While Ian Fleming, the creator of the James Bond series, was purportedly a stern critic of modern architecture — he named the great villain, Goldfinger, after the Brutalist architect Erno Goldfinger — on-screen depictions of Agent 007 have celebrated a diverse breadth of architectural styles. Below, we take a closer look at five of our favorite Bond haunts from across the globe.
The bedrock that punctuates the retro-futuristic aesthetic of architect John Lautner’s Palm Springs masterpiece, the Elrod House, is one of several innovative elements of the building. Other dramatic touches include two mechanized 25-foot retractable glass doors and a 60-foot concrete petal dome roof. In 1971’s “Diamonds Are Forever,” Sean Connery encounters two other surprises: a pair of assassins code-named Bambi and Thumper, who acrobatically attack Bond in the living room rotunda before throwing him into the home’s pool.
Photo via Ozone Design.
The Eilean Donan Castle served as the Scottish headquarters of MI6 in 1999’s “The World is Not Enough.” In the early 13th century, however, it served a defensive function, protecting the Kintail lands against Viking raiders. The fortified castle has imposing walls — up to 14-feet thick at times — but they wouldn’t withstand the location-specific weapon that Desmond “Q” Llewelyn demonstrates for Pierce Brosnan’s 007: a machine gun concealed inside a set of bagpipes.
Photo via Landmark Press.
Built in 1746, this island palace in Udaipur, India was named Jag Niwas after his highness Maharana Jagat Singh II, who used it as an exclusive, escapist retreat. In 1983’s “Octopussy,” the majestic white marble structure served as the titular character’s home. In a memorable scene, Roger Moore’s Bond swims up to the property while disguised as a crocodile to investigate the disappearance of a Fabergé egg.
Photo via Taj Hotels.
The Hotel Okura Tokyo was designed by architects Yoshiro Taniguchi and Hideo Kosaka in 1962, and is considered one of the most successful fusions of modernism and traditional Japanese design vernacular. The hotel’s lobby, pictured above, is where Sean Connery’s Bond goes for a martini in 1967’s “You Only Live Twice.” Despite a global campaign by architectural preservationists, however, large areas of the hotel were demolished in September of this year, in anticipation of future redevelopment.
Photo via Leading Hotels of the World.
Situated at the top of a rocky precipice 60 million years old and over 400 meters high, the Monastery of the Holy Trinity overlooks the scenic Pineios Valley and Thessalian Plains near the town of Kalambaka, Greece. As one of six remarkable Meteora cliff structures that comprise this UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is accessed only by 130 perilous steps by monks — and, occasionally, James Bond. In 1981’s “For Your Eyes Only,” the monastery serves as the hideout of Aristotle Kristatos. Roger Moore’s Bond infiltrates the home to capture a coveted decoder, only to later throw it off the sandstone cliff.
Photo via Panoramio.
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