In Dune: Part One, audiences caught a fleeting glimpse of the House Atreides’ ancestral homeworld of Caladan as Paul Atreides (portrayed by Chalamet) ambled along the coastal shores before departing for Arrakis.

Behind him, the majestic Atreides flagships, emerging from the mist-shrouded waters against the backdrop of Norway’s dramatic coastal landscapes where the scene was shot, was suggestive of Zaha Hadid’s visionary design that graces the Port of Antwerp, serving as the headquarters of the Antwerp Port Authority.

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The sole government building designed by the celebrated Iraqi-British architect, which opened in the same year of her death, is a contemporary diamond-shaped structure perched atop a renovated heritage fire station. Resembling the hull of a sailing ship with a protruding bow, it pays homage to the site’s maritime legacy as Europe’s second largest shipping port.

Stretching over 100 metres in length, the building’s glass-covered façade features sharp edges and angular facets, mirroring the precision of a finely cut diamond. These transparent and opaque triangular panels not only lend a sense of architectural grandeur with breathtaking reflections of the nearby River Scheldt, they also serve a functional purpose, allowing for precise control over natural light.

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The Royal National Theatre located in South Bank, London was much like the low-profile, sand-coloured buildings of Arrakeen, the capital city of Arrakis, in the Dune movies: with “stone walls several feet thick” and “of extraordinary height,” as Vermette described to Fast Company.

English architect Denys Lasdun’s architectural favouring towards cubic towers, bare concrete and jutting foyers—often coming together to form ziggurat-style structures, were already noticeable in his early works, such as the core buildings for the University of East Anglia in Norwich, and the New Court for Christ’s College in Cambridge.

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This brutalist building that was completed in 1976 was no exception. Described as an “urban landscape,” the interlocking terraces carefully refined balance between horizontal and vertical elements that allowed plenty of light and shadowplay on its multifacet concrete façade.

Despite some initial criticism, including Charles III’s critique of the building as a “clever way of building a nuclear power station in the middle of London without anyone objecting,” the Royal National Theatre has become an iconic example of Brutalist architecture in England.

Resembling the works of Le Corbusier, it is beloved by locals for its spacious public areas, thoughtful design and harmonious integration into the surrounding cityscape.

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“The sense of scale, and a sense of imposing yourself on a place, and the idea that these structures can show the power of a nation,” encapsulated Vermette's vision for the structures on Giedi Prime, as he revealed in an interview with Science Focus.

In stark contrast to the brutalist architecture of Arrakis, the homeworld of the antagonist House Harkonnen boasted a futuristic aesthetic, characterised by grand, undulating structures reminiscent of the Harbin Grand Theatre designed by the renowned architect Ma Yansong of MAD Architects.

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Renowned for designs that harmonise humanity, nature and creativity, the project, unveiled in 2015 amidst the popular tourist destination, responded to the raw force and untamed spirit of the northern city’s wilderness and frigid climate.

Spanning 850,000 sq ft, the exterior of the theatre featured a dynamic architectural narrative, juxtaposing smooth surfaces with faceted elements to evoke the billowing snow and ice of the harsh winter months. 

Constructed with white aluminium panels and transparent triple-glazed glass pyramids, the structure offered optimal insulation against extreme temperatures while preventing condensation on the glass surfaces. Carved pathways led visitors to the apex of the building, 35 metres above ground, providing panoramic views of the winter wonderland of Harbin.

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Against the harsh desert backdrop of Arrakis and the imposing structures of Giedi Prime, Kaitain, the home planet of the Imperial House Corrino, made its debut in Dune: Part Two, offering a contrasting glimpse of tranquillity amidst the turmoil of distant conflicts.

Notably, the Brion Tomb in San Vito d’Altivole served as the filming location for scenes featuring the Emperor, Princess Irulan and the Reverend Mother (portrayed by Christopher Walken, Pugh and Charlotte Rampling, respectively).

Designed by Venetian architect Carlo Scarpa, arguably one of the lesser recognised architects of the 20th century, the Brion Tomb is a 22,000 sq ft burial site, surrounded by a prato garden with cypress trees on one side, and a pond with vegetation on the other.

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The L-shaped building features a sloped, enclosing wall of concrete adorned with Venetian-influenced gold and mosaic tiles reminiscent of Byzantine structures–exuding aesthetic and spiritual balance.

One of the two entrances leads through a propylon meditation pavilion, distinguished by a vesica piscis-shaped viewing window–a motif recurrent in Scarpa’s work. It symbolises the union of the Brion couple of the entrepreneurial family that founded Brionvega, famed during the 1960s for producing television sets and unusual electronic devices.

Through the meditative vestibule is a small tea room-inspired chapel and an arcosolium housing twinned sarcophagi.

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Towards the climactic conclusion of Dune: Part Two–spoiler alert, viewers catch another glimpse into the world of the Imperial House Corrino as the Emperor’s contingent descends upon Arrakis to confront Paul Atreides.

The majestic Imperial flagship, with its gleaming reflective façade, bears a resemblance to the depot museum in Rotterdam, designed by Dutch architectural firm MVRDV, the bowl-shaped building features 1,664 mirrored panels spanning a total of 6,609 sqm.

The polished plates reflect the city’s skyline upon its exterior, with some featuring matte finishes to ensure privacy by obscuring reflections of the adjacent Erasmus MC, while others were fitted with standard glass to allow natural light into interior spaces.

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Affectionately dubbed “The Pot” for its distinctive form inspired by an aluminium Ikea bowl, the Depot Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen stands as the world’s first publicly accessible art storage facility. Within its walls lie over 150,000 surplus works of art and design from the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, housed in 13 storage compartments equipped with five different climate zones.

Across seven storeys and towering at 39.5 metres, the depot museum also has exhibition halls, a rooftop garden and a restaurant with a seating capacity of up to 120 patrons.

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