Thesis

The representation of the city in science fiction film : an analysis of the shifting discourse between production design and architectural styles; a critical divergence?

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Awarding institution
  • University of Strathclyde
Date of award
  • 2025
Thesis identifier
  • T17373
Person Identifier (Local)
  • 201098266
Person Identifier (ORCID)
Qualification Level
Qualification Name
Department, School or Faculty
Abstract
  • This thesis examined the architectural representations of cities in science fiction films from 1965 to 2023. The analysis centred on their visual depictions, underlying narrative themes, and connections to historical developments. A combined methodological approach was used: a bottom-up thematic content analysis followed by a close textual analysis, conducted through a mixed-methods interpretivehistorical framework using case-studies. Significant shifts in urban depictions were observed, influenced by social, architectural, and technological developments. These themes are intertwined with major historical events such as nuclearisation, globalisation, and digitisation. This thesis unpacks the deeper meanings of filmic architecture, revealing that these depictions function as a sign-system, albeit reflecting society in a continually obscured manner. It demonstrates that while this genre maintains a sensory connection with architectural discourse, the advent of new technologies, particularly computer-generated images, has caused a retrograde disengagement between architecture and its representation in contemporary science fiction films, widening this disconnect on a rational level. Audience perception is increasingly masked regarding what these images represent, how they are created, and why they are used. This has significantly compromised their social value, as they no longer offer a rational critique. This loss of meaning is now contributing to the revision of history, the deskilling of creative industries, and is fundamentally regressive. With the recent commercial availability of artificial intelligence programs, the challenge facing the next generation of architects, production designers, and society at large has become critical. This gap is expected to widen, to the detriment of both disciplines.
Advisor / supervisor
  • Romice, Ombretta Rossella Linda
Resource Type
DOI
Embargo Note
  • This thesis is currently under moratorium due to copyright restrictions.

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