Architecture-city in the mirror of science fiction: beyond a literature review

Abstract

The architecture-city is a crucial element in the images of science fiction, intertwined with urban and architectural concepts and realities. It has features that can enable research on present and future architecture-city. This paper investigates from what perspectives and viewpoints the architecture-city has been studied in the mirror of science fiction. Among the science fiction-related academic articles in the two databases (468 articles in Scopus and 18 in Web of Science) between January 2000 and April 2024, the most contemporary period which this paper considers as a research gap in the field, 35 articles related to the architecture-city were identified and reviewed. Content analysis of these academic articles uncovered nine architecture-city reading approaches: ‘inspirational’; ‘critical’; ‘symbolic’; ‘exaggerated realistic’; ‘enacted empathic’; ‘reflectional’; ‘shaping popular culture’; ‘understanding of the theory’; and ‘predictive’. We call them the ‘architecture-city reading approaches’ and have categorised the findings based on them. The aggregation and analysis of each of the architecture-city reading approaches reveal particular implications of exploiting science fiction in future studies. In parallel, by means of listing in detail science fictions which portray the architecture-city, the scope and gaps of existing knowledge are identified in relation to contemporary issues and concerns. This study shows that the architecture-city has been read most with the ‘critical’ approach, particularly on class distinctions and enclosed communities. It evidences how the academic articles on architecture-city in science fiction have primarily focused on English-language or European-oriented novels and films, overlooking various other media in different fields.