Discussion // Pixar: The New Heralds of Modernism?

Film - animation in particular- has long been, forgive the pun, a staging ground for architectural expression since the days of the first silent films. The advantage of practicing architecture through mainstream animation is, especially with the sophistication of current rendering techniques, limitless creativity and imagination without the constraint of a construction budget. Disney is world-famous for taking images from their films and transforming them into reality (theme parks), providing their customers with an architectural experience that today one achieves virtually through 3d visualization technology.

So I was watching Toy Story 3 the other day, and naturally, the geniuses of Pixar (which Disney purchased in 2006) have taken it upon themselves to create a whole new world of design - one that incorporates a ton of iconic imagery from American Modernism. Furthermore, the company hired excellent Pennsylvania-based firm Bohlin Cywinski Jackson to design their facilities in California, and the result is a light, airy, and wholly modern studio space that reflects the technical brilliance of Pixar's work (I will definitely try to make it out there once I'm in California). I am not sure if Pixar hires architectural or interior design consultants to ensure the buildings are accurate, but given the quality and level of detail involved, they must.

(Above) Eichler home, ca. 1960
(Below) The Parr Home from Pixar's The Incredibles, 2004

Expressionism in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, 1920

Pixar Studios.