Where is Andor getting mixed reviews? Literally everyone I've heard of that's seen it considers it the best Star Wars show, even surpassing Mandalorian. It's SO GOOD.
there was some misinformation recently about the Andor ratings, and that info was picked up re-reported by a LOT of media outlets. Turned out to be incorrect, but gave a lot of people the impressions that Andor wasn't doing so well. I think most people agree it's the best Star Wars in a long while!
There is definitely some hate, check out star war theory. He throws a baby tantrum after each episode, he gave episode 8 a 1/10. Check out the end of his andor episode 8 watch party and you’ll see. He talks about it around 47:50 - 50:00
I love Andor and Mando equally. I'd hate for star wars to only ever be one or the other. We need the deep complex storytelling of Andor but we also need the pulpy more simple fun space adventure of Mando.
I'm honestly shocked to hear people have mixed reviews on it! It's one of the best shows on TV right now. I'm also an architect and I've been loving what they have been doing. Was a fantastic choice to change Coruscant from the shiny high tech style of the prequels to this great oppressive brutalist style. Another great brutalist location from London they used was the Barbican.
That's what over a decade of Disney Pew Pew blockbusters and a generation of Tik-Tokers with the attention span of a child does to your general viewers. Look at everyone who loves Andor, they're all people drawn in by great storytelling and worldbuilding. Now look at all the people who hate Andor, it's always because it's too boring for them or lacks references to other SW IP. It's baffling, but it's the sad reality. Same thing happened to The Expanse, the show is criminally underrated. C R I M I N A L L Y underrated. Or look at the gaming landscape, Gacha games are a plague on the entire industry, but so many excuse it because they have fun. We're seeing more and more people get born or grow up in this new landscape of entertainment where it's all about quick dopamine rushes.
@@TheNameCannotBeFound For real. I have seen Star Wars fans unironically complained that if this show is not gonna have the Jedi, the Sith or the Force, it's just some derivative, dime in a dozen scifi. Not only do they have no flaw to find in the writing of the show itself, but to say the quasi-religious space wizards are what made Star Wars non-derivative of other scifi IP is straight-up... culturally illiterate. They don't even know that the quasi-religious space wizards of Star Wars (1977) are derivative from the Bene Gesserit from Dune (1965).
Every review site gives it a favorable rating, critic and users alike. So I don't know what he means. There are some very vocal fans that hate it, but they are absolutely the minority.
Sad to see that the viewership is low for this brilliant show. I guess the people who dislike this show and call it boring just want shows which give instant gratification with unnecessary action every 15mins or so.
One thing I noticed in Syril's story was the use of sunlight, or lack thereof, to symbolize his low status. His mother's apartment is so low in the city that it barely gets any sunlight. The show even goes out of its way to show that Syril cares about this, both in the scene where he arrives and we see him look up and watch the sun disappear as he travels down into the building, and when we see him in his room apparently waiting there specifically for the few seconds each day when the sun is at just the right angle to shine into his window.
I also enjoy the juxtaposition between Mon Mothma and Syril in that respect; I believe that scene is within an episode where Mon literally says that she's so used to the view that she doesn't even notice it any more, where someone who's not could stand there for hours. Really hits home the disparity between Coruscant's wealthy and the rest of the planet
@@fritzophrenia3146 what's also worth noting is that both characters are "traitors" to their class. Mon Mothma is a wealthy bourgeois senator putting it all on the line for the rebellion when she could have just sat back comfortably under the privileges the empire has afforded her and Syril is a lower class individual with no class consciousness giving his all to serve a fascistic empire who cares nothing for him and put him and his mother in their economic situation in the first place.
There is a series of ink drawings from the 60's by H.R.Giger named 'Schacht', which I immediately remembered by the look out of Syril's window. I'd link it, but YT deletes my posts everytime I do that, so please google it yourself if you're interested.
The fact that his mother's apartment even receives any sunlight at all shows that they're relatively well-off compared to the rest of the people of Coruscant who live even further below, deep within the bowels of Coruscant where no sunlight reaches.
Andor is- in my opinion- the best Star Wars. That’s not to say the originals weren’t good, in fact, Andor expands the political message of the originals in a way that could only be done once the originals established it, but Andor goes further than they could’ve. I love my funny leftist space terrorism show.
I thoroughly enjoyed the design of the prison. It reminds me a bit of Kamino with it being on the water but also in the large open underground tunnels and space and the idea of a futuristic prison being so clean and polished and yet so brutal and cruel with the floors felt super unique and intriguing to me
Except it's unrealistic af to make a planet a 🏙️. Cities are unsustainable in the long-term. This species will run out of resources after a few thousand yrs, if u continue to build this way. How much steel, concrete & plumbing is involved in NYC? Too much to last long. 🌎 has to be lived on for MILLIONS of yrs btw. Better figure out how to use wood 🪵 & other sustainable/renewable materials kidz. #easterisland #REALITY
It turns our traditional idea of repression on its head, where we imagine fascist repression as dark, grey and fetid. It's one thing to make the body suffer, but torturing the mind can be much worse. In fact, so much of the show dares to have us reevaluate the entire "entertaining" premise of Star Wars. While the Empire has always been the evil villain, it was personified as by Vader, the Emperor and the Imperial Military. But now we see the real people of the Empire, the people at the bottom - not politicians or the elite - with jobs and lives not unlike our own, celebrating and championing the empire and the emperor. We see Families, wives, husbands...children...who are NOT at all evil, but merely believers in the cause. They rally under the symbol of the Empire, but we all know that George Lucas took inspiration from despotic fascist regimes of recent history to create the Empire. I think we all know who the resemble the most. And so, what does that imperial symbol REALLY represent? And yet, we as audience members flock to Disneyland to see the Empire and buy Imperial Swag at the gift shop and proudly put the Imperial stickers on our cars and luggage...Sure, it's just a show. Isn't it?
Andor is a masterpiece in every way: writing, acting, set design, special effects. It's a shame it's not getting the recognition it deserves simply because so many Star Wars fans have the attention span of a squirrel.
@@Valiyus, In my experience as a Star Wars fan myself, by far the most loved stories among fans are those that DON'T take a black and white view on morality and the Force and which DON'T exclusively focus on the exploits of force users with lightsabers. For instance, Thrawn, especially his original depiction in TImothy Zahn's novels, is likely the most popular character among the fandom--a cold, calculating genius savant who is decidedly not force sensitive and serves the Empire not because he's megalomaniacal or sadistic but because he believes an orderly, militarized authoritarian state is the only way to protect the Galaxy from outside threats. He was later proven somewhat though not entirely correct on this when later on in the Legends timeline the genocidal extragalactic Yuuzhan Vong initially massacre the New Republic due to their reluctance to fight a total war. I have heard little but praise for Andor among fans since it came out. Some even consider it superior to Dave Filoni's work, which is a huge deal as Filoni is essentially considered the heir to George Lucas himself.
I think many fans were just burned by Disney too many times so they didn’t even bother with Andor. A lot that checked out came back to give Obi Wan a chance and then got burned again. So Andor ended up being in the same place that Solo was with everyone having been burned by Last Jedi.
imo andor is really the litmus test for why someone is a star wars fan. do you like star wars for the nostalgia value? or do you like star wars for the stories it has the potential to tell? there's a demographic of sw fans who will never be happy unless they're getting that nostalgia hit, and while andor is incredibly dedicated to the era it is set in and doing a great job of expanding on things, it doesn't 'feel' like a piece of star wars media we've had before. that being said, i really hope disney takes the right cues from what makes andor so good. i don't want every subsequent sw show to be as serious as this one.
Yes, I'm just an amateur costumer/seamstress but I was SO disappointed by the costumes in Rings of Power, so seeing the Andor garments was just a breath of fresh air. They all look perfect, lived-in and coherent to the story and what is happening in it.
exactly my response. best star wars series to date, very mature and detailed character work. amazing world building, makes the empire believable. heck I might have to register for IMDB just so (to help) the show doesn't get cancelled if this is something people crap on...
I also recognized very well the location on Coruscant where in episode 8 Luthen’s secretary meets with the girl that lead the Imperial heist. It is actually in Barbican, London. I know those brutalist platforms and corridors very well and definitely recognized the location:) Funny thing is that whenever I used to walk around Barbican even before seeing this show, I’ve always thought of it as very much resembling Coruscant’s platforms (from the prequels and Clone Wars scenes) - if you don’t look down, to see the streets below, and instead imagine you are very high up in a skyscraper structure, with cars flying around, it basically is Coruscant:)
What struck me most about the antique shop was how low the ceiling was, especially considering how much vertical space the geometric pattern seems to take up, it feels almost as if the ceiling was intentionally lowered which in my opinion creates a much more private confined atmosphere. Quite fitting, considering the character who inhabits the space and the dealings which take place there. Excellent interior design that helps to tell the story!
