Inception: Architecture of the Mind

Jul 2010

By Karen Cilento — Filed under: Architecture News

▼

Add this to My Bookmarks:

share by email

share by email

Inception The Architect Poster

New York’s heat wave gave us the perfect excuse to escape into the cool movie theater for a few hours to check out Christopher Nolan’s latest production, Inception (don’t worry, we won’t spoil the movie for you, we just want to share some thoughts about this very architectural-ish movie).

The movie’s protagonist, Dom Cobb, assembles a skilled team to extract secrets or, in rare cases, to implant ideas deep within a person’s subconscious. Arguably the most important member, the architect, Ariadne (Ellen Page), designs these dreams. At the simplest level, she is designing a maze – a complex and compelling labyrinth where the buildings and their layouts are controlled by the architect, but how it is occupied and what the “projections” do (figures the subconscious envisions), is determined by the dreamer. As you can imagine, her designing leads to some crazy ideas, such as a penrose staircase or even cities that literally fold on top of themselves. Yet, her success lies not in grandiose, crazy designs, but rather in the ability to connect with the dreamer, allowing his subconscious to comfortably take to the design and let his mind fill it with his ideas.

The architect must design spaces that have an air of familiarity about them. This way, the person can latch on to the framework and begin filling the dream with his thoughts. Ariadne learns that manipulating the design too far from what the user is used to will lead to undesired outcomes. It is an interesting balance because the design must be compelling and exciting, yet not too unrealistic.

And yet, what if the ideas of designing the dream world could be used in our conscious state? At one point, Ariadne notes that designing the dreams is “pure creation” at its best. While Ariadne is certainly not tied to the same restrictions we are in the conscious world – for instance, physics – she does have certain parameters for the designs. What if our minds could be as open as Ariadne’s – always testing the possibilities and toying with that delicate line of how a building affects a person. You don’t want to go too far, yet you need to address the issue to make the building, just like the dream, gripping and dynamic.

The movie’s plot is deeply layered, filled with complexities and overlapping story lines, yet the power of the idea is never forgotten. It continually emphasizes how an idea can take hold of a person and change his entire live. It’s a strong message and threads itself throughout a chaotic and entertaining movie. We hope you get the chance to see it! And, if you were able to see it, what did you think of the movie?

Video from YouTube uploader trailers

Cite:
Cilento , Karen . "Inception: Architecture of the Mind" 26 Jul 2010. ArchDaily. Accessed 09 Feb 2012. <http://www.archdaily.com/70330>

Comments (26)
Tweets (88)
Links to this entry (1)

patrick dupont says:

the fonction is the vision…
before you imaginate you can create, but so will creating the you can imagine…on this way : a dream is a concept you drawing and create on fonction…to planning yours life on the way you dreamed before…
this is the way nearby creating your world the fonction in draw the life in the present to yours last dream…

architectural fonction thincking way the concept..

# July 26, 2010 at 09:19

relate imaginate relation…in french to english..

# July 26, 2010 at 09:25

mr says:

it was light in the “architecture”, but on a basic level – for non archies, i guess it could be perceived as dynamic.

good movie, hands down. but they just scratched the surface in terms of what possibilites this could have brought from this “architect”, who was more like “student intern-architect”…

# July 26, 2010 at 09:35

BD says:

I agree with “mr”. I understand the need to create the familiar world, so as not to confuse the dreamer during inception, but I thought that the world created by Dom Cobb and his wife (the chance to explore new ideas in architecture on film) was disappointing. I am not sure why that dream world remained familiar. I would even say it was “institutional” or “repressive”.

# July 26, 2010 at 16:50

oran says:

It was Corb’s radiant city, or much of it appeared to be, which was what I thought to be one of the most poetic symbols in the movie.

I do agree though that there was a missed opportunity, considering both Dom and his wife it seemed might have been architects themselves. They loved house living but also living in one of those cruciform buildings…

# July 27, 2010 at 02:30

arwilson says:

I agree that this film merely scratched the surface in terms of architectural relevance and spatial theories. It seemed to be based more on physical application of architectural elements.

Your post made me curious, however. What does the fact that Ariadne was a “student intern-architect” have to do with anything? Does this fact make her creations any less valid?

# July 27, 2010 at 12:53

not at all. as a matter of fact, it should mean that the creativity involved in her creation shouldve lead to an unbelievably magnificent and impossible creation due to the stimuli that most arch students are exposed to during their academic pursuits.

however – the reason why i stated it as such was that, technically, she cannot be called an “architect” without having her licensure.

