So I came up with this design and perched it in the most decadent location I could think of, right on top of Point Dume, a California State Park. Who else but a billionaire could get those building permits?
The garage under the cantilevered livingroom I really liked, looking out over the ocean between the buttresses. Since that's where Tony really lives, it should still have a nice view. The actual garage set is three times the size of the livingroom and would never fit in that space below, but thanks to the magic of movie geography, it's never apparent.Master set designer Kevin Cross took these along with some loose elevations and built a beautiful model in Maya which the VFX companies used for reference. While the interiors were fully realized sets on stage, only the exterior of the living room balcony was practical, the rest of the exterior of the house is a CG model composited into plates of Point Dume.
I'll put up some of the interior designs next.
13 comments:
Whoopie! I get to be the first to comment! Awesome! This is stunning design and beautiful rendering. I love the creamy solid feel of the structure. It breathes the opulence and excess of Stark's origins. Fantastic work Phil! I can't wait to see more:) -Ray
Guy your concepts are awesome!!
i love the concepts of the stark's house!
Congratulations!
Waiting for more!
Hello sir
This is really amazing work and I hope Ill see more of you soon....
Your job is probably the one I always dreamed of... so enjoy it ;-)))
Greetings JD
Great stuff Phil! Thanks for the lovely comment on Conceptart.org about my comic strip. I've linked my blog to you.
Steve
What were some of your references/inspirations for this style of architecture?
Just saw Iron Man for the third time - haha - what can I say? I loved it. Great job for your contributions :)
Love your stuff man.~! :)
Greetings
I knew the minute I saw Tony Starks house that it was designed by a true fan of John Lautners. I’m now a huge fan of your work. I was born in California and grew up with Techno Optimism or Googie architecture all around me. I now own a sales and marketing agency for the kitchen and bath industry that specializes in mid-century or California Modern. I would love to see some pic’s of the interior of the house, in my opinion, they got that right as well. Truly “Organic Contemporary”
Paul
I don't usually do this, write letters that might be considered self-congratulatory but after reading some of these blog reactions to Phil's version of the origin of the Iron Man house design, I feel compelled to clarify and inform people of what a Production Designer and his crew actually do for a living and to educate all those who might aspire to join our ranks one day (Re: "Your job is probably the one I always dreamed of...") As Production Designer on Iron Man (and curently on IM 2) I feel compelled to set the record straight. Phil is an extraordinary talent, who deservedly, along with many others, shares the credit for much of the success of Iron Man. But the implication that any one element of the movie was designed by just one person with simply 'a mandate' from the production designer is ridiculous!
With all due respect to Phil Saunders' incredible (and I mean that!) contribution to Iron Man, I take grave exception to his disnegenous suggestion that he 'came up with' the design of the house and 'placed it at Point Dume.' .
Production Design involves a complicated process. It's important to realize that most all initial overall design concepts come from conversations between the director and the Production Designer. This is how it's done-believe me-I've been doing it for over 30 years. The final choice of the architecture of John Lautner as inspiration for the house was my choice alone-I have used him as inspiration before (Charlie's Angeles, Lethal Weapon). Many other designers have in the past. In this case the house design started with a few quick 'napkin' sketches I made early on (which I still have...). After this initial stage, the production designer begins a collaboration with all of his department to bring the idea to life-which included in this case steps Phil forgot to mention : hours of design with our remarkable set designer Kevin Cross, consultations and design choices made with our research department which helped choose surface textures, fixtures, misc. design elements, set dressing concerns, visual effects meetings, etc. This included location surveys I made and final location choices which I did (without Phil's help. I then ) relied on s Phil's relying prodigious coolaborative spirit and design intuition to bring it make it better and bring it all together in his beautiful illustrations. The point is, Phil was handed more than just a 'mandate.'
This is what we do as Production Designers. We design the overall look of the film-and we try to make it look seamless and anonymous-the narrative deserves all the attention-not the design. If it were not for all the others in my department none of it would make it to the screen. It's a joint effort where everyone participates-admittedly, Phil was a huge part of this. He and I have done many things together in the past. But in this case his recounting or the impression he gives of the overall process is misleading. Unintentionally so, I'm sure. .
Wallace Cunningham, John Lautner, Bruce Goff (see Friends of Kebyar), and Frank Lincoln Wright all worked alone, and actually completed real projects. To a trained eye, the house in Iron Man was comic book tripe, beginning with the disproportion of interior to exterior spaces, and especially when Iron Man crashes through a reinforced concrete roof and a reinforced concrete floor structure. Which producers nephew forced that into the script? That was right up there with the "suddenly flipping/flying cars" that have taken over Hollywood. It reduced this movie to the goofy moto scenes in Charlies Angels. Suspension of disbelief is the mantra, but remember that architects and engineers like to enjoy the same visual pleasure, not just laughable multi-million dollar script masturbation.
I recently visited Cunningham's Razor residence in La Jolla, and the lair and shop are real. It's interesting to hear Michael Riva's arrogance against the pure excitement towards the project displayed by Phil. They make it sound like they did more than some sketches and rendering in Maya, followed by some unlimited budget props in a warehouse, all after seeing some of John's work in the neighborhood, and going to a cocktail party to tell the world of their newfound design skills.
I do like your concept renderings Phil, you have a nice touch.
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