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ARCHITECTURE AS VISUAL NARRATIVE

Wahlseminar Digitale Architektur und Raumplanung WS 2021 Navid Javan Shojamofrad

CONTENTS

Introduction

What is a narrative?

Narratives in architecture

Architecture as narrative in film

Architecture as narrative in video games

Conclusion

Sources

INTRODUCTION Mankind has been telling stories since millennia. From the ancient cave murals all the way to the modern film industry, stories have played a huge role as a method of exercising our imagination but to also convey knowledge and information to its audience as well as future generations. As human civilization and societies evolved over the years, so did our capacity for the digestion and examination of more complex and comprehensive forms of information and narrative. This has also been intertwined with developments in technology, science and more importantly language itself. Stories have historically functioned as a way to grasp the attention of its audience whilst often having moral and cathartic undertones and interpretations. This is best noticeable in epic literature and mythology; many of ancient Greek mythology aimed to instill certain moral and religious values in its audience through epic stories of gods and heroes. The tale of the “Pandora’s Box” can be interpreted as description of the dangers of temptation while the story of “Icarus” described the dangers of “flying too close to sun” which can also be interpreted as “a fall from grace” due to hubris and over ambition. To be able to understand and learn these added layers of interpretation, the user has to actively engage with the themes of the narrative to unlock their deeper meanings. This demands a certain amount of interest and time investment on the part of the user, but this effort is rewarded by gaining a deeper insight into the implications of the narrative, as well as the thought process and the goals of its creator. The topic of narratives in itself is quite expansive, abstract and subjective. Due to its abstract nature, the evaluation of narratives somewhat depends on personal analysis and interpretation. Narratives also manifest themselves in many different artistic mediums as well as facets of daily life, which makes quantifying and examining it as a single isolated phenomenon somewhat challenging. It is thus useful to look at the topic of narratives in conjunction with the medium through which they manifest, be it literature, art or in this case architecture. This work aims to broadly examine and define the meaning and importance of narrative elements as a whole and primarily analyze the role of architecture as a narrative device in architecture itself as well as in other digital artistic mediums, namely film and video games.

WHAT IS A NARRATIVE? The first thing that comes to mind for most people upon hearing the word narrative is basically a story or a narration of a series of events, which is also the literal definition of the word in the English language1. Most people start experiencing and engaging with narratives all the way from early childhood through elements like stories, toys and children’s books. Yet the most used definition of the concept of narrative is often a superficial and vague one. A much better and broader definition of this concept would be: ”The organization of information which builds symbology, metaphor and meaning.”2 This definition is a much more constructive summation of the concept of narratives. In a way, it encompasses not only stories, art and design, but rather it defines how and why certain artistic or design decisions are made. When we look at this concept through this lens, we start to see narratives all around us in all different shapes and sizes, not only in the real built environment but also in the virtual. Why does the logo of a dating app like Tinder have a shape of a flame on top of it? Why did the graphic designer choose this element for the logo? Was it maybe motivated by phrases in the English language like “a burning desire”? Maybe the fire is a symbolization of the feeling of warmth we feel when we spend time with the ones we love? Why are stop signs on the streets red? It is true that the color red is much easier to notice and see in the dark. But is it maybe because we associate the color red with danger? Is it a coincidence that the color red is also the color of our blood? Would it still have the same effect if the stop signs were for example blue? That would probably be much less effective. Why was the Acropolis in Athens built on a hill overlooking the rest of city? Is that because building it there was easier? It was definitely much more work to carry the materials all the way to the top. It was probably done with a higher goal in mind, to symbolize the holiness of the temple and the gods. Its placement over the rest of the city and all that extra work was justified due to the existence of an overarching intention, a narrative. Asking these questions opens an alternate way of viewing our world around us beyond its surface level attributes. It allows a more detailed examination of how and why things are created the way they are and the insight we get into them by understanding these invisible and hidden thought processes.

