

Ray Kappe has long been a cult figure in the architectural scene in and around Los Angeles. In 1972, he founded the influential, avant garde Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-ARC), where many of the younger-generation architects have studied or taught.The film explores Kappe’s thinking behind his domestic work, beginning with a tour of the iconic hillside house he built for his family in 1967 in Pacific Palisades, and traces the trajectory of his career that led to his two heralded, sustainable, prefabricated houses designed for LivingHomes in 2006-2007. Produced by Checkerboard Films.
REM

REM

[2017, 1hr 15min] An artful glimpse into the brilliant mind of the world's most celebrated architect. Over four decades, 'starchitect' and master provocateur Rem Koolhaas has shaken up the field of architecture, and redefined the role of the architect in the world. Filmmaker Tomas Koolhaas spent 3 years following his father around the globe, playing witness to Rem's extraordinary creativity, as well as exploring his works through the eyes of those who actually inhabit them.
Robert Venturi & Denise Scott Brown

Robert Venturi & Denise Scott Brown

Filmed during the design and realization of the Sainsbury extension to the National Gallery in London, Venturi speaks of the revelatory experiences with classical architecture that led to his revolutionary re-appraisal of modern architecture and his landmark text of 1966, Complexity and Contradiction. Wife/partner architect Denise Scott Brown describes their formulation of post-Modern principles in Las Vegas and elsewhere. Produced by Michael Blackwood Productions.
Space Land Time: Underground Adventures with Ant Farm

Space Land Time: Underground Adventures with Ant Farm

This is the first film to consider the work of the 1970s avant-garde architecture, graphic arts, and environmental design firm called Ant Farm, best known for its iconic land-art piece, Cadillac Ranch. Radical architects, video pioneers, and mordantly funny cultural commentators, the Ant Farmers created a body of deeply subversive multi-disciplinary work that questioned the boundaries of architecture and everything else in the process. Directed by Elizabeth Federici, Laura Harrison.
Surroundings, Ep. 1: Don Vaughan

Surroundings, Ep. 1: Don Vaughan

[2013, 20m 7s] "Surroundings" is a video series that tells the stories behind some of Metro Vancouver's well-known public places from the perspectives of the landscape architects who designed them. Episode 1 features Don Vaughan and focuses on bringing meaning to place through the use of public art. This episode looks at three separate sites: Metrotown Civic Plaza, Granite Assemblage at Ambleside, and High Tide Pavilion/Low Tide Sculpture at David Lam Park. Produced by Rain City Productions.
Surroundings, Ep. 2: Jeff Cutler, Mark van der Zalm

Surroundings, Ep. 2: Jeff Cutler, Mark van der Zalm

[2013, 21m 43s] "Surroundings" is a video series that tells the stories behind some of Metro Vancouver's well-known public places from the perspectives of the landscape architects who designed them. Episode 2 features Jeff Cutler and Mark van der Zalm and focuses on park design and creating play spaces for everyone to enjoy. This episode looks at two separate sites: Garden City Park in Richmond and the Vancouver Skate Plaza underneath the Georgia Viaduct in downtown Vancouver. Produced by Rain City Productions.
Surroundings, Ep. 3: Margot Long

Surroundings, Ep. 3: Margot Long

[2013, 20m 9s] "Surroundings" is a video series that tells the stories behind some of Metro Vancouver's well-known public places from the perspectives of the landscape architects who designed them. Episode 3 features Margot Long and focuses on the role landscape architects play in planning and urban design. In this episode, Margot Long takes us on a walking tour through SouthEast False Creek and Olympic Village to show us what it looks like when transforming industrial land into an urban village. Produced by Rain City Productions.
Surroundings, Ep. 4: Cornelia Oberlander et al

Surroundings, Ep. 4: Cornelia Oberlander et al

[2013, 22m 54s] "Surroundings" is a video series that tells the stories behind some of Metro Vancouver's well-known public places from the perspectives of the landscape architects who designed them. Episode 4 features Cornelia Oberlander, Ken Larsson, Bryce Gauthier, and Bruce Hemstock and focuses on green roofs and making cities sustainable one roof at a time. This episode looks at two separate sites: The VanDusen Botanical Garden Visitor Centre and the Vancouver Convention Centre. Produced by Rain City Productions.
Tadao Ando: From Emptiness to Infinity

Tadao Ando: From Emptiness to Infinity

Tadao Ando: From Emptiness to Infinity, a 2013 documentary by German filmmaker Mathias Frick, offers an exclusive behind-the-scenes look into the work and processes of Ando, the only architect to have won the discipline’s four most prestigious prizes: the Pritzker, Carlsberg, Praemium Imperiale, and Kyoto Prize. Directed by Mathias Frick. Produced by MagnetFilm.
That Far Corner: Frank Lloyd Wright in Los Angeles

That Far Corner: Frank Lloyd Wright in Los Angeles

During his time spent in Southern California in the late 1910s and early 1920s, Frank Lloyd Wright accelerated the search for an authentic L.A. architecture that was suitable to the city's culture and landscape. Writer/Director Christopher Hawthorne, architecture critic for the Los Angeles Times, explores the houses the legendary architect built in Los Angeles. Directed by Christopher Hawthorne.
The Man & The Architect – Jørn Utzon

The Man & The Architect – Jørn Utzon

ADFF:Online Livestream – May 17th @ 8:00pm (ET & PT): At the age of 37 Jørn Utzon designs The Sydney Opera House – a structure destined to be the most famous building in the 20th century, propelling him to the status of stardom in the world of architecture. It is his great luck, but it also breaks his heart and becomes the biggest curse on his career as he is forced to leave Australia prior to the completion. Directed by Lene Borch Hansen, Anna von Lowzow.
The Practice of Architecture: Visiting Peter Zumthor

The Practice of Architecture: Visiting Peter Zumthor

[2012, 58 min] The architect Peter Zumthor lives and works in the remote village of Haldenstein in the Swiss Kanton of Graubünden. Here, keeping the politics of architecture at a comfortable distance, Zumthor enjoys the status of “world-class” architect for his unique modernist buildings. They can be found in many parts of Europe, soon to be followed by a public building in Los Angeles, where he is in charge of a new master plan for LACMA. Directed by Michael Blackwood.
The World of Buckminster Fuller

The World of Buckminster Fuller

[1974, 1hr 20m] Architect, engineer, geometer, cartographer, philosopher, futurist, inventor of the famous geodesic dome and the dymaxion car, and one of the most brilliant thinkers of his time, Fuller was renowned for his comprehensive perspective on the world's problems. For more than five decades he developed pioneering solutions reflecting his commitment to the potential of innovative design to "do more with less" and thereby improve human lives. Directed by Robert Snyder and Baylis Glascock.
Wright Sites X Pecha Kucha 20 X 20

Wright Sites X Pecha Kucha 20 X 20

On June 8th, The Westcott House Foundation, Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy, and Wright sites across the United States teamed up with PechaKucha to present a live online global event in celebration of Wright's work and legacy. The event, entitled “Wright Sites x PechaKucha,” featured presentations in the highly-visual and efficient PechaKucha style, which consists of 20 image-based slides that automatically advance after 20 seconds, with each talk lasting only 400 seconds. The free virtual event happened on Monday, June 8, 2020, but are available to watch anytime online.