Journals / ART/icle: Sanat ve Tasarım Dergisi / 2026 / Cilt: 6 Sayı: 1

Architecture, Power, and Ideology in Dune: Planetary Worlds and Spatial Regimes

Dune Evreninde Mimarlık, İktidar ve İdeoloji: Gezegensel Dünyalar ve Mekânsal Rejimler

Nisa Ilgın Baştuğ(ANKARA YILDIRIM BEYAZIT UNIVERSITY, FACULTY OF ARCHITECTURE)0009-0000-2087-5793
Cemile Feyzan Şimşek(ANKARA YILDIRIM BEYAZIT UNIVERSITY, FACULTY OF ARCHITECTURE)0000-0002-3503-3633
Pages
40–84
Publication Date
2026-06-30
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

The results suggest that architecture can be used as a primary dataset for world-building processes in science fiction cinema.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:Introduction and Purpose of the Study: This study aims to analyze the architectural elements in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune series as active tools that define the philosophical and political depth of the narrative.
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Key Findings & Data:Methodology : A qualitative visual-spatial analysis was applied to 17 key scenes selected from the films and production design documents.
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Conclusion & Impact:The results suggest that architecture can be used as a primary dataset for world-building processes in science fiction cinema.
🔬Design:Araştırma Makalesi
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Dune · Mimari · Sinematik Mekan

Abstract

Introduction and Purpose of the Study: This study aims to analyze the architectural elements in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune series as active tools that define the philosophical and political depth of the narrative. The research examines how the spatial designs of the planets Arrakis, Caladan, and Giedi Prime construct power dynamics, ecological adaptation, and ideological structures. Conceptual/Theoretical Framework: The study is based on an interdisciplinary framework integrating Lefebvre’s production of space, Foucault’s heterotopia, Žižek’s ideological fantasy, and Jameson’s political unconscious. Methodology : A qualitative visual-spatial analysis was applied to 17 key scenes selected from the films and production design documents. The spaces were examined comparatively through criteria such as scale, material, form, light, and ornamental language. Findings: The study found that the Brutalist structures on Arrakis embody imperial control, the organic forms on Caladan represent a fantasy of governance in harmony with nature, and the massive metallic masses on Giedi Prime materialize an authoritarian oppression that crushes the individual. The architecture of each planet directly aligns with the political rationality of the ruling dynasty. Conclusion: The study demonstrates that architectural choices in the Dune universe are sophisticated texts that encode political and ecological messages. The results suggest that architecture can be used as a primary dataset for world-building processes in science fiction cinema.

Özet

Giriş ve Çalışmanın Amacı: Bu çalışma, Denis Villeneuve’ün Dune serisindeki mimari unsurları, hikâye anlatımının felsefi ve politik derinliğini belirleyen aktif araçlar olarak analiz etmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Araştırma; Arrakis, Caladan ve Giedi Prime gezegenlerindeki mekân tasarımlarının güç dinamiklerini, ekolojik adaptasyonu ve ideolojik yapıları nasıl inşa ettiğini incelemektedir. Kavramsal/Kuramsal Çerçeve: Çalışma; Lefebvre’in mekânın üretimi, Foucault’nun heterotopya, Žižek’in ideolojik fantezi ve Jameson’ın siyasi bilinçdışı kuramlarını birleştiren disiplinlerarası bir çerçeveye dayanmaktadır. Yöntem: Filmlerden seçilen 17 ana sahne ve yapım tasarımı belgeleri üzerinde nitel görsel-mekânsal analiz yöntemi uygulanmıştır. Mekânlar; ölçek, malzeme, form, ışık ve süsleme dili gibi kriterler üzerinden karşılaştırmalı olarak incelenmiştir. Bulgular: Arrakis’teki Brutalist yapıların emperyal kontrolü, Caladan’daki organik formların doğayla uyumlu yönetim fantezisini, Giedi Prime’daki devasa metalik kütlelerin ise bireyi ezen otoriter baskıyı somutlaştırdığı saptanmıştır. Her gezegenin mimarisi, orada hüküm süren hanedanın politik rasyonalitesiyle doğrudan örtüşmektedir. Sonuç: Çalışma, Dune evrenindeki mimari seçimlerin politik ve ekolojik mesajları kodlayan sofistike birer metin olduğunu kanıtlamaktadır. Sonuçlar, bilim kurgu sinemasında dünya inşası süreçleri için mimarinin temel bir veri seti olarak kullanılabileceğini göstermektedir.

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Cite This Article

Baştuğ, N. I., Şimşek, C. F. (2026). Architecture, Power, and Ideology in Dune: Planetary Worlds and Spatial Regimes. ART/icle: Sanat ve Tasarım Dergisi, Cilt: 6 Sayı: 1, 40–84. https://doi.org/10.56590/stdarticle.1880496

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