Introduction: Architecture as a Character in the Cultural Narrative
Iconic architectural structures are not merely passive backdrops to events; they are active participants that shape the cultural narrative, particularly the cinematic one. They serve as a physical reflection of social processes, collective aspirations, and cultural anxieties, providing a tangible stage for human dramas. This review will analyze three primary types of structures—the Cathedral, the Skyscraper, and the Airport—to decode their shifting symbolism throughout history and their crucial role in the cultural story as expressed on the cinema screen. Each of these structures represents an era, a technology, and a worldview, and the transition between them reveals the evolution of human ambition: from the vertical aspiration toward the divine, through the conquest of urban skies, to the global networking of the modern world. At the heart of this transition lies the evolution of the "window"—from the illuminated stained glass of the cathedral, through the panoramic curtain walls of the skyscraper, to the personal electronic screen—as an element that redefines our perspective on the world.
1. The Cathedral: Aspiration to the Heavens and a Symbol of Divine and Human Power
In the Middle Ages, the cathedral stood at the very heart of the city as a physical and spiritual center around which all aspects of life revolved. It was not merely a religious building but a hub of political, communal, and cultural power, reflecting the city's prestige and expressing the human desire to transcend and draw closer to the divine. Its strategic importance as a symbol of faith, knowledge, and communal pride made it one of the most influential and powerful structures in human history.
The Multidimensional Role of the Cathedral
The cathedral served as the seat of the Bishop and his council, managing not only religious community affairs but also many civic matters. Alongside cathedrals operated schools that trained students in the "Seven Liberal Arts"—grammar, dialectic, rhetoric, logic, geometry, music, and arithmetic—with top students advancing to philosophy and theology, forming the nucleus for the development of universities. Beyond its religious and educational roles, the cathedral was a distinct symbol of political power and urban pride. Kings and rulers invested immense fortunes in their construction to demonstrate their wealth and power, and their splendor attracted pilgrims and visitors from across Europe.
Gothic Architecture and the Aspiration for Flight
The Gothic movement, arriving from France in the 12th century, sparked an architectural revolution. Key features such as vertical construction, pointed arches, flying buttresses, and massive stained-glass windows allowed for the creation of a "spiritual and awe-inspiring space". The soaring height and the sense of lightness and airiness were intended to evoke a sense of transcendence and sublimity in the faithful, an experience often compared to the sensation of flight and serving as an early precursor to the modern desire for the aerial view.
The connection between architecture and the human desire to fly was not merely metaphorical. Tall structures and their engineering complexity inspired actual flight attempts. The story of João Torto, a Portuguese Renaissance man, is a prime example. In 1540, wearing an "eagle-shaped helmet" and wings he had constructed attached to his body, he jumped from the Lisbon Cathedral tower in a daring attempt to realize the human dream. His attempt failed tragically when his "helmet slipped over his face and obscured his vision," leading to his fall. This detail turns his story into a powerful metaphor for human ambition that is sometimes blinded by the very mechanisms it creates. The cathedral served as a springboard—literally and figuratively—for pushing the boundaries of human capability.
The Cathedral as a Dramatic Stage in Cinema
Due to its symbolic and visual power, the cathedral became an ideal dramatic stage in cinema, acting as an active character that shapes the fate of the protagonists.
In cinematic versions of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," the cathedral is a central character, serving as both sanctuary and prison for Quasimodo, while its bell tower provides him with a unique elevated vantage point over Paris.
In the film "The Mission" (1986), the construction of a cathedral in the heart of the jungle symbolizes the charged encounter between cultures and the "religious and political struggle between Spain and Portugal over territorial control".
In the thriller "The Name of the Rose" (1986), the abbey's high library tower functions as a vertical labyrinth of knowledge and secrets, reflecting the rigid hierarchy of the Church.
The vertical aspiration that drove the construction of cathedrals did not disappear with the end of the Middle Ages; it merely took a new, secular, and technological form in the shape of the skyscraper.
2. The Skyscraper: The Modern Cathedral and the Aerial View
With the rise of the modern era, the divine aspiration of the cathedral was converted into a human-technological ambition, with the skyscraper becoming its primary symbol. This development is closely linked to the appearance of the airplane and the birth of the "aerial view"—a revolutionary vantage point that changed how we perceive, plan, and experience urban space.
The Revolution of the Aerial View
The ability to see the world from above triggered a perceptual revolution. The aerial view presents the city as a realistic and geometric image, yet it is simultaneously detached from the human experience on the ground. However, a distinction must be made between the pure vertical gaze, which strips the city into a two-dimensional image, and the diagonal gaze. The diagonal gaze, more familiar from the history of observation, cartography, and perspective painting, is more easily understood by us; through it, "modernity can reconnect with history". This new perspective provided planners with tools to understand and design the modern metropolis, as architect Le Corbusier famously put it: "When the eye sees well, the mind decides well".
