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Ken Adam: Designing for Stanley Kubrick

Join British writer and broadcaster Sir Christopher Frayling for this keynote lecture on Ken Adam's set designs for Stanley Kubrick’s films.

What to expect

When Stanley Kubrick saw 'Dr. No', he was convinced that the film's designer would be just right for 'Dr. Strangelove'. The designer was Ken Adam, and the two men went on to form a close creative partnership. The resulting set for the War Room beneath the Pentagon, built at Shepperton Studios, was later called by Steven Spielberg "the finest set in the history of the movies".

Kubrick wanted Adam for '2001: A Space Odyssey' and 'A Clockwork Orange', but they didn’t work together again until 'Barry Lyndon' - which won Ken Adam a richly deserved Academy Award.

This illustrated lecture will explore one of the great film partnerships between designer and director.

Dr. Strangelove © SonyColumbia Pictures Industries Inc.

Dr. Strangelove © SonyColumbia Pictures Industries Inc. | Ken Adam original sketches

Dr. Strangelove © SonyColumbia Pictures Industries Inc

Dr. Strangelove © SonyColumbia Pictures Industries Inc

Exhibition image credit: Ed Reeve

Barry Lyndon, Directed by Stanley Kubrick © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

Barry Lyndon, Directed by Stanley Kubrick © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

Booking information

Adult: £12
Student/concession: £8
Members: £5

Speaker

Christopher Frayling

Christopher Frayling is the former Rector of the Royal College of Art and former Chair of Arts Council England and the Design Council. A writer, critic and award-winning broadcaster on network television and radio, he has published two books on his close friend the late Ken Adam, as well as several other books on the history of film design.

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