1 2

Oxford learner’s dictionary, https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/narrative_1?q=narrative Mark Stephan Meadows, Pause & Play : the art of interactive narrative, P.171

NARRATIVES IN ARCHITECTURE Architecture has always been an in-between field. A meeting point for art, construction and technology, which puts it in a unique position to be a marriage of art and functionality. This separates the narrative potential of architecture from other artistic mediums. While mediums like painting, film or creative writing are inherently narrative mediums and without an objective function, architecture however has to correspond to many functional and physical prerequisites like correct construction, spatial programs, structural statics before it can even be fully realized. This makes the act creating a narrative through architecture an integrated and interactive process through which these physical aspects have to be put together and correspond with the more abstract concept behind the design; the narrative manifests through the exploration of the three dimensional space. The principal aspects of architecture such as materiality, circulation and lighting are also contributors to the spatial narrativem, hence a better summarized definition of architecture as narrative would be: “The deliberate act of subdividing space which builds, symbology, metaphor and meaning”.3 Since architecture is an interactive medium, the user then experiences these narratives through interaction with the architecture, be it through observation or through exploration of the architecture. One of the most important and well known studies about narratives and symbology through architecture is Learning from Las Vegas by Robert Venturi, Denise Scott Brown, Steven Izenour. The result of the research studio of Yale School of Art and Architecture, through which Venturi and Scott Brown visited Las Vegas and analyzed the Las Vegas strip, its urban fabric and how it is perceived. It was a comprehensive study into the state of the Las Vegas Strip as an international icon, how it became such a huge symbol worldwide and what role did the architecture and how it communicates this unique identity to the world and its visitors. One the most famous outcomes and features of the study and book was the categorization of the buildings along the Las Vegas Strip based on how they communicate their identity or the expression of their symbolism. They named these two categories: “The Duck” and “The Decorated Shed”.4 The Decorated Shed is a building which projects its title and identity through a sign or object, which is entirely separated from the architecture itself. This image is quire reminiscent of how most people perceive Las Vegas, full of bright lights and a huge sign which aims lure people into their one of their casinos. These building separate their symbol from their architecture, they are combinations of a large and prominent symbol and a somewhat more rudimentary architecture. The Duck is a type of building that does the exact opposite. They merge their symbolism and architecture as one single entity, as one giant symbol. These buildings are symbols in the sense that they project their identity and symbolism explicitly through their architecture. This approach merges the principle aspects of architecture like circulation, materiality and form with their symbolism, thus creating a somewhat Mark Stephan Meadows, Pause & Play : the art of interactive narrative, P.171 Robert Venturi, Denise Scott Brown, Steven Izenour, Learning from Las Vegas:The Forgotten Symbolism of Architectural Form, P.88 3 4

higher flexibility and potential for the expression of identity and symbolism from quite subtle to many over the top and exaggerated levels, e.g. “The Long Island Duckling” in New York. This method of distinction is a great anchor point for the definition of narratives in architecture. These distinctions can be adapted to narratives as well. The Decorated Shed can be interpreted as a type of architecture which functions as a “narrative carrier”. This type of architecture separates the narrative from the architecture, the architecture itself isn’t a representation or embodiment of the narrative or the symbolism. The architecture is more like a canvas, on which the narrative concepts are exhibited. One of the best examples of these buildings would be the Sistine Chapel in Vatican. One of the most important works of Renaissance art and the world cultural heritage yet the exterior of the building doesn’t even come close to represent this huge value and symbol. The true narrative (which in this case is a representation of the of several biblical scenes) happens through the paintings and tapestries in the interior by renowned artists such as Raphael and Michelangelo. The architecture is quite literally the canvas through which a narrative is explained. The wall and roof paintings as well as the tapestries in the interior carry the identity of the entire structure. Although the Sistine chapel was constructed in the 15th century, there are also examples of architecture from even earlier years which strived for a better balance between narrative and architecture. The Gothic movement for example emphasized the importance of light as a representation of god and raised the average height of the spaces to extreme levels to create a sense of greatness in the space which is also metaphor for the greatness of god. These narrative devices were also represented in the exterior through the detailed ornamentation, arched windows, stained glass windows and the flying buttress structures which exhibited some of the same symbology from the outside, thus turning them into architectural icons. The Duck however takes the approach of “architecture as narrative”. The architecture can not only have spatial programs that correspond to a broader concept or narrative, but these narrative elements are also weaved into the architecture itself. This approach is more prevalent in more modernist architecture. A very good and somewhat minimalist approach to this method of narrative would be Frida Kahlo and Diego Riveria’s house in Mexico, a simple building in terms of form for two renowned artists. Their professions as artists demanded that they have their own separate studios to be able to work on their projects. The building is hence made of two simple box volumes that are not at all connected spatially with rooms, except for a singular narrow bridge which connects the roofs of each volume with the other, thus symbolizing the connection between the two, not only as artists but more so as married couple.5 A building that might at first glance seem ordinary, gets a whole new meaning through the understanding of the intentions of the architect and the history of the building and its owners. The narrative element is expressed solely through an architectural element (in this case a bridge) between the two main volumes but its existence hints at a much larger backstory.

