in the city of townville

The PowerPuff Girls are so rocking a Modern House!

caprica new tv series lives in the modern house

A new series on the Syfy channel, Caprica, is set on a fictional world that appears very similar to our own. Perhaps a near future version of real life, the setting shows a city with buildings of all ages, new and old. One of the characteristics of this fictional world is that the setting is largely multi-theistic culture such as ancient Rome or Greece. As a result there the scenery often shows classical sculpture of gods and monumental buildings. Despite that one of the series main characters lives in an overtly modern house that has none of these classical references.

In the program this character is a the head of a large technology company, a successful tech company, hence the large home, the beautiful waterfront site, all the trappings of success. Yet the home is modern, not classical in a culture based on classical beliefs.

This is not really a big surprise. The home is highly technologically enabled. It contains a high tech lab for the owner's work, the enormous glass wall facing the water doubles as an enormous digital display, and the house is tended by an automated butler. But these things could all be incorporated into a classical house. Here the modern house is used to reinforce the character's role in technological change. The modern house frames the way we see him, and embodies a forward looking stance.

No indication if its a real house or a set. If anyone recognizes this we would love to hear about it.

Caprica at Syfy

Addendum: A little more Google research located this account of by someone who had visited the sets - apparently the Pilot for this show used a real house, and now the series is filming in a recreation of that house as a set. A quote from that link:

While not Galactica’s CIC, the Graystone mansion is magnificent. Pictures of it can be seen on various science fiction news websites, from Syfy’s Digital Press Tour last year. It is a recreation of the original house that was used in the pilot, and is indistinguishable from it; a testament to the construction and set decoration team on Caprica. The thing has two levels to it (upstairs and downstairs) and you could literally live there, with the minor exception that the “basement”—where Daniel’s lab-office can be found—isn’t really down below the main level at all. Furthermore, I’m not sure where the bathroom is, but I know what’s in their walk-in closets! The view of the water and mountain range from the massive living room windows is tremendous… and a fake backdrop that is, itself, completely impressive in its detail.

So for reference, the first picture above is from the Pilot and although this seems to have CGI additions it may be an alteration of a photo of a house in Vancouver. The second image is from the Pilot which means its the real house, and the third is from the series which means its on the set. The curtains seem to be a new addition to the space that we don't see in the second image.

I also found some photos of the set on this site where you can see clearly that the scenery outside the windows is painted. So where is this house, and who designed it? Arthur Erickson? YES! I believe I've found the actual house, and it appears that yes it was used for the inside, and the landscape around the house looks similar but the exterior appears to be something created for the show.

fox's dollhouse promotes with the modern house

Dollhouse, the science fiction/drama/action program on the Fox network is uses a modern setting for its secret headquarters. I've not posted it up till now as it is not really a house per say. But the show has taken a turn towards promoting the show with the Modern House. Check out this promotional photo showing the cast posing in what appears to be Case Study House #22 designed by Pierre Koenig. Its hard to tell where the photo stops and the photoshop begins. This is obviously framed like the historic Julius Shulman photo, but I can't tell if the photoshop work has been done over the famous photo or a remarkable simulation.

What can we say - Joss Whedon, the show's creator and producer, certainly knows cool. When it comes time to make the program look like something cool to watch, they turn to the Modern House, or the Modern Dollhouse.

Dollhouse ad at spoilertv

spy vibe covers modern design in the genre

I've been really enjoying web blog Spy Vibe and thought I would share it with you. They cover the world of design as presented in the Spy movie genre, and often have fantastic coverage of past movies and the period design captured in their set design. So if you love mid-century and pop modern interiors, especially the stuff of super villians and hip undercover men then you will really enjoy this site.

The top image is from the Captain Scarlet marionette program - which often had fantastic modern design. Below the swinging playboy penthouse of Our Man Flint features coconut chairs and a Jackson Pollack on the wall.

Pop sensibilites reign in The 10th Victim below. You should at least come out of the site with a great NetFlix list!

Spy Vibe blog