I might just be not very conscious, but I think they must have nailed Mothma’s home because at no point did I go “oh so Chandrillla is Space Japan/China” Like I did obviously notice the banzai and the screens (though I think I barely registered the screens consciously), but on the whole I was just like “yep, this feels like a rich persons Star Wars house.” But now that you’ve pointed out the influences I’m like “duh, the husband is literally wearing a kimono with a fairly Japanese hair style.” But even so, I still find it a believable blend of ideas that doesn’t scream “we just copied traditional Japanese design” (And overall, I think one of the keys here is that most of the design doesn’t feel, inordinately sci-fi. Given an appropriate project, I feel that most of the rooms you highlighted could be turned in by a genuine architect and be taken seriously. I lot of them would seem to belong on earth perfectly well)
Here's a couple references from Soviet architecture that I noticed: 3:20 National Library in Belarus 10:00 Genocide Memorial in Armenia I think other locations that you mentioned are clever original mixes of real and film architecture. I suppose most film nerds would recognise that the Imperial Security Bureau inside is heavily inspired by the War Room from Kubrick's "How I Stopped Worrying..." as it has become almost like a staple design in films.
Thank you! Wow, the Belarus National Library really looks straight out of science fiction, it's amazing, the shape, the contour/texture of the building, even the lighting on the "pedestal" part of the building!
The circular conference room, with individual displays and controls, at each seat, is pretty obviously inspired by the circular conference room on the Death Star in the first Star Wars movie.
You say you could have made this one hour long? Then please do, make more episodes. Your subscribers will love you for it. I love the show and the art direction. To be able to keep showing new locations after so many hours of media since the 70's is quite a feat.
The set design is astoundingly good on this show but it also does so much else right which makes it a dream to watch for someone who was a kid when ANH came out. The writing isn't lazy and it is full of dialog that begs to be revisited, especially during the ISP meetings, a setting that had me bored to tears during the prequels. It has no unnecessary action or effects, or illogical plot devices. It respects the audiences intellect and keeps you immersed and engaged. It doesn't introduce new tech that isn't in the original movies like the prequels, and to some extent Book of Boba Fett and Obi Wan, did. One wonders how Disney can put together teams that treat the source material in such different manner but most of all, where was this team when they did the atrocious new movies. Rogue One had it's flaws, but is still the best new Star Wars movie since the original trilogy. Watching it again after Andor has completed its run will be amazing.
I'm not an architect but I was actually stunned by the designs in this show. The shot of the diagonal thing on coruscant, Mon Mothma's apartment, the ISB building - I can tell a lot of thought was put into them and they are so beautiful! I really hope Star Wars continues to move in this direction because Andor is my favorite Star Wars show right now
Would love more videos on the architecture in Star Wars. Architecture is a subject and practice I've loved thinking about my entier life and something I've wanted to do since I was a little boy. Your videos are always so well put together and your calm, soft voice is wonderful to listen to. Wish you the best.
I absolutely loved this review. This actually made me want to watch the show. It truly felt like an appreciation of not only the architecture, but also the show as a whole.
One of the things I absolutely love about this series is that it takes the viewer into places otherwise nobody would see, let alone be interested in. The fact that so much of the show's minor plot points have played out in "midtown" on Coruscant is great to me. As an architectural designer that loves brutalist and metabolist architecture myself, I was really excited when the areas of the walkways in Episodes 7 and 8 were revealed, and we got to see the bare concrete and waffle slabs everywhere at the ceilings. Love me some waffle slabs!
I'm not sure how much of that is an art direction change and how much is just that we never saw much of the posh, upper class bits of the city. Just the ground level streets, the Jedi Temple and the Senate.
Ehhh thats just Coruscant. We only saw a small part of it in RotS. Its multilayered city thats the size of a planet. There will be good parts and shit parts.
I can't believe how good this show is. And it makes me mad how many other SW projects suck by comparison. I can't remember gasping at the sets and sites before when watching Star Wars. It looks incredible.
Yeah, what's confusing to me is that Disney is supposedly surprised by it's popularity. Like, they hyped up Obi-Wan, they thought it'd be a big thing for them, yet it feels like Andor got most of the budget. Maybe a difference between marketing and the people actually running the shows and budgeting things.
One thing I love is that Star Wars loves to sneak in a lot of 70's styling into it, because at once it helps prevent the older movies from feeling dated.
I like it every shot u did looks like a concept art but is actual set , cant wait for the next episode! Also can u do a arcitect review on cyberpunk 2077 vehicles?
I love the show!!! Amazing acting and great to get to know the characters…finally. BTW Morph, I love Frank Lloyds Wrights deigns - especially the ones of the large city scapes. Years ahead of his time. I went to Taliesen West in Scottsdale….really interesting and recommended
I'm glad I'm not the only person to notice the depth and attention to detail that went into Andor. I hope you do a review of the prison later, since I believe it's pretty unique.
I've always been fascinated by Coruscant from the first time it was mentioned and through all the novels, comics, films and shows we've barely scratched the surface. The different types of locale, from the Imperial Palace to the subterranean slums, lead to so much variety in design and each new look we get I'm always fascinated. Always love your insights into design and reminding us that every little element is a deliberately thought-out choice, nothing is accidental.
EVERYTHING about this show blows my mind! Not just the architecture, but their costumes, clothing, artifacts, spaceships... I would love to explore every single place and world little by little. Please, don't worry about the amount of time your videos might get, we WILL LOVE them, believe me. There's still sooo much to talk about! CONGRATULATIONS for your content btw!
I was struck by how real it all looked while watching it. Syril's mums apartment and the corridors, plazas and dark walkways we see when the women are meeting up to discuss what to do with Andor were particularly striking.
The space port with the big wall of glass windows that Syril is walking through when he first comes back to Coruscant is the interior of the McLaren headquarters in Working, England.
You nailed these locations. The production depth in this is off the charts! And I love it! You forgot to mention they used the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking as a stand in for a terminal at the Coruscant Spaceport.
Such an interesting video, I didn’t expect to stumble upon an analysis of Andor from the architect’s POV. Really enjoyed it! I just love Mon Mothma’s style, her outfits, her car, her home - perfection. ISB’s meeting room’s design is so cool. Reminds me of Soviet era museums and theaters in my homeland.
I loved this video. I found the architecture on ferrix interesting. Although there is brick/block design. I also noticed that there was a few cases of it not being brick but layers which the first thing I thought was this was inspired but the concrete 3d printing. This would absolutely make sense to use for quickly constructing buildings in a futuristic world where automation can be seen all the way to down to the doorways. This really shows the thought that went into the set designs.
This will probably be buried between all the other comments, but the ISB building looks like the *Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex* in Yerevan and the Corporate Security Headquarters look like *National Library of Belarus* in Minsk copied 3 times.
I was unaware of the Armenian Genocide Memorial so based on the ISB’s urban location my mind went to the Metropolitan Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro. But your totally right, it’s exactly like the memorial.
I really like Andor and the sets def make it better. I would be curious what you thought of the city by the beach where Andor gets arrested. I thought it was very interesting.
This is the best series altogether I have seen in a long time, it feels more like a movie spread out in parts, the attention to detail, amazing acting, writing, cinematography, this show will be remembered and cherished for a long time, hope it wins many awards
So glad I found your video. One of the first things I noticed right after I started watching episode one is the startling diference in production design and sets from almost everything else in the Disney SW stuff, from the last 10 years. Especially comparing how boring and bland everything shot in the Volume looks. The Blade Runner-esque beginning, the more industrial and Art Deco influences we get moving forward, the white sterile depressing prison... This show has the best designers in the biz right now, ngl. Absolutely love it!
i would loveee to see you dive more into the architecture of the show, wether that be a hour long video or a sprinkle of a 5 min one - as much as you’d be willing to do! this hits the spot for me as a fanatic of costume and set design in media, and my longstanding love for architecture - and your video and editing was a treat to watch! very fun to hear your knowledge on the matter
Andor is 84% audience score and 94% critics score on RottenTomatoes... so the reviews aren't very "mixed", they are pretty consistent -- this show rocks! Fantastic writing, acting, and directing. The visuals including the architecture are just the icing on the cake.
While I appreciate the world building in shows like the Mandalorian and Boba Fett, Andor really gives us a believable bureaucratic Empire and realistic lived-in worlds.