Wikiarquitectura, https://en.wikiarquitectura.com/building/house-studio-museum-of-diego-rivera-and-frida-kahlo/

Frida Kahlo and Diego Riveria’s house, Mexico, (source : www.google.com)

Sistine chapel, Vatican city (source : www.google.com)

Another well-known example of this approach would be Therme Vals by Peter Zumthor. A thermal bath in the Vals region of Switzerland, at the foot of the Alps. The context of the area helped define the architectural approach to the design. Zumthor used to approximately 60,000 stone slabs which were extracted from the surrounding area of Vals and used these stone plates as the primary construction material.6 This choice reinforces the relationship between the architecture and the surrounding mountainous region of Vals, creating a metaphor of a building which has almost been carved out of a mountain, a man-made cave. This narrative is present throughout the other facets of the design as well. The interiors of the baths are a series of labyrinth like rooms and corridors which are intentionally very dimly lit to create an atmosphere of being inside a mountain. Whilst the form itself consists of mainly rectangular volumes and walls with a very clear geometry, the combination of the circulation, materials and the lack of light construct a narrative of a man-made cave. It is also worth noting that The Duck and The Decorated Shed do not have to necessarily be binaries. It is better to see these points as more of a spectrum, since a majority of modern buildings rely on both the architectural program, as well as the architecture itself to express their narrative. One of the best examples of such buildings would be the Jewish Museum Berlin by Daniel Liebeskind. The program of a museum itself requires an architectural typology which is able to leverage its spaces to be flexible enough to exhibit a variety of narratives and exhibitions. But some specific museums like the Jewish Museum Berlin already have a fixed narrative and topic. The clear and inflexible program of this specific museum enables the architect to design a building which will precisely correspond to the narrative of its program. The inherent inflexibility enables a confident specificity in the design. The museum extension building has a very striking appearance, it is a zig zag shaped structure, taking sudden sharp turns which create tight edges and angles which can feel somewhat aggressive. The exterior facade consists of dark metal panels without an ordered series of windows. Instead the positioning and the size of the windows look somewhat random, while their shape is also made up of sharp and concave openings in the facade, almost like cut wounds in the buildings envelope. The interior is where the narrative takes the most form. Just like the exterior the interior rooms take sudden sharp turns, twist and turn and form unorthodox routes and proportions7. One 6 7

Archdaily, https://www.archdaily.com/13358/the-therme-vals Jüdisches Museum Berlin, www.jmberlin.de

of the most impactful and thought provoking spaces in the museum is a “void” in the basement level. This room has no artificial light source and is thus almost completely dark, the only light source being a very small incision in the roof of the building. The interior is fully made up of cold concrete and like the rest of the building, it has very sharp angles and an almost triangular shape. The architect defines this room and the ones similar like it as “voids” as a symbol of the permanent void that is left in the Jewish community as a result of the crimes committed against them. The intended narrative of the architect enables and also justifies the creation of an entirely void space.8 In any other scenario, the creation and construction of a space which was intended to be empty by design would be considered wasteful and counterproductive, but the existence of a narrative goal behind the design enables this extraordinary approach.

