Filmed over two months- ‘Como un sueño’ is an architectural study by me that investigates the work of renowned Spanish/Swiss architect Santiago Calatrava’s in Valencia, Spain. It attempts to show through film, timelapse and hyperlapse photography the following characteristics of architecture:

1.     The beauty and harmony of structural rhythm
2.     Differences in scale of architecture in relation to the human body
3.     Penetration of light to play with transparency, translucency and opacity
4.     Continuation of the design intent from the form of the building down to the details such as benches, trash cans, lamps etc.
5.     Creation of architectural spaces only with the suggestion of enclosure by structural steel
6.     Accentuated “rising” of architecture from the ground
7.     Elegance of symmetry
8.     Transformation of a building over day and night
9.     Reflection of architecture in water which sometimes “complete” them at night time
10.     Importance of strategically placed artificial lights
11.     The dance of light and shadow over time
12.     Serenity in architecture
13.     Use of local materials (such as typical white spanish fractured tiles in this case)
14.     How sculptures and follies become a part of architectural
15.     Different types of materials and markings on the ground
16.     Water which 1) reflects at night but 2) shows materials beyond through transparency during the daytime
17.     Selective use of color to highlight materiality
18.     Emptiness around the buildings that draw your attention by eliminating distractions
19.     Platforms, terraces and stairs that connect the inside to the outside
20.     The power of color white which draws your eyes to the form by muting other distractions
21.     How natural materials of the landscape architecture contrasts man made materials
22.     Revelation of interior spaces at night time with artificial lighting
23.     Power of size in architecture
24.     Longevity and stability of architecture with the passing of time, moving clouds, sun, trees, people etc.
25.     Ripple effect of water reflected on the buildings
26.     The counter-intuitiveness of sloped walls
27.     Arrival and departure of people into space
28.     Appreciation of beauty and form in architecture
29.     Creation of tension in form with “almost” touching elements
30.     How people use the buildings; kids, couples, families, photographers, tourists etc.
31.     Repetition of shapes and forms in architecture
32.     Connections and joints in structural steel
33.     Required maintenance and manpower to keep the architecture functioning
34.     Cars, bikes, roads, pathways and ramps that act as arteries to bring people in and out of buildings
35.     Advertisement and writings on buildings
36.     How patterning on surfaces add personality to architecture
37.     How structure and architecture become one. Note- this is different from exposed structural elements
38.     Dazzle of unimaginable structural engineering
39.     Motion frozen in time
40.     Power of curved elements in contrast to rectilinear ones
41.     Last but not the least, a comparison of music to architecture

Filmed at Ciudad de Artes y Ciencias or The City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia, Spain. Click here to see the locations of the buildings- Palau de les Arts, Hemisfèric, Science Museum, Umbracle & Agora.

Music: ‘Peace Piano Edit’ by Sonic Adventure Project and ‘Shine Instrumental’ by Cary Kanno. Courtesy of Beatpick.com

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