The Architecture Of Entertainment

In L.A. in the '20s, noted architectural historian and author Robert Winter explains this "architecture of entertainment"-the inherent beauty and mystery of the era when historic architectural styles became adventurous escapades.

Dream Worlds traces the idea of architecture as entertainment from its early incarnations to the late twentieth century and architainment's dramatic expansion. It examines our desire for escapism and explores places like Las Vegas, Disney World, and the Mall of America that reflect our hopes and dreams for a better life. Architecture built for pure pleasure develops at a breathtaking pace-and there seems to be no end to this trend. Book jacket.

This issue of AD looks at the work of STUFISH Entertainment Architects. Founded by the late Mark Fisher, the legendary British architect known for his rock music stage sets for bands including the Rolling Stones, U2 and Pink Floyd, the studio is a recognised leader in entertainment architecture. The STUFISH team of architects, designers, visualisers, production managers, technical specialists and producers creates ambitious and pioneering work, exploring new ways to inspire audiences and visitors, from musical experiences to theatrical shows, exhibitions and buildings. Its work has been synonymous with the key theatrical, musical and monumental events embodied in the collective memory of generations across the globe since the mid-1990s. Entertainment architecture is a highly innovative, creative endeavour, producing ever-more elaborate, architectural spectacles. This issue visits the many facets of STUFISH – its history and design process, audience memory and experience –exploring the story behind and evolution of this particular brand of popular culture and its spatial manifestations, and touching on what the future may hold for it. Contributors include: Leonard Auerbach, Victoria Broackes, Peter Cook, Adam Davis, Haidy Geismar, Robert Kronenburg, Theo Lorenz, Ash Nehru, Aubrey Powell, Neil Thomas, Willie Williams, Patrick Woodroffe and Maciej Woroniecki.

"In addition to film, television, and more recently, the worldwide web, the creation of physical places has become an important part of the entertainment industry. As Robert L. Ward, creative director at Universal studios, explains in his introduction published here, the roots of entertainment development, the part of the industry most focused on such placemaking, go back to films - to the way that shots are "blocked" and stories unfold." "As this volume illustrates, entertainment development has become a fertile ground for collaborations between the creative talents within the entertainment industry and architects. Gensler, architects whose roots in entertainment include the expansion of many of its best known film and television studios, has become a prominent creative partner of the industry - one of the few forging new opportunities for architects by working across the entire process, from concept through delivery." "This volume introduces Gensler's expanded portfolio - not just studios and production facilities, but the new generation of megaplex movie theaters, urban entertainment centers, theme parks, entertainment-anchored mixed-use development, and entertainment-themed retail. Illustrated, it includes valuable commentary by Gensler architects who have become the leading specialists in these different project types."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Bestselling author Alain de Botton considers how our private homes and public edifices influence how we feel, and how we could build dwellings in which we would stand a better chance of happiness. In this witty, erudite look at how we shape, and are shaped by, our surroundings, Alain de Botton applies Stendhal’s motto that “Beauty is the promise of happiness” to the spaces we inhabit daily. Why should we pay attention to what architecture has to say to us? de Botton asks provocatively. With his trademark lucidity and humour, de Botton traces how human needs and desires have been served by styles of architecture, from stately Classical to minimalist Modern, arguing that the stylistic choices of a society can represent both its cherished ideals and the qualities it desperately lacks. On an individual level, de Botton has deep sympathy for our need to see our selves reflected in our surroundings; he demonstrates with great wisdom how buildings — just like friends — can serve as guardians of our identity. Worrying about the shape of our sofa or the colour of our walls might seem self-indulgent, but de Botton considers the hopes and fears we have for our homes at a new level of depth and insight. When shopping for furniture or remodelling the kitchen, we don’t just consider functionality but also the major questions of aesthetics and the philosophy of art: What is beauty? Can beautiful surroundings make us good? Can beauty bring happiness? The buildings we find beautiful, de Botton concludes, are those that represent our ideas of a meaningful life. The Architecture of Happiness marks a return to what Alain does best — taking on a subject whose allure is at once tantalizing and a little forbidding and offering to readers a completely beguiling and original exploration of the subject. As he did with Proust, philosophy, and travel, now he does with architecture.

In L.A. in the '20s, noted architectural historian and author Robert Winter explains this "architecture of entertainment"-the inherent beauty and mystery of the era when historic architectural styles became adventurous escapades.