Architectural Response to War
New York, NY • national premier 2003

Architectural Response to War evolved out of an understanding of the principles of Charles Pierce’s ten sign semiotic system. The film and companion book present the argument that the shelter is an inappropriate response to nuclear war.

The images are a mixture of archival footage of U.S. nuclear test detonations and video of a fallout shelter. Sound design by Andrew Creighton.

The bomb represents the end of everything. The shelter is impotent architecture that proposes a solution which does not address the symbolic nature of the bomb. It becomes the embodiment of the war with no solution.

play film | 8m 05s | qt 39mb • paper | pdf 1.9mb