This is an image of the matte painting of the OCP headquarters in the movie Robocop. The base of the building is the real life Dallas City Hall which artist Rocco Giofre was able to seamlessly turn into a skyskraper for a futuristic version of Detroit.
Given the state that Detroit is now, the bizarre and barbaric landscapes created in the movie almost seem like a more desirable alternative to reality. At least in the movie there was a strong focus on economic growth, technological breakthroughs, and a vision of hope for tomorrow--all portrayed with deep irony. Central to this vision is the idea that the line between corporations and governments has been completely eliminated. I suspect that the moviemakers appreciated the power of visual metaphor when they chose a public building as the iconic scaffold of a sociopathic corporate entity. One of the production designers described that the architectural effect they were trying to achieve was of the building resembling a spear piercing the ground. (Insert Freudian analysis here, ed.)
Iconography always has unintended consequences. I happen to admire the geometric power of the original building and the success of the ficitional addition, but the overall effect is deeply disturbing. I wonder how the architect of the City Hall felt about the matter--ah-ha!--it was I.M. Pei's office channeling Boston City Hall--perhaps a nervous laugh and smile was the outcome?
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