# July 29, 2010 at 14:17

bLogHouse says:

The dream worlds in the film were made too realistic not only to not confuse the dreamer, but to blur the difference between dream and reality and to question it.
Despite the numerous architectural references throughout the film, the most architectural thing was its plot. It was actually shown as a sketch on a piece of paper in one of the scenes.

# July 27, 2010 at 02:56

watanabe says:

Interesting. I saw it and can recall a few scenes with models/whiteboards, but can you help me recall which scene had the paper with the plot on it?

Thanks

# July 27, 2010 at 06:09

The structure of the plot – a dream within a dream within a dream, like chinese boxes, was shown on the sketch Ariadne did for Cobb, with which she passed his test – the nested circles labyrinth. And this was not the only reference to ‘nested objects’, but the only one to be graphically presented.

# July 27, 2010 at 08:09

Norman Remais says:

Your review is better than the movie. And more coherent. The movie failed the rules with too much gratuitous noise, entertainment, violence, as it jilted us away from the mental dreaming of the mental dream of reality.

# July 27, 2010 at 11:44

MT says:

In Inception, I found the substance lying within the architectural process. From dream to a simulacrum of reality, there were depth-worthy gestures that championed the creative side of making. The transference of spatial dynamics from maker to observer is recognized within the film – the observer perceived the maker’s environment as real – which is the process of the architect; from “pure concept” to realized. However, within the architectural purview, the film represented a lot more, one only needs to fill in the gaps.

# July 27, 2010 at 15:57

Mary says:

Ellen Page is really not believable as an architect. Horrible casting

# July 30, 2010 at 06:37

Zee says:

Agreed. It required someone with a more sophisticated aura.

# August 9, 2010 at 20:29

alex says:

she’s only meant to be an architect student… not an architect. leave her alone!

# December 23, 2010 at 10:07

Collier says:

Was the Cobbs’ compulsion to build (an entire city) while “on the shore of their subconscious” (I believe that was the term used for the deepest level of dreaming) was a manifestation of them being professional Architects?

The comments here are compeling me to see Inception again.

# August 17, 2010 at 03:41

That should be “compelling” – sorry for the poor self-editing.

# August 17, 2010 at 03:43

Barbarossa says:

The role of the Architect in the movie has much more to do with psychology or computer game design than with architecture. The Architect constructs a level, a game, a maze, a mental trap for the dreamer.
I don’t think it has that much to do with architecture in a classical sense.

# September 19, 2010 at 16:09

The role of the architect in real life has a lot to with psychology. And the film has a lot to do with architecture in every sense. Here are the words of the master himself: http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/11/pl_inception_nolan/all/1

# December 4, 2010 at 07:43

best mobile solar charger says:

Thanks for taking the time to discuss this, I really feel strongly about it and like understanding more on this subject. If feasible, as you gain knowledge, would you thoughts updating your weblog with additional details? It is very helpful for me.

# November 28, 2010 at 17:42

Gorilla safari says:

Dude, please tell me that youre going to create far more. I notice you havent written another weblog for a while (Im just catching up myself). Your weblog is just as well important to be missed. Youve acquired so significantly to say, this kind of knowledge about this topic it would be a shame to see this weblog disappear. The internet needs you, man!

# December 2, 2010 at 17:24

we’ve been detected by the projections…

# December 6, 2010 at 01:16

Ha-ha, good one!

# December 20, 2010 at 12:29

Black Hat Seo Forum says:

Thanks for the hard “work” you put into your blog says my wife

# December 8, 2010 at 12:16

mutuelle optique says:

hello very nice article

# August 6, 2011 at 08:19

Patrick Dupont Designer en Chef says:

un un sens l’architecte est la bulle,, et son cercle,, de rêve,,en protection pour lui-même,,donc en cette façon,, l’auto-protection par son inconscient,, et en même façon son propre guide de ces rêves,,en conclusion,, son seul et unique adversaire ,, ses rêve,, et ses peur à combattre pour apprendre à être lui-même,, et se positionner son cercle,, de conscient ds son compartiment intérieure,,le mood,, est la fonction d’être le mouvement de sa pensée,, en ces rêve,,et ainsi,, vivre sa pensée,,et son chemin,,par les outil,, et la technologie,,

# August 6, 2011 at 10:00

9:08 AM Jul 26th

arhitectura

Inception: Architecture of the Mind: Inception The Architect PosterNew York’s heat wave gave us the perfect … http://tinyurl.com/2udy34t

