The Architecture of Star Wars

Jun 2009

By Sebastian J — Filed under: Misc , Film, Star Wars

Many of us, long before we even knew about architecture dreamed about a fantastic world in a galaxy far far away. Nowadays, Star Wars continue to surprise people all around the world, and we can now see the movie with a different eye. Perhaps, the architect’s eye.

At The Architect’s Journal, they selected the best Star Wars buildings. The top ten, after the break.

: 10. CLOUD CITY, BESPIN. The simple and elegant 16-kilometre wide Cloud City sits high above the planet Bespin. Proprietor Lando Calrissian oversees a well-appointed luxury resort district on its upper levels, complete with hotels and casinos. Echoes of the saucer-shaped structure can be seen on Earth in John Lautner’s Chemosphere House.

: 9. SENATE BUILDING, CORUSCANT. More than two kilometres wide, this seat of power looms over its subjects. Sited at the end of the Avenue of Core Founders, it holds the Grand Convocation Chamber, a vast auditorium that contains 1024 floating repulsorpods, one for each senator (extensive refurbishment followed a duel between Chancellor Palpatine and Jedi Grand Master Yoda). Noted similarities with Jean Nouvel’s Louvre Abu Dhabi.

: 8. SANDCRAWLER, TATOOINE. Not quite a building, but the monumental quality of its form and its polygonal facades lend this Jawa Sandcrawler a building-like presence. These large treaded vehicles have inspired buildings from a Tunisian hotel to Rem Koolhaas’ Casa de Musica in Porto (both pictured above).

: 7. BRIGHT TREE VILLAGE, ENDOR. Bright Tree Village is an exemplar of sustainable, low-tech development. This Ewok settlement on the forest moon of Endor follows the traditional pattern: thatched-roof huts are arranged on the main branches of a tree around the chief’s hut on the trunk. Rated BREEAM Excellent, the development – by architect Wicket W Warrick – makes use of locally sourced materials, is carbon-neutral and far exceeds Endor’s notoriously strict building regulations.

: 6. ECHO BASE, HOTH. It took the Alliance Corps of Engineers, under Major Kem Monnon, two years to fashion Echo Base from the natural ice caverns below the frozen surface of Hoth. The result is a impressive both technically and aesthetically – a vast igloo as if fashioned by Piranesi. Alongside medical facilities a command centre and a large hangar, this eerily peaceful base includes perimeter defense trenches and v-150 Planet Defender ion cannon.

: 5. ARTISANAL DWELLINGS, TATOOINE. Home to Luke Skywalker, the two-sunned desert planet is known for its charming domed adobe buildings, reminiscent of Berber granaries of Tunisia such as the Ksar Ouled Soltane (pictured)

: 4. CORUSCANT, THE WHOLE THING. Like adding New York to Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong, then squaring the result. The capital of the Old Republic takes urban sprawl to the extreme and realises the vision of Greek City planner Constantinos Doxiadis of an ecumeonpolis: a single city that covers the whole of a planet. The ‘New Architecture’ style common to the Senate Area of Coruscant is characterised by Manhattan-like skyscrapers nestled among blade-thin obelisks that resemble the soaring minarets of Cairo.

: 3. JEDI TEMPLE, CORUSCANT. The temple’s exterior form adapts the robust typology of Mayan temples, with durasteel cladding specified for the external stone walls for improved defensive strength. Over a kilometre in height, the ziggurat is built above a Force-nexus and has ample room for training facilities, accommodation and the Jedi Archive. The temple has five towers, the tallest called the Tranquillity Spire which has similarities to the minarets which surround the Ahghia Sophia in Istanbul.

: 2. JABBA THE HUTT’S PALACE, TATOOINE. This monumental structure in stone and metal is composed of three cylindrical towers; located at the fringe of the Northern Dune Sea on the planet of Tatooine, it was originally built as a monastery by the B’omarr Monks. The palace’s hulking mass dominates the surroundings and is home to torture chambers, droid pool, storage area for frozen enemies and Rancor pit. Not universally admired, C3P0 commented: ‘That is scarcely what I would call a palace, Artoo. It looks more like an iron foundry’.

: 1. THE SECOND DEATH STAR. A pleasing return to Classical symmetry, the Death Star was the run-away winner. Despite rumours of construction over-runs and structural weakness, this menacing spherical chunk of Brutalist infrastructure has made its impression on a architects from Ledoux and Boullee to Heerim Architects’ lunar hotel.

18 comments »

viniruski says:

Is it a coincidence that I’m working for the Empire currently on the design of the third Death Star?

# June 16, 2009 at 12:28

tim says:

may the force be with you

# July 12, 2009 at 01:24

Turnip says:

Jabba’s palace looks somehow similar to the Śnieżka mountain observatory. I don’t know how could I have not noticed it earlier. http://www.sniezka.karpacz.pl/index.php?lang=1&menu1=4&menu2=1 By the way, great architecture in comparison to other buildings from 1970s in Poland.

# June 16, 2009 at 12:35

PanamArq says:

what about the planet Hoth Shield Generators?

# June 16, 2009 at 12:37

ricardo says:

very interesting

# June 16, 2009 at 14:23

Sam says:

Its nice to see a light heart side of architecture. The star wars universe is a orgy of great concepts and art.
Loved reading about this cause its made me smile:)

# June 16, 2009 at 21:31

darth says:

By the way, I tried that mind choking trick once with a client. didn´t work. didn’t get the job either.

# June 17, 2009 at 10:24

Shawn Chong says:

As soon as I saw Jabba the Hutt’s palace, it reminded me of the “Hakka Tulou” in Fujian, China. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fujian_Tulou) If you check out the link and the pictures, I’m sure you’ll agree!

So maybe the makers of Star Wars got their inspiration for these famous homes/communities that continue to house up to 80 families each, have been designated a collective UNESCO World Heritage Site, AND were mistaken for missile silos by the U.S. in the past!

# June 17, 2009 at 10:30

Chiaro Scuro says:

Fucking nerds…

# June 17, 2009 at 12:40

Lukas says:

cool

# June 17, 2009 at 14:13

Hey Chiaro Scuro… you’re supposed to comment on the blog entry, not on yourself!

# June 17, 2009 at 18:55

lee says:

一般

# June 17, 2009 at 22:10

mazanet says:

Who was the team who actually did these designs, did they employ actual architects?

# June 18, 2009 at 08:14

Temple says:

:) )))))))))

# June 18, 2009 at 08:53

dan says:

to mazanet: yes, of course; real architects, real engineers, real drawing boards, real buildings !!!

# June 18, 2009 at 14:54

o+c says:

Dan, Mazanet actually asks a fairly intelligent question.

For many years Lucas was hiring Architects, or designers with architectural educations. This was at its height when the majority of architecture students were graduating with a high level of three dimensional modeling skills, around 1995-2000, but was a tendency in their hiring both before an after this peak as well.

It is highly likely that some of the team members on designs shown above had some architectural education or experience.

# June 18, 2009 at 15:48

JuanLuisBurke says:

this is the best post in archdaily so far. bar none.

# June 18, 2009 at 20:07

francis says:

While in the real world it’s “The Architecture of Style Wars”. Off reality, these architecture does not seem to endorse any kind of fashionable postmodernism. The argument is rather that there are many ways of recognising cultural groups marking the end of hegemony. These teleological dreams will end as the winners.

# June 22, 2009 at 06:20