Architecture And Echoes Of “The Mandalorian”

Miami-based Oppenheim Architecture takes a look back at Season 2 with projects from its portfolio that call to mind the exotic haunts and planets Mando and Baby Yoda hit along their journey.

The Season 2 finale of Emmy award-winning “The Mandalorian” is released tonight, December 18th. Oppenheim Architecture invites fans of the show — and fans of architecture — to take a look back at Season 2 by sharing projects from its portfolio that call to mind the exotic haunts and planets Mando and Baby Yoda hit along their journey. Oppenheim Architecture is an interior design, and planning firm based in Miami, FL with offices in New York and Basel, Switzerland.

Season 2, Episode 1

Mandalorian
Photo Credit: Rory Gardiner

The Mandalorian returns to a location familiar to all Star Wars fans: Tatooine. This sandy planet, with structures that emerge from the dunes and blend in with their surroundings, is echoed in the Ayla Golf Academy and Clubhouse (above), from the Oppenheim Architecture portfolio.

Nestled in Aqaba, Ayla takes inspiration from the magnificent mountains of the Jordanian desert as well as the architectural heritage of the ancient Bedouin. Its distinct architectural form, which establishes a unique connection with nature by capturing the elemental, rolling desert landscape, is shaped by a massive concrete shell that precisely drapes over the programmed areas — enveloping the interior and exterior walls of each volume in concrete and locally sourced additives to achieve a final shell finish, maintaining the raw, unadorned look that stays true to its context and inspiration

Season 2, Episode 3

This episode’s action takes place almost entirely on ships (both sea and space) as Mando encounters others of his kind.

Mandalorian
Rendering Credit: Luxigon

The space-age design of these vessels harkens to the futuristic concept proposal by Oppenheim Architecture for a Qatar Destination Spa & Resort (above). This design, shortlisted for the 2016 World Architecture Festival, balances drama and surprise. Constructed with the land, not on the land, the symbiosis between building and terrain results in an embrace of natural resources and the universe at large.

Season 2, Episode 5

This episode of “The Mandalorian” brings some of the strongest Jedi action seen all season and gives viewers back story (and a name!) for Baby Yoda. The journey to find “the child” a Jedi master brings us to the distressed forests of Calodan.

With a similar woodsy backdrop, the episode recalls Oppenheim Architecture’s Muttenz Water Treatment Plant (below), nestled in Switzerland and designed to blend into its natural habitat without disrupting the landscape. Coated in natural stone and clay, the plant echos the shape of a rock touched by water. The Oppenheim team fuses top of the line technology and architecture with respect for the plant’s “spirit of place,” creating a simultaneously futuristic and base space.

Mandalorian
Photo Credit: Börje Müller

Season 2, Episode 6

Our intrepid heroes make their way to the Jedi Temple on Tython to try and connect Grogu to other Jedis. The Temple features towering rock formations that surround a sunny stone at its center. This desert tower is reminiscent of a proposed series of lodges in Wadi Rum, Jordan.

Mandalorian
Rendering Credit: Luxigon

Oppenheim’s concept has its roots in the tectonic and geological histories of the region. Through an engagement of the existing natural faults and fissures, the architecture is inserted in the landscape with nominal impact and primal elegance-synchronizing with the topography. The built form merges silently with its wondrous setting, exploiting and enhancing the natural beauty of the site to establish luxury lodge accommodations. The resulting experience is sensual and sensitive, intentionally reduced to what is essential, establishing a ancient connection with the universe through simple, elemental forms, sincere materiality/detailing, and the use of bountiful natural resources both physical and ethereal. Nature accelerated, enhanced and embraced; nature nurtured.

Season 2, Episode 7

The season’s penultimate episode finds Mando + team hunting down the coordinates of an Empire ship. This journey brings them to the jungles of Morak. As they race against pirates in the forest, they arrive at the Imperial base that sprouts from the ground like the surrounding trees.

Mandalorian
Photo Credit: Saul Yuncoxar

Oppenheim Architecture’s aptly named House in a Jungle (above, below) displays a similar setting — with a more elegant touch. With local stone throughout exterior elevations, wood floors, concrete, glass guardrails, wood shutters, the home honors its “spirit of place” in Caracas through materials reflective of the region. The house is a courtyard typology and all formal rooms are located around its core, further bringing the outside in, and its amenities include a library, home theater, gym, massage room, pool, and garden.

Mandalorian
Photo Credit: Saul Yuncoxar

And if you’re hungry for more “Star Wars”, check out “Lair: Radical Homes and Hideouts of Movie Villains”. Written by Oppenheim Architecture Founder and Principal Chad Oppenheim, the book looks at architecture of the Death Star, among other iconic lairs.

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