One thing I've always been interested in is how to give the appearance of outdoor light but in totally enclosed places. I didn't even notice the ceiling of Luthen's shop before, but now that you mention it, the difference in color temperature and textures within the spaces of the ceiling really give the impression of sunlight. And no one I've actually spoken to has disliked Andor. Not sure what forums you hang out in; a lot of people irrationally hate things in general, but I wouldn't give those sorts any weight.
The story of Andor may not be perfect, but it is by far my favourite looking series in a long time. I appreciate the very international feel to the designs as well, and I actually thought the geometric patterns looked a bit Emirati, or around that part of the world. I could immediately tell a lot of Coruscant was shot in London from that signature brutalist stuff they pumped the city full of in the 60s.
Honestly you need to do a part two of the architecture pf Andor. Thank you for doing this as I have been devouring the set design look of the series. Will be sharing with family and friends.
The locations and widescreen shots in Andor are simply ... epic. I wonder how much of each scene is actually real. I cannot imagine any of these places actually exist on earth ...
The thoughtfulness of the design extends to the aesthetic blending perfectly with the 1970’s and pre-1990’s design influences of the first Star Wars movies. You’ve highlighted some of the most interesting and lovely set pieces and designs, but the scope and detail of every single setting of the show are exquisite and so highly detailed in a way that not only adds texture and believability to the show, but also to the story itself. One set piece in particular is Kassian’s childhood living space. All of the inhabitants of this are children, and the tree-house nature and as hoc attributes of this encampment is reminiscent of the living area of the Lost Boys from Neverland in the 1991 film Hook or the similar inventive look to the tree dwelling in the 1960 film Swiss Family Robinson. The titular character and his cohort of orphans have clearly been relatively successful in making a solid living space for themselves in the wake a some unspeakable disaster to which they were all orphaned.
I cried a little when I saw the Nakagin Capsule Tower-inspired space. I regret so much that I never got to see that building in person. Also, the unadorned shapes and steps set into the tall arches of the senator's apartment remind me a lot of the plain brick interior of Grundtvig's Church in Copenhagen in the way that the plainness of the walls really amplifies the extravagance of the space. As for the acoustic dampening theory, I think it holds a lot of water because unwanted acoustic reverberations can be especially troublesome in domed rooms. In some domed spaces you can hear people breathing very clearly on the opposite side of the room as if they were right next to you, as demonstrated in the Östermalm Echo Dome in Sweden.
The glazed walkway above the entrance to the ISB where Syril speaks to Dedra (at 10:01) comes from the new Crossrail station at Canary Wharf in London. Canary Wharf was also used in Rogue One with the Underground station becoming an Imperial base.
The Barbican Estate (classic brutalist design opened in 1982) is another London location that was used. It's group of private buildings and public spaces that were used in some other shots in Episode 7 at 13:10 up to 13:40 (including the wonderfully lit slope with mirrored ceiling) and again from 15:08 to 16:55. Yet another London location is the entrance to the ISB as seen in Episode 4 at 6:42 until 7:00 and again in Episode 9 from 30:49 until 33:00 is underneath the pedestrian link bridge to the relatively new Canary Wharf Crossrail Train station designed by Foster and Partners (opened in 2008). Which is just a few minutes walk away from Canary Wharf Underground station which was used as the Scarif Imperial Base in Rogue One.
the hate Disney shows are for the most part deserved. but Starwar's ANDOR and MANDOLORIAN are the exception. but Marvel's The Falcon and The Winter Soldier and LOKI are the exception. most of Disney shows are defiantly woke propaganda BS not respect for Stan lee and George Lucas. BUT we as a fanbase cannot disrespect the actual good one's. cause then we become the unreasoble one's.
I’m not an architect but even I’ve been wittering on incomprehensibly about the set-design and art work. Incidentally, other layers of design work, was starwars with Luke and Leia was a 180 away from Buck Rodger’s silver hood ornament space ships and was a heavy 1970’s industrial and grimmy. So “prequel” era starwars, in order to “back-date” the aesthetic used that 180 degree turn and used the buck rodgers art-Nuevo aesthetic. Which Andor now straddles the old world with the new imperialism. Cloud city in bespin (empire strikes back) also has those odd design elements you spotted in Mon Mothmas apartment. So whether call back to that or/or both drawing from the same real-world source….I don’t care. I just find it amazing they make it work, and make the retro 70/80 computer consoles look relevant and practical (?)
Thank you for this very interesting video ! As you're asking for more references, (and as a french guy - please excuse my english!), I would suggest that the ISB circular room is highly inspired by the French Communist Party headquarters in Paris, designed by Oscar Neimeyer in 1971. It's quite obvious when you consider the treatment of the vaulted ceiling, the way the light streams from it and the design of the side doors. About Mon Mothma appartment, the light fixtures are not so 90's from my point of view, but more from the 60's, like the large chandeliers you can see above the dining table: they actually look like some vintage Venini Murano chandelier ! Another personal observation: for me, the Narkina 5 jail facility looks like it was designed by Jonathan Ive from Apple, with this "less is less (and is a liveless nightmare)" approach. Make sense. Anyway i agree with the comments: those are the best set designs for the best show in the Star Wars history !
About Mon Mothma's apartment and Lutheran's shop I suggest you to check out the work of italian architect Carlo Scarpa. Castelvecchio Museum, Gavina Shop, Brion Tomb are some examples, in particular...highly detailed spaces, concrete, stone and metal, japanese influences etc ps. that golden line along the wals of the shop? totally Carlo Scarpa
Definitely got an A Deco vibe from Mon Mothma’s government apartment. Especially when she wore that party dress, Genevieve was absolutely gorgeous in that dress, probably one of the best Star Wars costume designs I’ve seen, ok next to a certain metal 2 piece thing a-ma- jig I saw and jaw-dropped over as a teen. Still picking that jaw up many decades later. Wondering about the inlaid floor designs in her apartment and any symbolism. ISB room, or should I say Star Trek bridge?, hey the wall viewer and the doorway that could be a standin for a turbo lift entry. Anyways, the wall/ceiling pattern gave me the impression of an inverted senate. Luthen’s shop, the slanted designs above/below the display on the right as you look out the shop, I’ve seen that somewhere in concrete and it’s bugging me. Was nice how they used lines elsewhere, playing w varied lengths to break up and give the eye some interest. Not sure why, but Syril’s workplace (cubey -lovers heaven and everyone else’s hell), brought Wright’s Johnson Wax design (gone mad & filled w cubey deployments) to mind, hmm. Would’ve been cool if those workstations were Tie-Fighter simulators or Tie-drone/droid controllers. Niamos, where was the beach scene filmed? I thought that was some very interesting design going on there.
You earned a SUB for this video (PS. This is the first recommended videos of yours I have ever got and also first time I’ve seen your channel) GPOD JOB ON THE GROWTH MATE!!🎉🙌
Mon Mothma's home strongly reminds me of the high-class modernist hotels you see in Hollywood movies of the 1930s, such as the many musicals starring Fred Astaire. Mon's movie-star wardrobe and cut-glass diction would also be right at home ca. 1936. You could easily turn those Mon Mothma scenes into black & white sequences that would embody all the design ideals of the golden age of the "silver screen." I'm not sure if the 1930s sets were based on anything in reality. Instead, I think the art director of Andor wanted to evoke the fantasies of Art Deco Hollywood -- the factory that manufactured dreams for the entire planet back then.
Unsatisfying video - shows a lack of planning, ironically. Too much time in the intro and way too much time discussing iterative design. Video has few truly insightful observations; mostly narrative just describes what we already see. Recommend creating one video for each set, and give us a 70% insight, 30% your opinion mix. If you need to save time for some strange reason, remember that you can superimpose messages like "trying to keep spoilers to a minimum" instead of wasting 20 seconds narrating it. Good luck OP.
