Cathedrals Of Culture

Cool idea: use 3D cameras to tour architectural marvels, including the duct-tastic Pompidou in Paris and the geometrically elegant Philharmonie concert hall in Berlin. The visuals make excellent use of 3D-depth perspectives, but what about the soundtrack? Six filmmakers adopt varying approaches: Wim Wenders almost ruins his Berlin section with a voiceover that allows Hans Scharoun’s building to ‘speak’ to us, while Michael Glawogger’s decision to quote from the books in St Petersburg’s crumbling National Library of Russia proves demanding and chaotic.

The success rate varies, with Robert Redford scoring with a very conventional documentary approach to Louis Kahn’s wondrous ocean-side research facility the Salk Institute, while Margreth Olin’s thoughts on the shiny new Oslo Opera House add little to the images. Design and architecture fans may be won over, however, since this offers illuminating access to some extraordinary spaces, including the remarkably humane Halden Prison in rural Norway. For the uncommitted, however, almost three hours of 3D is a long schlep.