Shalekhet, permanent exhibition, Jewish Museum Berlin

The Void, Jewish Museum Berlin

The Facade, Jewish Museum Berlin

Youtube : interview with Daniel Liebeskind, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUTkt0z_NTU

ARCHITECTURE AS NARRATIVE IN FILM The medium of film is an inherently narrative medium. Film always conveys a kind of story to its audience, be it an educational documentary or an artistic or commercial film. Although filmmakers put a great deal of effort in choosing and scouting for sites that best fit their given narrative, the role of architecture in the narrative is often not as discussed as other aspects of film. The role of architecture in film is primarily a tool for world building. It serves as a way to contextualize the narrative and in some rarer cases it can also play a more direct role as a narrative device in the story. The Ennis House by Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright is considered to be one of the most influential modern architects in history. His unique and forward thinking approach to architecture played a huge role in the development of contemporary architecture as well as inspiring many other architects and designers. One of the more unique aspects of his approach to architecture was his own narrative approach to design, mainly to urge to create a connection between the architecture and its surroundings. This narrative can be seen in many facets of his work and along different time periods. The creation of the “Prairie House” was based on the idea of living on the land and the unification of the building with the landscape and nature. This narrative manifested itself in different facets of the architecture from the overall form and proportions of the building all the way to the architectural details. The building form was very horizontal and flat to better harmonize with the landscape, while the smaller details like the shape of the bricks were also disproportionally narrow and flat, further reinforcing this design narrative. The other example of this narrative would be “Fallingwater”, probably his most famous work, is a more direct implementation of the narrative. A building located in and surrounded by a lush forest, and as the name implies, it sits on top of a small river. Here the nature and architecture are more directly unified, with the building being surrounded by nature, with the nature also creeping into the structure and being weaved together with the structure itself.9 The Ennis House however is something of a departure from this design approach. Built in 1924 in Los Angeles, the Ennis House was for its time an extremely unique and innovative approach to architecture in terms of aesthetic and design, thus instantly turning it into a landmark and a prime example of Mayan revival architecture. Frank Lloyd Wright was greatly inspired by Mesoamerican architecture at the time and incorporated these Mesoamerican aesthetics into the architecture of the Ennis House, thus creating a structure which was in radical contrast to the surrounding urban landscape. The most striking manifestation of this design were the “Textile Blocks”10 which can be seen both from the exterior and the interior. These blocks were patterned concrete blocks which served the role of ornament as well as a constructive element. This striking aesthetic is one of the main reasons that this specific house has been directly featured in more than 29 film productions11 and served as an inspiration for many other Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, www.franklloydwright.org Gwendolin Schleuter, Das Ennis House im Film-Drehort, Bauelement, Designidee , P.142 11 Gwendolin Schleuter, Das Ennis House im Film-Drehort, Bauelement, Designidee , P.10 9

film productions. The most famous appearance of the Ennis House in film is in Blade Runner. The film Blade Runner(1982) by Ridley Scott is lauded as one of the best sci-fi films in the history of film, primarily due to its immersive world building, striking visual presentation as well as philosophical undertones. It is one of the pioneers of the Cyberpunk genre, depicting a future dystopian world where the protagonist Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) works as a blade runner, tasked to hunt down escaped replicants (synthetic people). The influence of the Ennis House in this film was even greater than a singular filming location of Deckard’s house, but rather it helped shaped the overall aesthetic of the film world and its architecture. Ridley Scott interpreted the aesthetic of the Ennis House and the textile blocks as from of highly technological and futuristic construction, which was in line with his vision of a dystopian cyberpunk future.12 The influence of the Ennis House can also be felt in the larger aesthetic of the film world as well. The headquarters of the Tyrell Corporation in the film is also in tune with origins of the Ennis House, it is imagined as an enormous stepped pyramid, similar to the Mesoamerican pyramids in central and south America, which exudes a sense of strength and dominance. This influence can even be seen in the next film Blade Runner 2049(2017) by Denis Villeneuve. This time the Wallace headquarters was shaped as a large stepped pyramid.13 A different interpretation of the Ennis House can be seen in the highly popular series Game of Thrones( 2011-2019). Similar to the Blade Runner films, the throne in the city of Meereen was also imagined as a stepped pyramid and the same style of textile blocks can be seen in the interiors. The set designer Deborah Riley was inspired