It's the Star Wars spy/espionage thriller I've been wanting for so long. Alright I know the show isn't perfect, and I know not everyone will agree to what I'm about to say, but I feel like I have to give credit where credit is due and show some appreciation for the show and what it has achieved. It's been a long time, too long, since the last time I felt this enthralled, captivated, and mesmerized by Star Wars, I still have that bitter aftertaste in my mouth after the disastrous sequel trilogy, but Andor really gives me hope for the future of the franchise. The pacing of this show is just perfect, the slow burn is never boring, the story feels concise, focused, yet comprehensive. All that build up and tension are handsomely paid off at the end of episode 6. Now what i’m about to say next might upset some people, but I genuinely think it's WAY BETTER than Kenobi series from a cinematic perspective. It’s a shame that the hype for the series is rather low compared to Kenobi, granted it’s about a much smaller character, but it shouldn’t be the reason to not watch it. Andor as the main character feels so much more compelling than Kenobi was in his own series. Somehow it also looks a lot better too, the CGI, the landscape shots, the close ups, every shot feels meticulously crafted and natural. Now I don’t know if it's a budget thing, but it sure looks a million dollars better than Kenobi with its let’s just say questionable quality CGI in some parts. Andor looks so good it made me think I wasn't watching Star Wars, it gives off a really strong Blade Runner vibe. The series really shines a new light on a lot of less explored aspects of the universe, like how the Empire maintain security on far-flung territories without direct presence of the empire itself, and it even managed to slip in a gay couple sub-plot that doesn’t feel annoying nor too on the nose but respectable instead. It also shows the different frontlines of the rebellion, those with their boots on the ground on some far-off planet and those fighting for the cause using politics and diplomacy in the senate. It is also surprisingly difficult to predict, it managed to keep me guessing as to what’s gonna happen next, also sprinkled here and there are good amount of little plot twists that caught me off guard, forcing me to keep paying attention. Now my favorite thing from the series other than how kino the whole thing is, is the heavy inspiration taken from real world history events. Now this part is gonna be a little spoiler, so SPOILER WARNING! I just can’t stop thinking about the similarities between the ‘heist’ that Andor and the small band of resistance fighter did and the real sabotage done by Norwegian resistance and British SOE operatives against the germans during world war two, particularly the one that took place at Vemork power plant. The espionage, the information gathering, the mole behind enemy line, and months of preparation, all this effort for an operation that feels only lasted for an hour, it all feels so grounded to reality and make sense. Okay, conclusion. Andor is not made for kids, there’s little to no dumbed down exposition and it really hits that “Show, don’t tell” rule quite nicely. it feels a lot darker, a lot more mature, our 'heroes' will kill an unarmed man and leave fallen comrade behind if necessary, clearly emphasizing that not all good guys are truly good and not all bad guys are truly bad, at the end of the day everyone is just trying to make their way in the universe. This show isn’t about the big-name heroes like Skywalker or Kenobi, this time it’s about the smaller people, the unknown soldiers, the remote outpost sentries, and the outlaws just trying to disappear. It is definitely for the more mature audience who appreciates world building, slower pacing, and detailed meticulous shots. It's a testament of how diverse Star Wars can be, it can be a cinematic eye candy, instead of just full on action with no build up and tension. Look, I know Andor isn't everyone cup of tea but if you haven’t given this series the chance it deserves, go ahead and invest some time into it, you won’t be disappointed, ‘cuz I sure didn’t.
Wait, mixed reviews? I've heard nothing but people heaping praise on Andor, and I can't blame them. The writing and direction are so strong, it looks absolutely incredible, and everyone is giving fantastic performances. It's the best new Star Wars yet. I've been completely blown away by _all_ the sets.
I can literally hear a conversation between the engineers, architects, and contractors about the prison. GC: "Are we sure the rails need to be electrified as well? We can save 2 million credits by only electrifying the floor." Arch: "The key feature of the prison is the feeling that nowhere is safe. The owner made that abundantly clear." GC: "There's no scenario in which you're holding a rail and not touching the floor. And we both know the owner loves to cut costs anywhere possible." EE: "I just want to add that removing the rails from the shock system will free up a lot of power. We already don't have enough power to enable the system for longer than five seconds on an entire level." Arch: "They'll never need to turn the shock system on for an entire level." EE: "Code says all shock systems must be able to function at max level for ten seconds and the owner is more than willing to put me in this thing if I don't follow code." Arch: "Fine. For now let's remove the rails from the shock system and I'll talk to the owner about the costs associated with adding them back in."
The ISB meeting room is inspired by Niemeyer's Headquarters of the French Communist Party - the lights, doorframes and ceiling shape are pretty strong references
In assessing the ISB Briefing Room, one can see the contrasting color, texture and layout. All of it intentional with the hierarchy of the Empire. The main room, wrapped in white, represents the officers of the empire. Order and all emcompassing. At the center of the room, a noticeable transition from White to Black. (Insert Darth Vader, the Inquisitors..) The junior officers, ( most often seen in grey uniforms) are on the perimeter of the room, with seats embedded into the wall. They're position in the room and the position they serve the senior officers go hand in hand. The real representation of a fly on the wall. Combining Fashion with Architecture, you can see on Ferrix, the different work roles represented in different gloves. Some looked personalised but there is also color. Again color is used almost like a way through which one can determine class system, based on planet. Syril and his mom are in that push and pull, pitting her often seen Orange spectrum wardrobe with his corporate grunt blue-grey. There are so many layers to dive into. So much to review.
One interesting nod in the pod apartment is to Luke's family's dining area: an enclosed eating area with bench-style seating, implying a residential architectural trend that shaped the two very far-removed spaces. I also really love the shop. Particularly the windows - it feels like a rented shop space that was not purpose-built but renovated for the use.
I think that the ISB meeting room seen in your video, took inspiration from the Headquarters of the French Communist Party in Paris. The design of the walls and the main light source look very familiar to the design in Andor.
I don’t know if anyone mentioned it but the ISB building I’m pretty sure is inspired by the Communist HQ in Paris. Similar shape to the building, similar pattern to the roof, and most notably, the angled doors that open almost identically. And have very similar entrance ways on the exterior of the room to that shown in the show. I think the seating area in Syril’s home is also inspired by the same building, the designer Oscar Niemeyer used these similar built in benches and tables that follow similar curves. You can see them in what I believe is the refectory of the building.
I don't think "some people like it, some don't" is a fair representation of how well this show has been received. People are absolutely raving about it, some calling it the best Star Wars since the Empire Strikes Back.
hi morph, ISB room remind me a lot, at a smaller scale for sure, of niemeyer space Paris. It's the building of communist french and the dome style look just the same with the artificial lighting diving and reflecting on the walls. I wouldn't be surprised if it was inspired by it. Have a look. I visitied it in person and had a blast to be honest. ^^
Where is Andor getting mixed reviews? Literally everyone I've heard of that's seen it considers it the best Star Wars show, even surpassing Mandalorian. It's SO GOOD.
there was some misinformation recently about the Andor ratings, and that info was picked up re-reported by a LOT of media outlets. Turned out to be incorrect, but gave a lot of people the impressions that Andor wasn't doing so well. I think most people agree it's the best Star Wars in a long while!
There is definitely some hate, check out star war theory. He throws a baby tantrum after each episode, he gave episode 8 a 1/10. Check out the end of his andor episode 8 watch party and you’ll see. He talks about it around 47:50 - 50:00
@@paulallen2680 Theory is a choad.
@@paulallen2680 wow what an ass
I love Andor and Mando equally. I'd hate for star wars to only ever be one or the other. We need the deep complex storytelling of Andor but we also need the pulpy more simple fun space adventure of Mando.
I'm honestly shocked to hear people have mixed reviews on it! It's one of the best shows on TV right now. I'm also an architect and I've been loving what they have been doing. Was a fantastic choice to change Coruscant from the shiny high tech style of the prequels to this great oppressive brutalist style. Another great brutalist location from London they used was the Barbican.
That's what over a decade of Disney Pew Pew blockbusters and a generation of Tik-Tokers with the attention span of a child does to your general viewers. Look at everyone who loves Andor, they're all people drawn in by great storytelling and worldbuilding. Now look at all the people who hate Andor, it's always because it's too boring for them or lacks references to other SW IP.
It's baffling, but it's the sad reality. Same thing happened to The Expanse, the show is criminally underrated. C R I M I N A L L Y underrated. Or look at the gaming landscape, Gacha games are a plague on the entire industry, but so many excuse it because they have fun.
We're seeing more and more people get born or grow up in this new landscape of entertainment where it's all about quick dopamine rushes.
@@TheNameCannotBeFound For real. I have seen Star Wars fans unironically complained that if this show is not gonna have the Jedi, the Sith or the Force, it's just some derivative, dime in a dozen scifi. Not only do they have no flaw to find in the writing of the show itself, but to say the quasi-religious space wizards are what made Star Wars non-derivative of other scifi IP is straight-up... culturally illiterate. They don't even know that the quasi-religious space wizards of Star Wars (1977) are derivative from the Bene Gesserit from Dune (1965).
@@aquapendulum Frank Herbert has implied that George Lucas copied a lot from Star Wars. And he was probably mad too since they have opposite claims
Every review site gives it a favorable rating, critic and users alike. So I don't know what he means. There are some very vocal fans that hate it, but they are absolutely the minority.
Sad to see that the viewership is low for this brilliant show. I guess the people who dislike this show and call it boring just want shows which give instant gratification with unnecessary action every 15mins or so.