Bocetos Digitales

Inception: Architecture of the Mind: Inception The Architect PosterNew York’s heat wave gave us the perfect excuse… http://bit.ly/dooPeu

spencer chan

Inception: Architecture of the Mind: Inception The Architect PosterNew York’s heat wave gave us the perfect excuse… http://bit.ly/b2hYwQ

rental_watanabe 2.0

【archi info】 Inception: Architecture of the Mind http://dlvr.it/32YZ4 #News (archdaily) #rental_archiinfo

9:10 AM Jul 26th

レン

RT @archdaily: Inception: Architecture of the Mind http://archdai.ly/9PBKLN #architecture

Tutto Ardito

Nicolás Saieh

Ankit Surti

Inception: #Architecture of the Mind: http://bit.ly/aJGxIR

9:12 AM Jul 26th

Mike Plotnick

Werryson Wijaya

9:13 AM Jul 26th

DS26

dying to see it.. this week ! RT @archdaily: Inception: Architecture of the Mind http://archdai.ly/9PBKLN #architecture

9:14 AM Jul 26th

wisnu wardhana

9:15 AM Jul 26th

Kay Ro

인셉션과 건축 RT @archdaily Inception: Architecture of the Mind http://archdai.ly/9PBKLN #architecture

9:16 AM Jul 26th

Jamie Crawley

i gotta see this wk too RT @DESIGNSTUDIO26: dying to see it..this week ! RT @archdaily: Inception: http://archdai.ly/9PBKLN #architecture

Architecture+Molding

Inception: Architecture of the Mind: New York’s heat wave gave us the perfect excuse to escape into the cool movie… http://bit.ly/dooPeu

9:17 AM Jul 26th

Cibele Machado

quero assistir *-* RT @archdaily Inception: Architecture of the Mind http://archdai.ly/9PBKLN #architecture

9:22 AM Jul 26th

axel j siswoyo

aisha ballesteros

9:24 AM Jul 26th

Fergino F. Stefano

RT @axelsiswoyo: RT @archdaily: Inception: Architecture of the Mind http://archdai.ly/9PBKLN #architecture

9:27 AM Jul 26th

NewsLine

Inception: Architecture of the Mind | ArchDaily: New York's heat wave gave us the perfect excu… http://bit.ly/aNDwXO http://bit.ly/auIein

9:30 AM Jul 26th

Nizza Samuel

9:31 AM Jul 26th

Moch. Marvian AH

RT @Ivanhage: RT @axelsiswoyo: RT @archdaily: Inception: Architecture of the Mind http://archdai.ly/9PBKLN #architecture

patrick dupont

Inception: Architecture of the Mind | ArchDaily http://bit.ly/cWthQG the mind spirit of yours concept…design your life..

9:33 AM Jul 26th

Jihwan Moon

yes, sometimes, layering made the distinction. RT @archdaily Inception: Architecture of the Mind http://archdai.ly/9PBKLN #architecture

Anna

angelina yoanita

9:37 AM Jul 26th

John Dolci

9:38 AM Jul 26th

Empress

RT @archdaily Inception: Architecture of the Mind | ArchDaily http://bit.ly/cWthQG

9:40 AM Jul 26th

Cauê Costa

Amigos, sintam a STILERICE RT: @archdaily: Inception: Architecture of the Mind http://archdai.ly/9PBKLN #architecture

9:41 AM Jul 26th

Sermchart

9:42 AM Jul 26th

Jongsue kim

Architizer

Did you see ours last week? http://ow.ly/2gzVM RT @Talkitect Inception: Architecture of the Mind http://bit.ly/bUTx8B (via @archdaily )

9:46 AM Jul 26th

gacanti swastika

RT @talkitect: RT| Inception: Architecture of the Mind: New York’s heat wave gave us the perfect excuse to escape into … http://bit.ly/bUTx8B @archdaily

9:47 AM Jul 26th

Leila Tomaselli

Inception: Architecture of the Mind via ArchDaily – Inception The Architect Poster New York’s heat … http://tinyurl.com/24y3ld6

9:58 AM Jul 26th

Ramon Cardona

Inception: Architecture of the Mind http://j.mp/dgSHnm

9:59 AM Jul 26th

Jeon ByeongMin

이 녀석을 봐야해 인셉션…ㅜ.ㅜ. RT @archdaily Inception: Architecture of the Mind http://archdai.ly/9PBKLN #architecture

Nuno Raphael Relvão

10:15 AM Jul 26th

Irving A Gonzales