The most notable and influential design projects emerge from the convergence of various disciplines. The field of architecture has historically been inspired by or incorporated other forms of cultural production, such as cinema, photography, literature, and theater. By observing the theatricality of Baroque churches or the cinematic sequences in modern museums, architects analyze space to understand how it can structure a narrative and generate an experience.
The practice known as worldbuilding goes beyond this. It requires architectural professionals to define not only the physical structure of a place but also its social rules, narratives, technologies, economies, atmospheres, behavioral patterns, and interactions so that the environment appears believable. Instead of focusing on the question 'What should this building look like?', worldbuilding proposes starting with the inquiry: 'What kind of universe would this building make sense in?'
Worldbuilding is a well-established concept in creative fiction. A universe in a film or game needs its own logical coherence, encompassing its culture, governance systems, technologies, and supporting economies. Cinema has long demonstrated that spatial design transcends the function of mere scenery. A metropolis can function as a character, a corridor can create tension, and a room can reveal the characteristics of its inhabitants even before they appear on screen.
Science fiction, in particular, employs spatial design to give logic and coherence to uncertain futures. For example, the buildings in Blade Runner portray Los Angeles as a dystopian version of the real city, endowed with its own infrastructure, density, and signage.
Video games intensify this relationship because the world must be functional, not just aesthetically pleasing. The player assimilates the dynamics of the game's universe through its rules and inherent consequences. In this context, space functions simultaneously as scenery and as interface. By translating the spatial logic of digital games into physical installations, the project Architecture (AFTER GAMES), commissioned by the V&A, transformed elements of electronic game environments into a gallery space. This project invites the public to reflect on how game worlds organize spatial perception, navigation, scale, and movement.
The NOX project, developed by Lawrence Lek, explores a similarity in its installation at Kranzler Eck, Berlin. Located in a former department store complex, the project created a fictional urban environment managed by artificial intelligence. The work integrated exhibition architecture, digital animation video, soundscape, installation, and game design. Visitors found a simulated rehabilitation center for conscious autonomous vehicles. Thus, architecture assumes the role of the story's operating system, and not just a container.