One thing I noticed in Syril's story was the use of sunlight, or lack thereof, to symbolize his low status. His mother's apartment is so low in the city that it barely gets any sunlight. The show even goes out of its way to show that Syril cares about this, both in the scene where he arrives and we see him look up and watch the sun disappear as he travels down into the building, and when we see him in his room apparently waiting there specifically for the few seconds each day when the sun is at just the right angle to shine into his window.
I also enjoy the juxtaposition between Mon Mothma and Syril in that respect; I believe that scene is within an episode where Mon literally says that she's so used to the view that she doesn't even notice it any more, where someone who's not could stand there for hours. Really hits home the disparity between Coruscant's wealthy and the rest of the planet
@@fritzophrenia3146 what's also worth noting is that both characters are "traitors" to their class. Mon Mothma is a wealthy bourgeois senator putting it all on the line for the rebellion when she could have just sat back comfortably under the privileges the empire has afforded her and Syril is a lower class individual with no class consciousness giving his all to serve a fascistic empire who cares nothing for him and put him and his mother in their economic situation in the first place.
There is a series of ink drawings from the 60's by H.R.Giger named 'Schacht', which I immediately remembered by the look out of Syril's window. I'd link it, but YT deletes my posts everytime I do that, so please google it yourself if you're interested.
And ironically, it's probably just sunlight reflecting off other buildings.
The fact that his mother's apartment even receives any sunlight at all shows that they're relatively well-off compared to the rest of the people of Coruscant who live even further below, deep within the bowels of Coruscant where no sunlight reaches.
Andor is actually the best of the new Star Wars.
Yes, and by a mile. Nothing can beat real sets and a writers room filled with actual professionals who know how to write great believable characters.
Not really hard to beat considering Ray's Storyline 🙄
Andor is- in my opinion- the best Star Wars. That’s not to say the originals weren’t good, in fact, Andor expands the political message of the originals in a way that could only be done once the originals established it, but Andor goes further than they could’ve. I love my funny leftist space terrorism show.
@Jacob Fullton Jacob Fullerton is better
@Jacob Fullton and fuller
I thoroughly enjoyed the design of the prison. It reminds me a bit of Kamino with it being on the water but also in the large open underground tunnels and space and the idea of a futuristic prison being so clean and polished and yet so brutal and cruel with the floors felt super unique and intriguing to me
Except it's unrealistic af to make a planet a 🏙️. Cities are unsustainable in the long-term. This species will run out of resources after a few thousand yrs, if u continue to build this way.
How much steel, concrete & plumbing is involved in NYC? Too much to last long. 🌎 has to be lived on for MILLIONS of yrs btw. Better figure out how to use wood 🪵 & other sustainable/renewable materials kidz.
#easterisland
#REALITY
It's minimalist in the sense of literally giving the prisoners the absolute bare minimum of anything to work with.
I also thought about Kamino and the way Boba Fett and Jango dressed and such. It all fits.
It turns our traditional idea of repression on its head, where we imagine fascist repression as dark, grey and fetid. It's one thing to make the body suffer, but torturing the mind can be much worse. In fact, so much of the show dares to have us reevaluate the entire "entertaining" premise of Star Wars. While the Empire has always been the evil villain, it was personified as by Vader, the Emperor and the Imperial Military. But now we see the real people of the Empire, the people at the bottom - not politicians or the elite - with jobs and lives not unlike our own, celebrating and championing the empire and the emperor. We see Families, wives, husbands...children...who are NOT at all evil, but merely believers in the cause. They rally under the symbol of the Empire, but we all know that George Lucas took inspiration from despotic fascist regimes of recent history to create the Empire. I think we all know who the resemble the most. And so, what does that imperial symbol REALLY represent? And yet, we as audience members flock to Disneyland to see the Empire and buy Imperial Swag at the gift shop and proudly put the Imperial stickers on our cars and luggage...Sure, it's just a show.
Isn't it?
Both Kamino and the prison in Andor is a throwback to Lucas' THX 1138. Very similar visual cues.
Andor is a masterpiece in every way: writing, acting, set design, special effects. It's a shame it's not getting the recognition it deserves simply because so many Star Wars fans have the attention span of a squirrel.
They just think that all Star Wars is, is black and white, good vs. evil and lightsabers. That's it.
@@Valiyus,
In my experience as a Star Wars fan myself, by far the most loved stories among fans are those that DON'T take a black and white view on morality and the Force and which DON'T exclusively focus on the exploits of force users with lightsabers.
For instance, Thrawn, especially his original depiction in TImothy Zahn's novels, is likely the most popular character among the fandom--a cold, calculating genius savant who is decidedly not force sensitive and serves the Empire not because he's megalomaniacal or sadistic but because he believes an orderly, militarized authoritarian state is the only way to protect the Galaxy from outside threats. He was later proven somewhat though not entirely correct on this when later on in the Legends timeline the genocidal extragalactic Yuuzhan Vong initially massacre the New Republic due to their reluctance to fight a total war.
I have heard little but praise for Andor among fans since it came out. Some even consider it superior to Dave Filoni's work, which is a huge deal as Filoni is essentially considered the heir to George Lucas himself.
I think many fans were just burned by Disney too many times so they didn’t even bother with Andor. A lot that checked out came back to give Obi Wan a chance and then got burned again.
So Andor ended up being in the same place that Solo was with everyone having been burned by Last Jedi.
imo andor is really the litmus test for why someone is a star wars fan. do you like star wars for the nostalgia value? or do you like star wars for the stories it has the potential to tell? there's a demographic of sw fans who will never be happy unless they're getting that nostalgia hit, and while andor is incredibly dedicated to the era it is set in and doing a great job of expanding on things, it doesn't 'feel' like a piece of star wars media we've had before. that being said, i really hope disney takes the right cues from what makes andor so good. i don't want every subsequent sw show to be as serious as this one.
The use of physical sets and locations is a beauty to the eye
As a professional clothing maker, the costumes in Andor are incredible as well.
Yes, I'm just an amateur costumer/seamstress but I was SO disappointed by the costumes in Rings of Power, so seeing the Andor garments was just a breath of fresh air. They all look perfect, lived-in and coherent to the story and what is happening in it.
Who hates this show? It's amazing!
I don't understand why anyone would hate it. It's the best character work since forever
exactly my response. best star wars series to date, very mature and detailed character work. amazing world building, makes the empire believable. heck I might have to register for IMDB just so (to help) the show doesn't get cancelled if this is something people crap on...
@@Mach1Greeble you mean since everything got woke.
There's always people who will hate
@@Masterlove2694 Don't be that guy
I also recognized very well the location on Coruscant where in episode 8 Luthen’s secretary meets with the girl that lead the Imperial heist. It is actually in Barbican, London. I know those brutalist platforms and corridors very well and definitely recognized the location:) Funny thing is that whenever I used to walk around Barbican even before seeing this show, I’ve always thought of it as very much resembling Coruscant’s platforms (from the prequels and Clone Wars scenes) - if you don’t look down, to see the streets below, and instead imagine you are very high up in a skyscraper structure, with cars flying around, it basically is Coruscant:)
Part II please! Seriously, your Architect Reviews videos are really enjoyable, entertaining and informative.
What struck me most about the antique shop was how low the ceiling was, especially considering how much vertical space the geometric pattern seems to take up, it feels almost as if the ceiling was intentionally lowered which in my opinion creates a much more private confined atmosphere. Quite fitting, considering the character who inhabits the space and the dealings which take place there. Excellent interior design that helps to tell the story!
I might just be not very conscious, but I think they must have nailed Mothma’s home because at no point did I go “oh so Chandrillla is Space Japan/China”
Like I did obviously notice the banzai and the screens (though I think I barely registered the screens consciously), but on the whole I was just like “yep, this feels like a rich persons Star Wars house.”
But now that you’ve pointed out the influences I’m like “duh, the husband is literally wearing a kimono with a fairly Japanese hair style.” But even so, I still find it a believable blend of ideas that doesn’t scream “we just copied traditional Japanese design”
(And overall, I think one of the keys here is that most of the design doesn’t feel, inordinately sci-fi. Given an appropriate project, I feel that most of the rooms you highlighted could be turned in by a genuine architect and be taken seriously. I lot of them would seem to belong on earth perfectly well)
Here's a couple references from Soviet architecture that I noticed:
3:20 National Library in Belarus
10:00 Genocide Memorial in Armenia
I think other locations that you mentioned are clever original mixes of real and film architecture. I suppose most film nerds would recognise that the Imperial Security Bureau inside is heavily inspired by the War Room from Kubrick's "How I Stopped Worrying..." as it has become almost like a staple design in films.
