If you want to see smouldering 1960s architecture, style, and attitude, watches this series. You will get a glimpse of how the architecture used to be and how it has transformed since then.

Mad Men (2007-2015) – Series

Do you wonder sometimes “If buildings could talk, what would they say about us?”. If yes, you must watch this documentary as it captures six iconic and very different building talking for themselves plus it is entirely in 3D.

Cathedrals of Culture (2014) – Documentary

Though this movie is about a visionary architect who leaves his wife to accept an architecture project in New York, things don’t go as he planned them. In this movie, the architect struggles to fit into professional norms without losing integrity and individualism.

The Fountainhead (1943) – Movie

...Samuel Mockbee and the Spirit of the Rural Studio If you ever wonder, how architecture and architects affect society, no other thing can give you a better perspective than Citizen Architect. It includes interviews Samuel Mockbee, founder of Rural Studio. This movie reveals how architecture students cross the threshold of poverty, race, education and good citizenship to make the world a better place for everyone.

Citizen Architect: 

If you want to see ultimate fantasy houses of one of the smallest continent of the world, this is your thing. The host of the show visits the most luxurious homes, which are extraordinary. Greek-inspired beach homes, extravagant loft designs, 6m wide screen windows for maximum visibility, you name it. You will not be disappointed with the views while watching the show. You will step into a dream, every time you watch this show.

Unreal Estate

This documentary is about one of the most legendary architects Louis Kahn. His son and director Nathaniel Kahn try to understand his father’s work and his relations with art after his father, noted architect Louis Kahn, and was bankrupt, found dead in the bathroom of a New York station. The film shows both architect’s works as well as his personal life.

My Architect (2003) – Documentary

This was actually tribute to one of the world’s prominent architect Charles Correa, using live footage, extended interview with the architect itself, his diagrams and animation. Moreover, it deals with his work, ideas and views of this pronounced architect.

Volume Zero: Documentary on Charles Correa (2015) – Documentary

This movie is about a doctor basically who moves into a skyscraper, but that is not the point. In this movie, you will see Brutalist buildings, and approach of brutalism to the architecture.

High rise (2015) – Movie

If you want to know about the life and career of one of the greatest architectural photographer Julius Shulman, you must watch this documentary. Experts believe he was responsible for bringing architectural modernist movement to light. Frank Lloyd Wright, John Lautner, Frank Gehry work of such legendary architects was promoted by Shulman’s work and that helped in shaping their promising careers.

Visual Acoustics (2008) – Documentary

...documentaries and movies for architects:

Here we are

This documentary explores the different prospects of architectural education through the eyes of the students. You will see a few young architecture students being followed to examine the different aspects of teaching in architecture. Interactions with these students and their reactions help in illustrating all the challenges, faced by aspiring architect in today’s world.

Archiculture (2011) – Documentary

...or where of architecture heading towards in, here are few Architecture movies you can watch.1. Minority report (2002): This movie shows Washington DC on a whole new level with the amalgamation of all the technology.2. Cloud Atlas (2012): Even this is about the future city of Neo Seoul, though the storyline revolves around six individuals of various generations, who are trying to explore the impacts human actions.3. Hunger games: catching fire (2013): now this movie is about a fictional nation of Panem, it’s Capitol. We have to focus on its Capitol and its modernist approach.

If you want a glimpse of how the future can be

This movie is about an architect, who wants to create something for himself without considering the client. The main character is hired by a couple to design a house but he ends up deviating from it. This is a portrayal of architects from the perspective of the people who hire them.

The architect (2016) – Movie

How the interaction of a building with the surrounding environment is important and it’s importance towards the architectural act. If you want some understanding about this relationship, you must watch this documentary.

Philip Johnson: Diary of an Eccentric Architect

Millau Viaduct is a cable-stayed, tallest bridge in the world, with a structural height of 343 meters. It is a part of Franco-British partnership, built in southern France. This documentary covers all the aspects of this bridge from materials used to its a structural concept. As this has been ranked as one of the great engineering achievements of all time, designed by the English Norman Foster architect and French structural engineer Michel Virlogeux.

The Bridge in the Sky: Millau Viaduct

Norman Foster is considered as the world’s most sought architect and has produced the finest post-modern buildings to date. This documentary will give you his an insight towards the improvement of space and then that leading to improvement in the quality of life through just design.

How Much Does Your Building Weigh, Mr Foster?

This movie’s set in the 1970s, which is about final year architecture students of School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi, a leading architecture institute in India. This movie shows struggles of Annie, who is repeating his fifth year for the fourth time in the institutes. He spends hours of his time daydreaming about social upliftment. The movie was part of the autobiography of Arundhati Roy (Indian Author) recounting her own experiences as an architecture student.

In which Annie Gives It Those Ones (1989) – Movie

...are very imperative, as it is impossible to have them, to have exposure to the architectural style of the whole world at once, they can rely on movies and documentaries for that.

Movies for architects

This show actually covers the thought process of engineers, masons and labours; while building medieval castles. According to the need of the hour, what was required, and how it was done, it’s all here from Defence construction to structural engineering. So, dive into history with this visual treat.