Approaching the Research
- maria laporte
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
March 31, 2026
Last class, I was asked to narrow down the elements of architectural styles that I would analyze. However, at this point in time, I personally feel like the films that I end up choosing will determine this part of the study. The true magic of scenography is the limitless possibility to create architecture through narrative, which is a process that I strive to do within my own work. My research has led me to a lot of dead ends, as many of the articles that I research tend to focus on dystopian or historically replicated architecture. This only gives me more motivation to study the specific technique of blended styles, particularly in surreal fantasy sets. I was provided with many great resources I could use for discovering films to back up my research, as well as a great website for finding movie stills for the analysis and collaging. As of now, I have a list of more mainstream movies to use for this, but I plan to research more on the website KANOPY to broaden my cinematic palette before committing to a set number of films.
Here are the potential films I have so far:
Poor Things
Wicked
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)
Wizard of Oz
Mirror Mirror
Alice in Wonderland (2010, possibly other versions as well)
Cinderella (1997)
The Hourglass Sanitorium
Lord of the Rings
Harry Potter?
Game of Thrones?
I am still attempting to pinpoint the architectural strategies that shape these fantasy environments, but I believe that this also goes hand in hand with the movies I choose. I actually went to YouTube over the break for some inspiration, where I rewatched the video that sparked this idea in the first place, which I hadn't watched since it first came out (How ‘Wicked’ Built Oscar-Winning Sets, From Shiz To Emerald City | Architectural Digest https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Qp4tLTrX6A). This was a huge help for me to reestablish this idea that I had, especially during the architect's explanation of the blended historical styles and materials to create a more fantasy-driven world. He also mentioned the process of altering architecture that seems nostalgic/historical so that it appears more fantasy-driven, yet still familiar to the audience. The set being practical was also a major aspect of the design in how this type of architecture is applied to the real world, which helps me think about the second half of my capstone. I also found that he really leaned into the use of historical precedents in designing the set, which I would love to research more into for my own process of analysis.
Overall, I think that I need to take my research outside of the realm of student scholarships. Learning how these designs manifested, specifically from the architects themselves, offers insight that would be of great use in my analysis of these designs. This also allows me to narrow down the film selection. For instance, should I only focus on sets that have resources for the explanation of their design? Do I stick to practical sets in order to understand the ability to inhabit the space? Hopefully, this type of research will help me better define my topic, especially as the semester is nearing an end.
I think limiting the scope of the scenography, rather than the specific architectural styles, is a great move. Movies capture our imagination in a very unique way that in some cases, goes beyond what is currently possible within the built environment. Narrowing in on the specific cinematic style of a movie may be helpful in your case study, as well as the character of the film directors themself. Keep Going! - Simon
Hi! Lex here. You have such a fascinating concept, I'm exited to see where you head with it! I'm also really interested in some of the fantasy design aspects (though I havent done nearly the amount of research you have) but one thing I've noticed, particular in world-building scenarios that are very well developed (i.e. star wars) a lot of the interesting architectural features have a cultural or functional reason behind them, not necessarily being for visual benefit. I think it would be super interesting to do a deep dive into things like patterns and shapes, or other design concepts that reflect the time, location, religion, or other similar factor. (For example, the star wars set designers made the choic…
I love this topic and can't wait to see it develop! I haven't watched Alice in Wonderland or A Series of Unfortunate Events since I was a kid, but I love them both. There's also a series on Netflix for A Series of Unfortunate Events, but maybe you are wanting to stick strictly with movies. The other ideas I have for the film list are Narnia and The Hobbit, but you have probably already thought of those!
Hey Maria!
I'm really interested in how you are taking this inquiry and focusing on what seemingly isn't being researched as much. I have noticed that a lot of speculative design tends to lean towards the dystopian and more grungy aesthetic, so I'm excited to see how you interpret the more whimsical and surreal side of fantastical architecture. As for looking to architectural strategies, I have linked below some topic tabs from Divisare that I came across a while ago and immediately thought of while reading your post (some are gonna lean dystopian here too unfortunately but maybe you can find how some people approach this kind of speculative design?):
Imaginary Landscapes: Imaginary Landscapes · A collection curated by Divisare
Hi Maria! I love the direction that you have started to narrow into with your research. I enjoy seeing that you are trying to narrow architectural strategies rather than the cinematographic ones. I think that this move will allow for you to continue exploring these pieces of cinema and find themes and/or spaces from each that peak your interest. I am really intrigued to see where your research moves once you nail down one or a few architectural styles that could start to lay the framework for your capstone research. Amazing work!