'Wright's work particularly lends itself to science-fiction movies set in the-not-too-distant future, and it's usually a not-too-pleasant future. The camera loves those unorthodox geometries, soaring perspectives and pure white surfaces – it's like he designed them with expensive tracking shots in mind, not to mention sterile, authoritarian futures. It's not what he would have wanted (in fact, it's the exact opposite) but in the movies, Wright has become the architect of dystopia.'
Following the release of the Clive Owen thriller The International, The Guardian's Steve Rose leads us through Hollywood's fascination with architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Although his minimalist, modernist designs were intended to enrich and enable human society, it seems that Wright's work is often represented in its very antithesis.
Rose points out that for many years, Wright's architectural designs have become emblematic of dystopian future visions in countless science fiction movies - promoting images of austerity and totalitarianism. Of course, not all dystopias are characterized by minimalism and looming government authorities, but even the exceptions - the excellent Blade Runner among them -appear to find space for a Wright design here or there. You can read the article by clicking here.
