There are so many different pieces that go into the creation of a film. From the first keystroke that starts to write a story, characters with all their inherent quirks, traits, and personality are spun from thin air. When a film actually starts to take shape on-screen, those traits have to be reflected not just in the actor chosen to portray the character, but in the scenery, design, and every image. In a movie like recent science fiction film Ex Machina, those necessities are heightened. A near future and a billionaire protagonist need to have a very specific setting (remember Tony Stark's house?) that sometimes may not just physically exist. The filmmakers did not find a perfect setting and instead cobbled together two real life locations with visual effects and sets to create a stunning world for their artificial intelligence opus.
This image from the movie is a still from the film. Real exteriors meld with visual effects to create a technology billionaire's secluded home.
Much of the home used in the final film is actually a hotel. The Juvet Landscape Hotel, from the Norwegian team at Jensen & Skodvin Architects. Although the film takes place in Alaska, this stunning hotel is actually found in a remote area of Norway. The hotel, which has not been open long, is nestled among rocks, forests, and water. It plays the part of the billionaire's dining room but is also available for booking - if you can afford it.
There is something inherently luxurious about seclusion. Even if it were not for the stunning, modern design behind these gorgeous interiors, being far removed from society provides both safety as well as a bit of danger.
Some of the home interiors, such as these of the living room, were shot at a separate location. A private summer house, also designed by Jensen & Skodvin, speaks to the themes of the movie. The home and its sleek modern aesthetic is actually carved into the side of a mountain. Cliffs and rocks come into the house and must be worked around, just as the film uncovers so many elements of the nature that man is up against when working with technology.