Thank you! Wow, the Belarus National Library really looks straight out of science fiction, it's amazing, the shape, the contour/texture of the building, even the lighting on the "pedestal" part of the building!
Embarrassed that I didn't recognize the War Room from Dr. Strangelove. It seems so obvious now
THANK YOU for mentioning the Genocide Memorial in Armenia. A little disappointed that it wasn't mentioned above in the video.
Maybe that's a bit of a stretch, but the control tower at the Aldhani Imperial base reminds me about the Buzludzha monument in Bulgaria
The circular conference room, with individual displays and controls, at each seat, is pretty obviously inspired by the circular conference room on the Death Star in the first Star Wars movie.
You say you could have made this one hour long? Then please do, make more episodes. Your subscribers will love you for it.
I love the show and the art direction. To be able to keep showing new locations after so many hours of media since the 70's is quite a feat.
The set design is astoundingly good on this show but it also does so much else right which makes it a dream to watch for someone who was a kid when ANH came out. The writing isn't lazy and it is full of dialog that begs to be revisited, especially during the ISP meetings, a setting that had me bored to tears during the prequels. It has no unnecessary action or effects, or illogical plot devices. It respects the audiences intellect and keeps you immersed and engaged. It doesn't introduce new tech that isn't in the original movies like the prequels, and to some extent Book of Boba Fett and Obi Wan, did. One wonders how Disney can put together teams that treat the source material in such different manner but most of all, where was this team when they did the atrocious new movies. Rogue One had it's flaws, but is still the best new Star Wars movie since the original trilogy. Watching it again after Andor has completed its run will be amazing.
I'm not an architect but I was actually stunned by the designs in this show. The shot of the diagonal thing on coruscant, Mon Mothma's apartment, the ISB building - I can tell a lot of thought was put into them and they are so beautiful! I really hope Star Wars continues to move in this direction because Andor is my favorite Star Wars show right now
Would love more videos on the architecture in Star Wars. Architecture is a subject and practice I've loved thinking about my entier life and something I've wanted to do since I was a little boy. Your videos are always so well put together and your calm, soft voice is wonderful to listen to. Wish you the best.
I was impressed by the apartment complex, and the factory prison, both were very interesting visually.
I absolutely loved this review. This actually made me want to watch the show. It truly felt like an appreciation of not only the architecture, but also the show as a whole.
The show is fantastic. _By far_ the best Star Wars TV show.
One of the things I absolutely love about this series is that it takes the viewer into places otherwise nobody would see, let alone be interested in. The fact that so much of the show's minor plot points have played out in "midtown" on Coruscant is great to me. As an architectural designer that loves brutalist and metabolist architecture myself, I was really excited when the areas of the walkways in Episodes 7 and 8 were revealed, and we got to see the bare concrete and waffle slabs everywhere at the ceilings. Love me some waffle slabs!
Whenever they introduced a new location, it made me sit up in my chair to see what interesting things they would put in it. enjoying the show so far
I love how the art direction team shows how Coruscant has changed from Revenge of the Sith to Andor. From futuristic to brutualist.
I'm not sure how much of that is an art direction change and how much is just that we never saw much of the posh, upper class bits of the city. Just the ground level streets, the Jedi Temple and the Senate.
Ehhh thats just Coruscant. We only saw a small part of it in RotS. Its multilayered city thats the size of a planet. There will be good parts and shit parts.
I can't believe how good this show is. And it makes me mad how many other SW projects suck by comparison.
I can't remember gasping at the sets and sites before when watching Star Wars. It looks incredible.
Yeah, what's confusing to me is that Disney is supposedly surprised by it's popularity. Like, they hyped up Obi-Wan, they thought it'd be a big thing for them, yet it feels like Andor got most of the budget. Maybe a difference between marketing and the people actually running the shows and budgeting things.
@@colbyboucher6391 Kenobi had big names attached to it, to an exec I guess that looks like a safe bet... Too bad they forgot to write it
One thing I love is that Star Wars loves to sneak in a lot of 70's styling into it, because at once it helps prevent the older movies from feeling dated.
I like it every shot u did looks like a concept art but is actual set , cant wait for the next episode!
Also can u do a arcitect review on cyberpunk 2077 vehicles?
I love the show!!! Amazing acting and great to get to know the characters…finally. BTW Morph, I love Frank Lloyds Wrights deigns - especially the ones of the large city scapes. Years ahead of his time. I went to Taliesen West in Scottsdale….really interesting and recommended
Wow it does look really good. I hope star citizen gets something like this.
It'd be great to have design options when making hab shelters out in the verse, picking from various styles for the interiors.
@@VosperCDN they said they will have that
I've been obsessed with the architecture/production design in this show. I really hope they win some Emmys (or at least get nominated).
I grew up amongst the brutalist architecture featured in the show - such as the Barbican - so oddly enough, Coruscant in Andor felt like home.
We had a lot if this architecture here in Birmingham, like the now demolished central library.
I'm glad I'm not the only person to notice the depth and attention to detail that went into Andor. I hope you do a review of the prison later, since I believe it's pretty unique.
you should do a video about the prison in Andor because personally I think it was one of the most interesting places in the whole show so far
I've always been fascinated by Coruscant from the first time it was mentioned and through all the novels, comics, films and shows we've barely scratched the surface. The different types of locale, from the Imperial Palace to the subterranean slums, lead to so much variety in design and each new look we get I'm always fascinated. Always love your insights into design and reminding us that every little element is a deliberately thought-out choice, nothing is accidental.
I came looking for this video. The set designs and the architecture on that show are an a whole other level. Reminds me (a bit) of blade runner 2049
Please keep this up Morph’. Another episode or even a wider film architecture review series would be great!
EVERYTHING about this show blows my mind! Not just the architecture, but their costumes, clothing, artifacts, spaceships... I would love to explore every single place and world little by little. Please, don't worry about the amount of time your videos might get, we WILL LOVE them, believe me. There's still sooo much to talk about! CONGRATULATIONS for your content btw!
I was struck by how real it all looked while watching it. Syril's mums apartment and the corridors, plazas and dark walkways we see when the women are meeting up to discuss what to do with Andor were particularly striking.
Andor is brilliant. Definitely worth a re-watch.
best star wars since ot
The space port with the big wall of glass windows that Syril is walking through when he first comes back to Coruscant is the interior of the McLaren headquarters in Working, England.
You nailed these locations. The production depth in this is off the charts! And I love it!
You forgot to mention they used the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking as a stand in for a terminal at the Coruscant Spaceport.
Came here to see if somebody would cite that one ☝🏻👍🏻🙂
Hour long architect review? DO IT!
dew it!
Such an interesting video, I didn’t expect to stumble upon an analysis of Andor from the architect’s POV. Really enjoyed it!
I just love Mon Mothma’s style, her outfits, her car, her home - perfection.
ISB’s meeting room’s design is so cool. Reminds me of Soviet era museums and theaters in my homeland.
i love this show the detail is impeccable
I really liked Andor!
Looks awesome, first good Star Wars story since the Disney take over
@Jacob Fullton well but it seems you care enough to write all fhose comments XD
To everyone who thinks Andor buildings look to realistic, remember that it is A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away
I loved this video. I found the architecture on ferrix interesting. Although there is brick/block design. I also noticed that there was a few cases of it not being brick but layers which the first thing I thought was this was inspired but the concrete 3d printing. This would absolutely make sense to use for quickly constructing buildings in a futuristic world where automation can be seen all the way to down to the doorways. This really shows the thought that went into the set designs.
Do it! Make a series of these, we will watch and listen.
Count me in ❤️👍
I'm in. 🖖😁
This will probably be buried between all the other comments, but the ISB building looks like the *Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex* in Yerevan and the Corporate Security Headquarters look like *National Library of Belarus* in Minsk copied 3 times.
I was unaware of the Armenian Genocide Memorial so based on the ISB’s urban location my mind went to the Metropolitan Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro. But your totally right, it’s exactly like the memorial.
I really like Andor and the sets def make it better. I would be curious what you thought of the city by the beach where Andor gets arrested. I thought it was very interesting.
