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Lair: Radical Homes and Hideouts of Movie Villains (Collectors Edition)
Winner of the AIGA'S International Competition for Notable Graphic Design.
“It’s both an architecture and movie fan’s dream.” - Los Angeles Times
"Strikingly designed." - Publishers Weekly
“Explores the cinematic tradition of antiheroes with architecturally significant private spaces." - Architectural Digest
“A fascinating gift for that highbrow nerd in your life.” - Syfy Wire
Why do bad guys live in good houses? From Atlantis in The Spy Who Loved Me to Nathan Bateman's ultra-modern abode in Ex Machina , big-screen villains often live in architectural splendor. From a design standpoint, the villain’s lair, as popularized in many of our favorite movies, is a stunning, sophisticated, envy-inducing expression of the warped drives and desires of its occupant. Radical Homes and Hideouts of Movie Villains , celebrates and considers several iconic villains’ lairs from recent film history.
From futuristic fantasies to deathtrap-laden hives, from dwellings in space to those under the sea, pop culture and architecture join forces in these outlandish, primarily modern homes and in Lair , which features buildings from fifteen films,
Edited by acclaimed architect Chad Oppenheim with Andrea Gollin, Lair includes interviews with production designers and other industry professionals such as Ralph Eggleston, Richard Donner, Roger Christian, David Scheunemann, Gregg Henry, and Mark Digby. Contributors include director Michael Mann, cultural critic Christopher Frayling, museum director Joseph Rosa, and architect Amy Murphy. Architectural illustrations and renderings by Carlos Fueyo provide multiple in-depth views of these spaces.
“It’s both an architecture and movie fan’s dream.” - Los Angeles Times
"Strikingly designed." - Publishers Weekly
“Explores the cinematic tradition of antiheroes with architecturally significant private spaces." - Architectural Digest
“A fascinating gift for that highbrow nerd in your life.” - Syfy Wire
Why do bad guys live in good houses? From Atlantis in The Spy Who Loved Me to Nathan Bateman's ultra-modern abode in Ex Machina , big-screen villains often live in architectural splendor. From a design standpoint, the villain’s lair, as popularized in many of our favorite movies, is a stunning, sophisticated, envy-inducing expression of the warped drives and desires of its occupant. Radical Homes and Hideouts of Movie Villains , celebrates and considers several iconic villains’ lairs from recent film history.
From futuristic fantasies to deathtrap-laden hives, from dwellings in space to those under the sea, pop culture and architecture join forces in these outlandish, primarily modern homes and in Lair , which features buildings from fifteen films,
Edited by acclaimed architect Chad Oppenheim with Andrea Gollin, Lair includes interviews with production designers and other industry professionals such as Ralph Eggleston, Richard Donner, Roger Christian, David Scheunemann, Gregg Henry, and Mark Digby. Contributors include director Michael Mann, cultural critic Christopher Frayling, museum director Joseph Rosa, and architect Amy Murphy. Architectural illustrations and renderings by Carlos Fueyo provide multiple in-depth views of these spaces.
290 pages, Hardcover
Published November 5, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 28, 2023
if you like this review, i now have website: www.michaelkamakana.com
210608: big coffee table book. probably does not matter what the rating is- if architecture, set design in films (particularly 007 bond) interests, then you want to look at this. interviews pertinent, graphics sharp silver on black, grainy bw photos. helps if you have recently seen or remember well chosen work. essay on irony of how modern architecture has become image of villainous abodes vs domestic traditional architecture... my favourite is nomanisanisland from the incredibles- but that could be it is just the best film chosen...
210608: big coffee table book. probably does not matter what the rating is- if architecture, set design in films (particularly 007 bond) interests, then you want to look at this. interviews pertinent, graphics sharp silver on black, grainy bw photos. helps if you have recently seen or remember well chosen work. essay on irony of how modern architecture has become image of villainous abodes vs domestic traditional architecture... my favourite is nomanisanisland from the incredibles- but that could be it is just the best film chosen...
January 10, 2020
4.5
fascinating look at so many aspects of production design, not just architecture.
don't make the mistake of glancing through the pages to look at the photos, because there is a gold mine of information for any film buff, as well as readers interested in mid-century modern architecture and culture.
lots of first-hand accounts from designers that shed light on the production of these masterpieces, with particular gems for Bond lovers (and so much more - there's really nothing extraneous in this volume, not a single word or image).
fascinating look at so many aspects of production design, not just architecture.
don't make the mistake of glancing through the pages to look at the photos, because there is a gold mine of information for any film buff, as well as readers interested in mid-century modern architecture and culture.
lots of first-hand accounts from designers that shed light on the production of these masterpieces, with particular gems for Bond lovers (and so much more - there's really nothing extraneous in this volume, not a single word or image).
March 4, 2021
The architectural plans created by Carlos Fueyo are simply amazing. They showcase not only the how of each Lair but also his imaginative ability, given that many of these locations were film sets or effects driven. This collection of villain hideouts brings the cinematic fantasy into painstaking detail.
Supporting the visual representations are the architectural round tables and interviews that breakdown the villains and their role in each film. You can sense the careful deliberation and analysis that went into each selection. I also enjoyed the peek behind the creative process from the set directors themselves.
Indeed, the success of this book is in how it demonstrates how architecture and character are intertwined. Where it fails is in that the actual still images could have been of higher quality. The graininess, deeply detracts from the whole experience. Also, missing from the list of bad guys and their Lairs is Thanos and his base “Sanctuary 2.” That omission likely due to the competing timing of the book’s release and the film’s.
Supporting the visual representations are the architectural round tables and interviews that breakdown the villains and their role in each film. You can sense the careful deliberation and analysis that went into each selection. I also enjoyed the peek behind the creative process from the set directors themselves.
Indeed, the success of this book is in how it demonstrates how architecture and character are intertwined. Where it fails is in that the actual still images could have been of higher quality. The graininess, deeply detracts from the whole experience. Also, missing from the list of bad guys and their Lairs is Thanos and his base “Sanctuary 2.” That omission likely due to the competing timing of the book’s release and the film’s.
November 4, 2022
Fascinating collection of essays about the wonderful homes of movie villains - so much cooler than those of their goody-two-shoes nemeses. The theme is that only a sociopath would dare to upend traditional (American) ideals around the residence of the nuclear family, complete with 2.1 children. That cast some doubt on my own personality, because I would give an arm and a leg to live in any of the amazing lairs featured. The essays and interviews with set designers are interesting, and the architectural plans and cut-away renderings of the lairs themselves had me poring over them for hours.
January 28, 2024
This book is so interesting and so well done…except for the photographs. I understand the look they were going for and loved the paper quality, but it just didn’t work for a book showcasing architecture.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews