MoMA Acquires the Architecture Films of Bêka and Lemoine

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) announced today that it has acquired the cinematographic work of directors Ila Bêka and Louise Lemoine, who were named Metropolis Game Changers in 2015. Over the past decade, the Franco-Italian duo have produced 16 films on architecture, but have always placed the occupant—be it the concierge, cleaning lady, security-system installer, resident, or tourist—front and center. Véronique Vienne explains that the result is “a series of documentaries on important buildings as seen through the eyes of everyday people. No talking heads, no voice-over, no off-camera commentaries—just the raw stuff of lives whose relationship to the built environment is as much part of the architecture as the walls, the windows, or the roofs.”

Bêka and Lemoine’s films, which are grouped under the title Living Architectures, have explored the insides and outs of several important buildings, from Koolhaas’ house in Bordeaux, France, to the Brutalist Barbican complex in London to BIG’s 8 House in Copenhagen. Learn more about the filmmakers here and get a taste of their films below.