To me it looked like a hybrid of Miami and Las Vegas, which fit the description of "tourist traps" -- since that's what Niamos turns out to be :)
You should definitely do another part to this, maybe after they’ve shown more locations in the show
This is the best series altogether I have seen in a long time, it feels more like a movie spread out in parts, the attention to detail, amazing acting, writing, cinematography, this show will be remembered and cherished for a long time, hope it wins many awards
So glad I found your video. One of the first things I noticed right after I started watching episode one is the startling diference in production design and sets from almost everything else in the Disney SW stuff, from the last 10 years. Especially comparing how boring and bland everything shot in the Volume looks. The Blade Runner-esque beginning, the more industrial and Art Deco influences we get moving forward, the white sterile depressing prison... This show has the best designers in the biz right now, ngl. Absolutely love it!
i would loveee to see you dive more into the architecture of the show, wether that be a hour long video or a sprinkle of a 5 min one - as much as you’d be willing to do!
this hits the spot for me as a fanatic of costume and set design in media, and my longstanding love for architecture - and your video and editing was a treat to watch! very fun to hear your knowledge on the matter
Andor is 84% audience score and 94% critics score on RottenTomatoes... so the reviews aren't very "mixed", they are pretty consistent -- this show rocks! Fantastic writing, acting, and directing. The visuals including the architecture are just the icing on the cake.
The 'problem' is.. not many people are actually watching it! I agree, it is amazing, but the pace is too slow
While I appreciate the world building in shows like the Mandalorian and Boba Fett, Andor really gives us a believable bureaucratic Empire and realistic lived-in worlds.
One thing I've always been interested in is how to give the appearance of outdoor light but in totally enclosed places. I didn't even notice the ceiling of Luthen's shop before, but now that you mention it, the difference in color temperature and textures within the spaces of the ceiling really give the impression of sunlight.
And no one I've actually spoken to has disliked Andor. Not sure what forums you hang out in; a lot of people irrationally hate things in general, but I wouldn't give those sorts any weight.
The story of Andor may not be perfect, but it is by far my favourite looking series in a long time. I appreciate the very international feel to the designs as well, and I actually thought the geometric patterns looked a bit Emirati, or around that part of the world. I could immediately tell a lot of Coruscant was shot in London from that signature brutalist stuff they pumped the city full of in the 60s.
Fyi. The reviews are not mixed but mostly positive. Some fans think its "too slow and boring".
Honestly you need to do a part two of the architecture pf Andor. Thank you for doing this as I have been devouring the set design look of the series. Will be sharing with family and friends.
The locations and widescreen shots in Andor are simply ... epic. I wonder how much of each scene is actually real. I cannot imagine any of these places actually exist on earth ...
Your presentation never dissapoints, Architecture in it self is intresting but you boost it's wonder 10 fold. Great stuff as always
I think the isb room looks a lot like the conference room of the paris communist Party.
"Mixed Reviews"
I mean, a mix of 99 to 1 is still technically a mix.
There's wonderful work done on every aspect of this show. Would love to hear what you say about the other sets in a future episode.
The thoughtfulness of the design extends to the aesthetic blending perfectly with the 1970’s and pre-1990’s design influences of the first Star Wars movies. You’ve highlighted some of the most interesting and lovely set pieces and designs, but the scope and detail of every single setting of the show are exquisite and so highly detailed in a way that not only adds texture and believability to the show, but also to the story itself.
One set piece in particular is Kassian’s childhood living space. All of the inhabitants of this are children, and the tree-house nature and as hoc attributes of this encampment is reminiscent of the living area of the Lost Boys from Neverland in the 1991 film Hook or the similar inventive look to the tree dwelling in the 1960 film Swiss Family Robinson. The titular character and his cohort of orphans have clearly been relatively successful in making a solid living space for themselves in the wake a some unspeakable disaster to which they were all orphaned.
Mixed reviews? Personally I've heard nothing but praise and I think it deserves it
I totally love the entire suspense, spy versus spy theme of the series. Some viewers may not like the pace of the show because it's a slow burn.
I cried a little when I saw the Nakagin Capsule Tower-inspired space. I regret so much that I never got to see that building in person. Also, the unadorned shapes and steps set into the tall arches of the senator's apartment remind me a lot of the plain brick interior of Grundtvig's Church in Copenhagen in the way that the plainness of the walls really amplifies the extravagance of the space. As for the acoustic dampening theory, I think it holds a lot of water because unwanted acoustic reverberations can be especially troublesome in domed rooms. In some domed spaces you can hear people breathing very clearly on the opposite side of the room as if they were right next to you, as demonstrated in the Östermalm Echo Dome in Sweden.
I'd love to get your breakdown on the Fondor, Luthen's personal ship with the secret back compartment.
Not only good for a Star Wars show, but good for a TV show. Quality actors, quality dialogue, quality production
DO A PART 2 THIS WAS FACINATING!
People hate Andor?
I would love to hear more commentary about the architecture of the prison.
The glazed walkway above the entrance to the ISB where Syril speaks to Dedra (at 10:01) comes from the new Crossrail station at Canary Wharf in London. Canary Wharf was also used in Rogue One with the Underground station becoming an Imperial base.
Please do make that 1h+ long video ❤
Only adult children hate this show
The Barbican Estate (classic brutalist design opened in 1982) is another London location that was used. It's group of private buildings and public spaces that were used in some other shots in Episode 7 at 13:10 up to 13:40 (including the wonderfully lit slope with mirrored ceiling) and again from 15:08 to 16:55.
Yet another London location is the entrance to the ISB as seen in Episode 4 at 6:42 until 7:00 and again in Episode 9 from 30:49 until 33:00 is underneath the pedestrian link bridge to the relatively new Canary Wharf Crossrail Train station designed by Foster and Partners (opened in 2008). Which is just a few minutes walk away from Canary Wharf Underground station which was used as the Scarif Imperial Base in Rogue One.
MON MATHMA's apartment is actually amazing really beautiful architecture.
the hate Disney shows are for the most part deserved.
but Starwar's ANDOR and MANDOLORIAN are the exception.
but Marvel's The Falcon and The Winter Soldier and LOKI are the exception.
most of Disney shows are defiantly woke propaganda BS not respect for Stan lee and George Lucas. BUT we as a fanbase cannot disrespect the actual good one's. cause then we become the unreasoble one's.
I’m not an architect but even I’ve been wittering on incomprehensibly about the set-design and art work.
Incidentally, other layers of design work, was starwars with Luke and Leia was a 180 away from Buck Rodger’s silver hood ornament space ships and was a heavy 1970’s industrial and grimmy.
So “prequel” era starwars, in order to “back-date” the aesthetic used that 180 degree turn and used the buck rodgers art-Nuevo aesthetic.
Which Andor now straddles the old world with the new imperialism.
Cloud city in bespin (empire strikes back) also has those odd design elements you spotted in Mon Mothmas apartment. So whether call back to that or/or both drawing from the same real-world source….I don’t care. I just find it amazing they make it work, and make the retro 70/80 computer consoles look relevant and practical (?)
Thank you for this very interesting video ! As you're asking for more references, (and as a french guy - please excuse my english!), I would suggest that the ISB circular room is highly inspired by the French Communist Party headquarters in Paris, designed by Oscar Neimeyer in 1971. It's quite obvious when you consider the treatment of the vaulted ceiling, the way the light streams from it and the design of the side doors.
About Mon Mothma appartment, the light fixtures are not so 90's from my point of view, but more from the 60's, like the large chandeliers you can see above the dining table: they actually look like some vintage Venini Murano chandelier !
Another personal observation: for me, the Narkina 5 jail facility looks like it was designed by Jonathan Ive from Apple, with this "less is less (and is a liveless nightmare)" approach. Make sense.
Anyway i agree with the comments: those are the best set designs for the best show in the Star Wars history !
About Mon Mothma's apartment and Lutheran's shop I suggest you to check out the work of italian architect Carlo Scarpa. Castelvecchio Museum, Gavina Shop, Brion Tomb are some examples, in particular...highly detailed spaces, concrete, stone and metal, japanese influences etc
ps. that golden line along the wals of the shop? totally Carlo Scarpa
Definitely got an A Deco vibe from Mon Mothma’s government apartment. Especially when she wore that party dress, Genevieve was absolutely gorgeous in that dress, probably one of the best Star Wars costume designs I’ve seen, ok next to a certain metal 2 piece thing a-ma- jig I saw and jaw-dropped over as a teen. Still picking that jaw up many decades later. Wondering about the inlaid floor designs in her apartment and any symbolism. ISB room, or should I say Star Trek bridge?, hey the wall viewer and the doorway that could be a standin for a turbo lift entry. Anyways, the wall/ceiling pattern gave me the impression of an inverted senate.
Luthen’s shop, the slanted designs above/below the display on the right as you look out the shop, I’ve seen that somewhere in concrete and it’s bugging me. Was nice how they used lines elsewhere, playing w varied lengths to break up and give the eye some interest.
Not sure why, but Syril’s workplace (cubey -lovers heaven and everyone else’s hell), brought Wright’s Johnson Wax design (gone mad & filled w cubey deployments) to mind, hmm. Would’ve been cool if those workstations were Tie-Fighter simulators or Tie-drone/droid controllers.