Tyrell Corporation, Blader Runner(1982), Min. 16:30

The Pyramid of Meereen, Game of Thrones S04E03, Min. 48:26

Deckard’s House, Blader Runner(1982), Min. 34:34

The Pyramid of Meereen Interior, Game of Thrones S04E05, Min. 9:56

12 13

Gwendolin Schleuter, Das Ennis House im Film-Drehort, Bauelement, Designidee , P.193 Gwendolin Schleuter, Das Ennis House im Film-Drehort, Bauelement, Designidee , P.194

by the Ennis House and Mesoamerican architecture and interpreted the ornamentation and construction of the textile blocks as a symbol of royalty and power.14 The fact that the Ennis House has been featured in both futuristic and fantasy film production is a fantastic proof of the timelessness of Frank Lloyd Wright’s design and an great example of how an architectural work can be simultaneously interpreted as futuristic and also as historic. Bong Joon-Ho The first foreign language film to be awarded the Oscars for the Best Picture, Parasite used its architecture as symbolism in a much broader social and urban context. Parasite is not the first time that the director Bong Joon-ho integrated the themes of social inequality in his films. His earlier film Snowpiercer (2014) handled a similar narrative in a more fictional and dystopian context. An around the world train which houses the last surviving people on earth after a disaster was also interpreted as a replica of the human society. The architectural manifestation of social inequality was represented in a strictly horizontal and one dimensional axis, with the leaders and the rich in the front of the train with the poor being imprisoned and oppressed at the back of the train. In Parasite (2019) the contrast between the life of the poor and the rich family was depicted in detail in the urban context of their respective homes. The difference in their neighborhoods and especially the usage of height differences between the houses of the two families serves as a more relatable and realistic narrative device. This is presented in the abundance of space, light and privacy for the rich family and lack thereof for the poor family, the fundamentals that are considered a basic human right and a prerequisite for healthy living, with the poor family living in a dim basement below street level in a dense area while the rich family lives on a hillside in a villa with an open floor plan and ample amounts of space. The repeated showcasing of stairs and ramps in the film is intentional as a symbol of social mobility, with poor family having to literally climb to a higher altitude of the city to arrive at the house of the rich family.15 These fundamental aspects of architecture, although much more grounded and realistic in nature, serve as a narrative device and social commentary.

The ramp leading to the Park’s house, Parasite(2019), Min. 12:22

Gwendolin Schleuter, Das Ennis House im Film-Drehort, Bauelement, Designidee , P.208-209 KCRW Podcast, https://www.kcrw.com/culture/shows/design-and-architecture/architecture-in-parasite-movie-villain-homes/ parasite-tells-a-story-of-class-through-architecture 14 15

ARCHITECTURE AS NARRATIVE IN VIDEO GAMES The medium of video games has evolved rapidly since its inception. The constant developments in technology and the increased access to computers have enabled this medium to evolve beyond a purely entertainment medium into a much more diverse and complex art form. The most important aspect which sets video games apart as an artistic medium is the element of interactivity. Literature and film are narrative mediums where the reader is purely the consumer with zero to no power to personally explore and interact of the elements of the narrative. Architecture offers an increased level of interactivity to the user by enabling them to explore and view the architecture at their own pace and from their own point of view. Video Games however, due to their virtual nature, can offer the highest level of interactivity to the user. The narratives can be quite complex, with the player being able to explore the themes and environments with their own preferred way and in some cases also alter the direction of the story. Video game architecture is therefore also a component of the level design and somewhat similar to real world architecture, with both directing and guiding the user through their respective environments. Control (2019) Remedy Entertainment was first established in 1995 in Finland and ever since has cemented its place as a pioneer of cinematic narratives in video games. The studio has repeatedly experimented with incorporating other narrative mediums into their games, like the comic book strips in Max Payne (2001) and live action film clips in Control (2019). Their more recent game, Control was also the first time when architecture was greatly utilized as a world building and narrative tool. The story revolves around a secret government organization called the Federal Bureau of Control, tasked with documenting and researching supernatural and unexplainable events around the globe. The office itself has been established in one of these supernatural objects, namely “The Oldest House”. A brutalist and windowless skyscraper in New York with unstable, shifting rooms and sometimes also infinite spaces which gets attacked by an unknown corruption force from a different dimension. The Oldest House was actually inspired by an actual building in New York called AT&T Long Lines Building, a 170meter windowless, brutalist skyscraper. The lack of windows or any transparency in the structure has led to curiosity and mystery in the actual function of the building, with some linking it to be the likely location of the NSA in the US. This ominous structure served as a fitting starting point for the design of a believable secret government organization.16 The primary role of the architecture in the game was to create an almost tangible and believable government office building. Concrete is often perceived as a very static and stable material, which amplifies the impact of seeing these huge concrete spaces bend and twist, thus further contributing to the sense of disbelief as well as the supernatural context of the game. Another way this materiality serves the narrative is 16

