Our CRIT 93 Editorial Team connected with the filmmakers of ARCHITECTON, a new documentary premiering this summer, to dive into some of the shared themes explored in both their film and the upcoming issue of CRIT Journal—framing the conversation as both a review and a reflection on architecture’s evolving narratives.
Approaching ‘ARCHITECTON’ – “We need to find a new idea of Beauty.”
A Student Review with Insights from the Director and Featured Architect
By: Kellie Murray & Nicholas W. Clark
Victor Kossakovsky’s ARCHITECTON challenges the way we build today with an array of visuals and musical symphonies. He creates a stunning documentary that not only makes one question architecture today, but also pushes the boundaries of film making and what it is to create art. In collaboration with architect Michele De Lucchi, Kossakovsky aims to spread a message about the use of concrete, versus the traditional use of stone, and its impact on the planet and the timeline of buildings constructed today.
Throughout the film, with the exception of a few lines from De Lucchi and a brief interview at the end, the story depends on visuals and music alone. Kossakovsky intentionally left out narration to tap into the audience’s emotional response. “I am trying to put you out of space, give you one dimension in image and another dimension in sound,” said Kossakovsky. He uses visuals from many sites, including the recent destruction of apartment buildings in Turkey following an earthquake in 2023 and the ancient temple ruins of Baalbek in Lebanon. He stated that he specifically chose the site in Baalbeck because there is no current way to lift the stones today, adding that the stones are a thousand tonnes, in comparison to the Roman ruins that are about 70 tonnes. He was also intentional with the music score heard throughout the film, tapping into the American film making tradition of using music to help set the tone for the scene. “We are making [a] symphony from small sounds of stones. In the end, it sounds like a simple sound track, but it is hundreds of tracks,” said Kossakovsky.
In order to further the message of the film, Kossakovsky shares De Lucchi’s creation of The Circle of Life. The architect decided to dedicate a circle of land in his garden to be only used by nature, untouched by mankind after its completion. “This idea of the circle, of creating an action in which [it] was understandable that we need to save nature and to keep a bit of nature always independent from the need, from the desire, from the will of human beings,” said De Lucchi. He went on to explain that this circle still remains in his garden and nature is doing what it wants. This can be seen in the final interview of the film, where Kossakovsky and De Lucchi are talking about the use of concrete and stone in architecture, with the tall grass rising above the rest within the circle.
The final interview of the film shares De Lucchi’s insight on the use of concrete today and how it is hindering the growth of architecture and beauty. He discusses the importance of what we are building today in the context of tomorrow. “What we build will nourish the planet, or what we build will destroy the planet,” he tells Kossakovsky. De Lucchi believes architects of today should aspire to leave the planet better than they received it, emphasizing that the relationship between human and nature is part of our very existence. “There is nothing without all the rest. There is nothing in terms of humanity without all the other people. There is nothing in architecture without nature and understanding the context,” said De Lucchi.
ARCHITECTON is a fundamentally gripping and emotional experience throughout its 98 minute run-time. From poignant imagery to a refreshingly intricate and original score, the film doesn’t shy away from communicating the sheer scale and complexity of our reliance on toxic materials and practices as an architectural community. Calling into question our fundamental over-reliance on profit-incentivized design, elucidating our incredible oversight when it comes to the environment, and taking time to hope and describe how we must change looking into the future; the film is a wonderfully emotional call to action for architecture students and emerging professionals internationally. As a global design community, armed with tremendously creative problem solving abilities, we stand uniquely situated to turn the page on the harmful practices highlighted in the film and subsequently bring forth a new paradigm in the built environment.
Kossakovsky hopes to articulate a call to action for students soon to enter the profession, saying, “If we stop building ugly buildings, we will live 10 years longer. We can not….destroy emotional health. People who build architecture, they want to build something beautiful…. No one will want to build something beautiful….you want to be an architect because you want to build something beautiful. Don’t give up. Do beauty.”
Check out the film in theaters this August, and stay tuned for CRIT Journal, Issue 93, coming this winter.