The Skyscraper as Heir to the Cathedral
According to established architectural theory, skyscrapers are the "definitive expression [of cathedrals] in the modern city". Like their medieval predecessors, they represent the pinnacle of human ambition of their time, connecting the horizontal dimension of the ground to the infinite vertical dimension of the sky. They stand as symbols of economic power and technological innovation, and their panoramic windows offer a vantage point of control over urban space—a perspective that would later evolve into the massive windows of airports overlooking a world in motion.
The Urban Landscape as a Cinematic Playground
The vertical architecture of skyscrapers became a dynamic cinematic arena. The "Spider-Man" film series is the clearest example. For the superhero, the urban landscape of Manhattan is not just a backdrop for action, but a necessary condition for his existence. The entire narrative would be impossible without vertical architecture; skyscrapers and urban canyons are the playground that enables his unique aerial movement and defines his identity. In the deepest sense, architecture does not just serve the story—it is a partner in writing it.
3. The Airport: Global Intersection and Stage for Modern Drama
The airport is the nerve center of the modern world. It has replaced historical seaports in status and become the definitive symbol of the era of globalization, constant movement, and transience. More than just a transit station, the airport is a world unto itself, a microcosm reflecting modern society and the dramas that characterize it.
The Airport as a World Unto Itself
Modern airports have evolved into "airport cities"—independent entities that serve as massive economic, technological, and logistical centers. The internal architecture of the terminal is designed as a staged labyrinth, intended to shape a collective experience of global transition. Movement through the terminal is not random; it is a "staged sequence of events" where corridors, glazed galleries, and mezzanines together create a "dramatic vision of space" that channels passenger flow. In this functional sense, the airport is a "modern expression of the medieval cathedral"—not in its height, but in its role as a bustling center that drains vast human movement and shapes collective experiences.
The Airport as a Cinematic Microcosm
Cinema quickly identified the dramatic potential inherent in the airport. Over time, its representation changed from a futuristic place to an integral part of daily life. Its unique characteristics—constant movement, random encounters, and a sense of impermanence—make it a perfect arena for stories about alienation, love, suspense, and identity.
In the disaster film "Airport" (1970), the location serves as a closed, isolated unit that intensifies dramatic tension.
In Steven Spielberg's "The Terminal" (2004), the airport terminal becomes a microcosm of an entire society, becoming a home and an alternative homeland for the trapped hero.
In the film "Up in the Air" (2009), airports and flights represent the alienation and loneliness of the protagonist, whose world exists in the liminal space between destinations.
The vast windows overlooking the runways symbolize the transition to a new era—an era where the "window" through which we experience the world becomes increasingly electronic.
4. Conclusion and a Look to the Future: From the Stained Glass to the Electronic Window
The architectural journey from the cathedral, through the skyscraper, to the airport reflects a broader cultural shift: an evolution from the vertical and local aspiration of the cathedral, through the concentrated corporate power of the skyscraper, to the decentralized global network for which the airport is the central node. At the heart of each of these structures stands a "window"—an element that defines our relationship with the world outside.
The Evolution of the Window as a Vantage Point
The stained-glass window in the cathedral was a religious narrative medium, presenting sacred stories through a mosaic of colorful images. As Marshall McLuhan described, in a mosaic "every particle is a miniature embodiment of the whole," and thus every figure in the window represented part of a larger divine story.
Thinker Paul Virilio, who was a stained-glass artist in his youth, was uniquely positioned to analyze the transition from the physical and narrative light of the glass window to the flowing and dynamic light of the screen. He described how, with the invention of high-speed transport like the train and airplane, the physical window became a screen displaying a passing image. The next transition was to the "electronic window" of the computer and smartphone era. This window did not just change our perspective; it effectively abolished traditional boundaries between "inside" and "outside" and created a dynamic, flowing "artificial horizon". Our gaze has become "cinematic and rapid," and the external world is now experienced through a digital frame.
Final Conclusion
The architectural journey from the cathedral to the airport parallels the cultural journey from looking outward through a physical window toward a natural horizon, to looking inward into a personal screen. The implications of this transition are radical: the boundaries of the external world have dissolved, and smartphones, accompanying us everywhere, "have become for us the heavens and the earth". In the past, architecture defined our physical place in the world and shaped our perspective toward it. Today, in an age where our windows have become digital and mobile, it is the architecture of information and social networks that increasingly shapes our perception of reality, even as iconic structures continue to stand as silent and powerful testimony to the aspirations, dreams, and fears of the culture that created them.