Youtube : Polygon, https://youtu.be/7n7ylXPueYE?list=PLpXD3ioFz39pb7yVRPH4hReFzQzwGyvfg

through its destruction. The game also had an expansive destruction system, so as the player explores the space and gets into combat situations, the destruction of the intact office and the scattering of structural elements and props around the scene functions similarly to a canvas and a reflection of the impact of the players’ actions on the environment. This is even further expanded upon by advancing through the story and gradually pushing back against the corruption that is trying to take control of the building. The corruption of the spaces also manifests itself not only through its visual design but also its contrast to architecture. The calm, cold and rigid concrete is contrasted with smoke like representation of the corruption which is organic, random and aggressive in its appearance.17 Control is a great example of a video game architecture, which is familiar enough in its design to be believable but changes some parameters enough to fit its fictional narrative, thus creating a relatable yet supernatural world.18

Corrupted central executive office, Control(2019)

AT&T Long Lines Building, 33 Thomas St. New York City

Cleansed central executive office, Control(2019)

Shifting spaces, Control (2019)

The “Immersive Sim” genre The immersive simulation is a very specific genre or design approach to games which places its highest focus on player expression and dynamic interactivity as well as interconnectivity within the environment. It emphasizes precision level design and creating logical systems in the game world that create a dynamic and responsive 17 18

Youtube: IGN, Interview with Sam Lake, https://youtu.be/nj-iOzlYpvU?list=PLpXD3ioFz39pb7yVRPH4hReFzQzwGyvfg Youtube: Extra Office, https://youtu.be/4gbWOhxTpr8?list=PLpXD3ioFz39pb7yVRPH4hReFzQzwGyvfg

world.This results in an experience, in which the player not only progresses through the game and its story but also “discovers” the game and the numerous ways to approach its obstacles with the tools he has available; this phenomenon is often referred to as “emergent gameplay”. This design approach is usually applied to single player narrative based RPGs (role playing games) since the RPG genre also prioritizes player choice and expression. The player forges his own approach and thus his own personalized narrative.19

A flowchart of the open-ended design in the first side quest of Deus Ex:Mankind Divided(2016)

This immersive sim genre, by design has to give a great deal of freedom and power to the player and cannot directly control every aspect of the game. The player is introduced to certain tools and the world and the way they use those tools and interact with the world is up to them. This makes this genre of games quite rare with maybe just 20 well-known games in total since its first inception in 1992 with the game “Ultima Underworld”. Due to its very open-ended and non-linear design philosophy, the role of architecture and by extension, level design is much more complex. The architecture functions not only to visually contextualize the game world and its environment, but it also has to facilitate this open-ended gameplay approach. This creates a unique scenario in which the environment and architecture play a direct role in the gameplay and work hand in hand with the other aspects of the game design. This complex and dynamic design usually results in environments that aren’t necessarily huge but are often extremely dense and multilayered. The role of architecture in these games is the most immersive and also most crucial. The game “Bioshock” released in 2007 by Irrational Games merged the aspects of the first person shooter with RPG element to great success and has ever since 19

