1. Secrets of the Parthenon
For 25 centuries the Parthenon has been shot at, set on fire, rocked by earthquakes, looted for its sculptures, and disfigured by catastrophic renovations. To save it from collapse, the modern restoration team must uncover the secrets of how the ancient Greeks built this icon of western civilization in less than nine years without anything resembling an architectural plan.
It has an average vote of 8 on TMDB.
2. Lost Pyramids of the Aztecs
For centuries, archaeologists have been trying to understand the Aztec empire and reveal the truth about their origins. Now, new excavations could reveal astonishing secrets about how they lived and what life was like inside one of the greatest empires in history. Where did this group of nomadic people originate from? How did they undertake building their towering pyramids and other ambitious engineering feats using manpower alone? And how was such a powerful empire wiped out after just 200 years of power?
It has an average vote of 2 on TMDB.
3. Ben Building: Mussolini, Monuments and Modernism
Having previously investigated the architecture of Hitler and Stalin's regimes, Jonathan Meades turns his attention to another notorious 20th-century European dictator, Mussolini. His travels take him to Rome, Milan, Genoa, the new town of Sabaudia and the vast military memorials of Redipuglia and Monte Grappa. When it comes to the buildings of the fascist era, Meades discovers a dictator who couldn't dictate, with Mussolini caught between the contending forces of modernism and a revivalism that harked back to ancient Rome. The result was a variety of styles that still influence architecture today. Along the way, Meades ponders on the nature of fascism, the influence of the Futurists, and Mussolini's love of a fancy uniform.
It has an average vote of 6.5 on TMDB.
4. Katedrála zázrakov (Katedrála zázrakov)
(Katedrála zázrakov)
5. Skyscraper
Nominated for an Academy Award, this live-action short film playfully chronicles the construction of the Tishman Building at 666 Fifth Avenue in New York City.
It has an average vote of 7 on TMDB.
6. Waltz with Bashir (Vals Im Bashir)
An Israeli film director interviews fellow veterans of the 1982 invasion of Lebanon to reconstruct his own memories of his term of service in that conflict.
It has an average vote of 7.699 on TMDB.
7. Palace for the People (Дворците на народа)
The life and death of socialist architectural monsters. An epic fairy-tale in five chapters.
It has an average vote of 8.7 on TMDB.
8. Eiffel's Race to the Top (Eiffel, la guerre des tours)
Behind the iconic Eiffel Tower lies the story of an incredible challenge to erect a thousand-foot tower that went far beyond a design competition, and marked a major turning point in engineering history. It was the beginning of radical transformation where iron was pitted against stone, engineering against architecture, and modern design against ancients. Press campaigns, lobbying, public conferences, denigration of opposing projects, bragging about big names - all participants engaged in a fierce battle without concession. Using 3D recreations, official sources and intimate archives obtained from their descendants, this film will bring to life this vertical race through a fresh and visual way to mark the centenary of Eiffel death.
It has an average vote of 7.2 on TMDB.
9. Ansichten einer Stadt (Ansichten einer Stadt)
A portrait of the German city of Ulm and it's social activities, fassades, court building. Also about the role of the district court during National Socialism.
10. Restoring a Masterpiece: The Renovation of Eastman Theatre
Take a look behind the curtain to see the vast history and recent renovation of one of Rochester, New York's most famous landmarks. Architects, theater personnel, historians, community leaders, and citizens provide in depth insight from start to finish in one of the most extensive renovations the city has ever seen.
It has an average vote of 8 on TMDB.
11. The Cabanon by Le Corbusier
Minimalist documentary by Rax Rinnekangas about the wooden cottage "La Cabanon" designed and built in 1952 by Swiss architect and furniture designer Le Corbusier - a refuge intended for a single person with a living space of only 3.66 x 3.66 meters. The construction followed Corbusier's maxim that architecture must adapt to the human body and not vice versa.
12. Desert Utopia: Mid-Century Architecture in Palm Springs
Southern California’s Coachella Valley, including the communities of Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Desert Hot Springs, boasts hundreds of extraordinary midcentury modern homes, public buildings and commercial structures. Modern designers such as William F. Cody, Albert Frey, William Krisel, John Lautner, Richard Neutra, R.M. Schindler, Donald Wexler, E. Stewart Williams left their collective mark on this desert paradise. Desert Utopia: Mid-Century Architecture in Palm Springs traces the history of modern architecture in Palm Springs from the first bold forays into modernist design to the preservation challenges facing the region today. Director Jake Gorst’s film features rare archival images and footage as well as interviews with historians, homeowners and the architects who helped create this mecca of modernism.
13. Postmodernism: The Substance of Style
This film features some of the most important living Postmodern practitioners, Charles Jencks, Robert A M Stern and Sir Terry Farrell among them, and asks them how and why Postmodernism came about, and what it means to be Postmodern. This film was originally made for the V&A exhibition 'Postmodernism: Style and Subversion 1970 - 1990'.
14. Frei Otto: Spanning the Future
The life and works of Frei Otto told in his own words and by those he inspired. An in-depth look at the rise of lightweight architecture, form finding, and its continued relevance for the future of architecture.
15. Berlin Babylon (Berlin Babylon)
A documentary focusing on the rebuilding projects in Berlin after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
It has an average vote of 7.6 on TMDB.
16. Tour de Pise, l'inébranlable édifice (Tour de Pise, l'inébranlable édifice)
(Tour de Pise, l'inébranlable édifice)
It has an average vote of 8 on TMDB.
17. Uncommon Sense
Uncommon Sense: The Life and Architecture of Laurie Baker" explores both the personal and the professional storyline of the architect. Baker's philosophy was more a way of living than just a way of building. He didn't advocate simplicity while designing, and then lead a lavish life.
18. Tapavica (Tapavica)
A story about the first Serbian Olympian who won bronze medal at the first Olympic games in 1896, also a world class architect.
It has an average vote of 10 on TMDB.
19. Diller Scofidio + Renfro: Reimagining Lincoln Center and the High Line
Diller Scofidio + Renfro has long been at the forefront of design with provocative exhibitions that blurred the boundaries between art and architecture. This film captures their extraordinary evolution and unique process in reimagining the public identities of Lincoln Center and the once derelict High Line railroad tracks.
20. The Arch
A modern explorer leads us on a global journey to discover how nine of the world's greatest architects are shaping our future.
