Anthony Vidler The Architectural Uncanny Essays

The Architectural Uncanny was explored in the mid 1990s as a series of essays that focused on the Post Modern in architecture.Post Modernism, in its way of reflecting on the images of the past, sometimes in a very theatrical way, can be seen as a parallel of sorts with the creation of sets for film - that may use the past, present or create a future, in somewhat a similar theatrical fashion.Implicitly however, Freud’s treatment of “heimlich” and “unheimlich” also provides a deeper, deconstructive orientation of the uncanny.

Throughout the history of film, we have seen a change in the ways in which architecture is used, portrayed and represented in film: from the scale models of the 1920s, through to actual sets, rendered backdrops, and now to complete green screen filming.

This term we will view films with a focus on the creation of the set, and the varying impacts of these sets in the end result of the film.

As written by Esther Wolfe In his essay, “The Uncanny”, Freud famously interprets a definition of the uncanny within an examination of the German “Heimlich,” or “homely,” vs.

the “unheimlich,” or “unhomely.” Using examples from the German language, Freud shows that the terms are used interchangeably to describe the uncanny—what is uncanny is both “homely” and familiar, and “unhomely” or unfamiliar.

Both of the above theoretical positions reference the explorations of the Uncanny by Sigmund Freud in the late 1800s.

His references were specifically directed at the emptiness of urban space that left the user feeling uncomfortable.

Currently, the world contains an estimated 5 million Palestinian refugees, with around 1 million of this number living in Gaza and the West Bank.

Politically, refugees occupy a threshold space of multiple legal dimensions.

Vitruvius claimed architecture was composed of the triple essence: strength, utility, and aesthetic effect.

Sir Henry Wotton (1568-1639) quaintly changed this to, 'commodity, firmness and delight.' It would be safe to say that the majority of architecture that has been created to date has attempted to follow this dictate.