Mark Stephan Meadows, Pause & Play : the art of interactive narrative, P.191

been lauded as one the best games ever made.20 A big role in its success was the overall setting of the game, taking place in a post world war 2 era at the height of the cold war. The game world imagined a utopian city at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, built by an idealist with a vision of the freest society without the influence of either communism or capitalism. The architecture of the city was heavily inspired by the Art Deco movement which emphasized quality and fine craftsmanship with a sense of luxurious glamour.21 The Deus Ex series is probably the best known franchise in the immersive sim genre and also one of the pioneers of the cyberpunk genre in video games. The story in the series has explored conspiracies and a kind of addiction to technology and human controlled evolution. The architecture of the last game in the series “Deus Ex : Mankind Divided” was a fantastic futuristic imagination of the city of Prague. It merges the aspects of classical European architecture with architectural elements which we often associate with futuristic design such as clean geometrical shapes and meshes and parametric sculptures, all in a way in which it corresponds to our understanding of the current European architecture but adding certain futuristic designs that elevate the environment and make it dense and believable. It also explores themes of discrimination in such a society and the divide between those who support and oppose this kind of man-made evolution. It is a prime example architectural and level design that is not only relatable, but also contributes to the gameplay and each player’s individual narrative through the immersive sim philosophy.22

Future Prague, Deus Ex : Mankind Divided

Golem City, a ghetto heavily inspired by the walled city of Kowloon, Deus Ex : Mankind Divided

Metacritic, highest rated games of all time, https://www.metacritic.com/browse/games/score/metascore/all/all/filtered Youtube:Director’s commentary, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxEIOn52BJY 22 Youtube: GDC 2017,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-38BH95ERn0&t=738s 20 21

CONCLUSION This work is an effort to examine the topic of narratives, primarily through the lens of architecture. Looking at the role of architecture as a narrative, not only in architecture itself but also in other mediums, enables us to understand how it is interpreted and used in a different context. What possibilities exist for architecture and architectural expression without the limitations of the real world, and how can this sort of architecture contribute to an ulterior narrative and goal. The unique interactions of architecture with mediums like film and video games create new opportunities for designer to redefine what architecture is and can be. The medium of video games is especially exciting, since architecture and video games both give a certain degree of power to the user to interact with the architecture and change it, whereas in film, the viewer perceives the entirety of space through the lens of the director. Both of these mediums open different doors for architects and designers and broaden the definition of architecture and storytelling through architecture. The concept of narratives is infinitely broad and expansive and a better understanding of it enables more detailed understanding and appreciation of the world and the designs we see all around us. For designers however, the concept of narratives plays a much more pivotal role. It allows us to translate and convey our thought process into our work. It supports a reflected and knowledge based approach to design and where every design decision is meaningful and intended, thus contributing to a higher narrative goal. It is in a way the art of forging context.

SOURCES Oxford learner’s dictionary, www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com Mark Stephan Meadows, Pause & Play : the art of interactive narrative, New Riders 2002 Robert Venturi, Denise Scott Brown, Steven Izenour, Learning from Las Vegas:The Forgotten Symbolism of Architectural Form The MIT Press Cambridge, Massachusetts, and London, England 1972 Wikiarquitectura, https://en.wikiarquitectura.com/building/house-studio-museum-of-diego-rivera-and-frida-kahlo/ Jüdisches Museum Berlin, www.jmberlin.de Archdaily, https://www.archdaily.com/13358/the-therme-vals Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, www.franklloydwright.org Gwendolin Schleuter, Das Ennis House im Film-Drehort, Bauelement, Designidee Technische Universität Wien Fakultät für Architektur und Raumplanung 2020 KCRW Podcast, https://www.kcrw.com/culture/shows/design-and-architecture/architecture-in-parasite-movie-villain-homes/parasite-tells-a-story-of-class-through-architecture Metacritic, highest rated games of all time, https://www.metacritic.com/browse/games/ score/metascore/all/all/filtered Youtube : Polygon, https://youtu.be/7n7ylXPueYE?list=PLpXD3ioFz39pb7yVRPH4hReFzQzwGyvfg Youtube: IGN, Interview with Sam Lake, https://youtu.be/nj-iOzlYpvU?list=PLpXD3ioFz39pb7yVRPH4hReFzQzwGyvfg Youtube: Extra Office, https://youtu.be/4gbWOhxTpr8?list=PLpXD3ioFz39pb7yVRPH4hReFzQzwGyvfg Youtube: GDC 2017,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-38BH95ERn0&t=738s Youtube:Director’s commentary, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxEIOn52BJY