Niamos, where was the beach scene filmed? I thought that was some very interesting design going on there.
You earned a SUB for this video (PS. This is the first recommended videos of yours I have ever got and also first time I’ve seen your channel) GPOD JOB ON THE GROWTH MATE!!🎉🙌
Mon Mothma's home strongly reminds me of the high-class modernist hotels you see in Hollywood movies of the 1930s, such as the many musicals starring Fred Astaire. Mon's movie-star wardrobe and cut-glass diction would also be right at home ca. 1936. You could easily turn those Mon Mothma scenes into black & white sequences that would embody all the design ideals of the golden age of the "silver screen." I'm not sure if the 1930s sets were based on anything in reality. Instead, I think the art director of Andor wanted to evoke the fantasies of Art Deco Hollywood -- the factory that manufactured dreams for the entire planet back then.
Excellent post re Architecture of Andor. Love it, love the show too. Star Wars always has superb set design so much part of the story, like the music.
Unsatisfying video - shows a lack of planning, ironically. Too much time in the intro and way too much time discussing iterative design. Video has few truly insightful observations; mostly narrative just describes what we already see. Recommend creating one video for each set, and give us a 70% insight, 30% your opinion mix. If you need to save time for some strange reason, remember that you can superimpose messages like "trying to keep spoilers to a minimum" instead of wasting 20 seconds narrating it. Good luck OP.
It's the Star Wars spy/espionage thriller I've been wanting for so long. Alright I know the show isn't perfect, and I know not everyone will agree to what I'm about to say, but I feel like I have to give credit where credit is due and show some appreciation for the show and what it has achieved.
It's been a long time, too long, since the last time I felt this enthralled, captivated, and mesmerized by Star Wars, I still have that bitter aftertaste in my mouth after the disastrous sequel trilogy, but Andor really gives me hope for the future of the franchise. The pacing of this show is just perfect, the slow burn is never boring, the story feels concise, focused, yet comprehensive. All that build up and tension are handsomely paid off at the end of episode 6.
Now what i’m about to say next might upset some people, but I genuinely think it's WAY BETTER than Kenobi series from a cinematic perspective. It’s a shame that the hype for the series is rather low compared to Kenobi, granted it’s about a much smaller character, but it shouldn’t be the reason to not watch it. Andor as the main character feels so much more compelling than Kenobi was in his own series. Somehow it also looks a lot better too, the CGI, the landscape shots, the close ups, every shot feels meticulously crafted and natural. Now I don’t know if it's a budget thing, but it sure looks a million dollars better than Kenobi with its let’s just say questionable quality CGI in some parts. Andor looks so good it made me think I wasn't watching Star Wars, it gives off a really strong Blade Runner vibe.
The series really shines a new light on a lot of less explored aspects of the universe, like how the Empire maintain security on far-flung territories without direct presence of the empire itself, and it even managed to slip in a gay couple sub-plot that doesn’t feel annoying nor too on the nose but respectable instead. It also shows the different frontlines of the rebellion, those with their boots on the ground on some far-off planet and those fighting for the cause using politics and diplomacy in the senate.
It is also surprisingly difficult to predict, it managed to keep me guessing as to what’s gonna happen next, also sprinkled here and there are good amount of little plot twists that caught me off guard, forcing me to keep paying attention.
Now my favorite thing from the series other than how kino the whole thing is, is the heavy inspiration taken from real world history events. Now this part is gonna be a little spoiler, so SPOILER WARNING! I just can’t stop thinking about the similarities between the ‘heist’ that Andor and the small band of resistance fighter did and the real sabotage done by Norwegian resistance and British SOE operatives against the germans during world war two, particularly the one that took place at Vemork power plant. The espionage, the information gathering, the mole behind enemy line, and months of preparation, all this effort for an operation that feels only lasted for an hour, it all feels so grounded to reality and make sense.
Okay, conclusion. Andor is not made for kids, there’s little to no dumbed down exposition and it really hits that “Show, don’t tell” rule quite nicely. it feels a lot darker, a lot more mature, our 'heroes' will kill an unarmed man and leave fallen comrade behind if necessary, clearly emphasizing that not all good guys are truly good and not all bad guys are truly bad, at the end of the day everyone is just trying to make their way in the universe. This show isn’t about the big-name heroes like Skywalker or Kenobi, this time it’s about the smaller people, the unknown soldiers, the remote outpost sentries, and the outlaws just trying to disappear. It is definitely for the more mature audience who appreciates world building, slower pacing, and detailed meticulous shots. It's a testament of how diverse Star Wars can be, it can be a cinematic eye candy, instead of just full on action with no build up and tension.
Look, I know Andor isn't everyone cup of tea but if you haven’t given this series the chance it deserves, go ahead and invest some time into it, you won’t be disappointed, ‘cuz I sure didn’t.
You need to do a part 2. The Japanese building influenced Syrils apartment. I was thinking Habitat the 60s building in Montreal.
Wait, mixed reviews? I've heard nothing but people heaping praise on Andor, and I can't blame them. The writing and direction are so strong, it looks absolutely incredible, and everyone is giving fantastic performances. It's the best new Star Wars yet. I've been completely blown away by _all_ the sets.
I can literally hear a conversation between the engineers, architects, and contractors about the prison.
GC: "Are we sure the rails need to be electrified as well? We can save 2 million credits by only electrifying the floor."
Arch: "The key feature of the prison is the feeling that nowhere is safe. The owner made that abundantly clear."
GC: "There's no scenario in which you're holding a rail and not touching the floor. And we both know the owner loves to cut costs anywhere possible."
EE: "I just want to add that removing the rails from the shock system will free up a lot of power. We already don't have enough power to enable the system for longer than five seconds on an entire level."
Arch: "They'll never need to turn the shock system on for an entire level."
EE: "Code says all shock systems must be able to function at max level for ten seconds and the owner is more than willing to put me in this thing if I don't follow code."
Arch: "Fine. For now let's remove the rails from the shock system and I'll talk to the owner about the costs associated with adding them back in."
The ISB meeting room is inspired by Niemeyer's Headquarters of the French Communist Party - the lights, doorframes and ceiling shape are pretty strong references
In assessing the ISB Briefing Room, one can see the contrasting color, texture and layout. All of it intentional with the hierarchy of the Empire. The main room, wrapped in white, represents the officers of the empire. Order and all emcompassing. At the center of the room, a noticeable transition from White to Black. (Insert Darth Vader, the Inquisitors..) The junior officers, ( most often seen in grey uniforms) are on the perimeter of the room, with seats embedded into the wall. They're position in the room and the position they serve the senior officers go hand in hand. The real representation of a fly on the wall.
Combining Fashion with Architecture, you can see on Ferrix, the different work roles represented in different gloves. Some looked personalised but there is also color. Again color is used almost like a way through which one can determine class system, based on planet. Syril and his mom are in that push and pull, pitting her often seen Orange spectrum wardrobe with his corporate grunt blue-grey. There are so many layers to dive into. So much to review.
One interesting nod in the pod apartment is to Luke's family's dining area: an enclosed eating area with bench-style seating, implying a residential architectural trend that shaped the two very far-removed spaces.
I also really love the shop. Particularly the windows - it feels like a rented shop space that was not purpose-built but renovated for the use.
I think that the ISB meeting room seen in your video, took inspiration from the Headquarters of the French Communist Party in Paris. The design of the walls and the main light source look very familiar to the design in Andor.
I don’t know if anyone mentioned it but the ISB building I’m pretty sure is inspired by the Communist HQ in Paris.
Similar shape to the building, similar pattern to the roof, and most notably, the angled doors that open almost identically. And have very similar entrance ways on the exterior of the room to that shown in the show.
I think the seating area in Syril’s home is also inspired by the same building, the designer Oscar Niemeyer used these similar built in benches and tables that follow similar curves. You can see them in what I believe is the refectory of the building.
If you hate Andor, you are what’s wrong with the Star Wars fandom. You’re the reason they keep making crap like the Last Jedi.
I don't think "some people like it, some don't" is a fair representation of how well this show has been received. People are absolutely raving about it, some calling it the best Star Wars since the Empire Strikes Back.
hi morph, ISB room remind me a lot, at a smaller scale for sure, of niemeyer space Paris. It's the building of communist french and the dome style look just the same with the artificial lighting diving and reflecting on the walls. I wouldn't be surprised if it was inspired by it. Have a look. I visitied it in person and had a blast to be honest. ^^
It's actually not just Mon Mothma's apartment. It's the Chandrilan embassy on Coruscant.