NEW TO SHELTER THIS JULY, THE PREMIUM STREAMING SERVICE FOR ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN
This month, Shelter subscribers can peek inside a Gothic tower that doubled as a nuclear fallout bunker, and ascend the inspiration for Saruman’s Orthanc; join an exclusive live-stream event on the making of FOLLIES; marvel at the extraordinary art & buildings of the religions of the East; and gaze beyond the limits of Italian architecture & design this July on SHELTER.
LIVE STREAM EVENT: IN CONVERSATION WITH RORY FRASER & ANDREW SPICER
Join the creative team behind the new Shelter Originals series FOLLIES for the first-ever Shelter live streaming event on July 15 at 8pm AEST.
Director Andrew Spicer and Writer / Presenter Rory Fraser join Shelter, live from the UK, for an exclusive insight into the history, creation and production of the Shelter Original Series FOLLIES.
This event is available exclusively to Shelter subscribers.
SHELTER ORIGINALS: FOLLIES
A Shelter Originals exclusive, join architectural historian and author of “Follies: An Architectural History”, Rory Fraser, who takes us on a journey to four of England’s best follies to discover what makes them some of the country’s most interesting architecture. From Gunpowder Plotters to nuclear bunkers and Lord of the Rings, FOLLIES not only provides a unique insight into the imagination and innovation of some of the nation’s best architects, but also the stories of the eccentric patrons that hired them and the place that they hold in the Great British story.
Ep 3: Broadway Tower (15 mins) United Kingdom 2022 (Available 4 July)
Floating high above the Cotswolds, Broadway Tower is the breathtaking embodiment of a new style of 18th Century architecture that revolutionised Western design: the Gothic.
Inspired by the search for a more authentic English style, the Gothic is a homage to the bygone mythology of castles, battles and chivalry of medieval England.
In this episode, Rory guides us through the tower’s many owners, from William Morris to the Ministry of Defence, celebrating Broadway as an unyielding bastion of patriotism, ideas and romance.
Ep 4: Faringdon Tower (15 mins) United Kingdom 2022 (Available 11 July)
The final stop on Rory’s journey, Faringdon Tower introduces us to one of the 20th Century’s greatest eccentrics: Lord Berners.
Although it was only built to save a small patch of woodland that Berners liked, Faringdon has become a much cherished local landmark.
In this episode, Rory dives into the roaring twenties and investigates not only how the tower has made its way in the hearts of the local population, but also the mind of one of England’s greatest authors: J.R.R. Tolkien and his Lord of the Rings.
RELIGIOUS ART & ARCHITECTURE OF THE FAR EAST – ART OF FAITH Season 2
ART OF FAITH II explores the architecture and art of Buddhism, Hinduism and Religions of the Tao presented and narrated by the broadcaster John McCarthy. These three 55-minute films travel the Eastern world, visiting the greatest and most significant religious buildings, exploring how the passions and complexities of religious beliefs have been expressed in architecture.
Filmed for Sky Arts and looking back over the last 3000 years, the series provides an insight into how we have celebrated art through faith.
With contributions from architects, scholars and worshippers, each episode explains the buildings’ genesis, laying down the brush strokes of the sites’ design, whilst looking at the shared elements and contrasts between religions and the aesthetics of the places of worship.
Art of Faith: Season 2 – (3 x 55 mins) United Kingdom 2010 (Available 18 July)
BEYOND THE CROSSINGS, LIMITS AND THRESHOLDS; OPENINGS
OPENINGS explores the world of the architectural elements that “embody” the concept of threshold, of openness, and of the relationship between inside and outside, through the voices of Italian and international architects, but also by listening to the voices who speak the language of music, sports, art, and territory.
Addressing the theme of the threshold, the film investigates the close relationship between art and life, between necessity and creative effort, between philosophy and civil thought.
Along the Via Emilia, the geographical threshold par excellence, this journey is made of stops, crossings and wanderings.
The guides include Davide Cassani (Italian national cycling team coach), Guido Guidi (photographer), Fiorenzo Valbonesi and Simone Sfriso (architects), as well as Raoul Casadei, the king of ballroom dancing, and Álvaro Siza, one of the great masters of contemporary architecture.
- Openings (52 mins) Italy 2021 (Available 25 July)
GUEST CURATOR: JIM STEPHENSON
Jim Stephenson is a film director and architectural photographer from the UK. His company Stephenson is a collaborative film production studio that specialises in documenting architecture: the buildings, the people that design them, make and use them and the spaces in between the buildings.
His photos and films cover work by architects such as Zaha Hadid, Assemble, Herzog & de Meuron, dRMM, Frances Kéré, Peter Zumthor, Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners, Sou Foujimoto and many more.
His work has appeared extensively in print and online in publications such as The Architects’ Journal, Dezeen, The New York Times, The Sunday Times, Architecture Today and Architectural Review; amongst others.
“There’s some really great films out there that highlight big grand buildings and the famous names that designed them, but in this list I wanted to focus on a gentler type of architecture of small projects, personal projects and projects by and for the community,” says Stephenson.
The films I’ve picked vary a great deal, but hopefully provide a window into the effect architecture can have beyond the glossy images we see in magazines. I hope you enjoy them!”
