Below is an extract from Dr Paul Loh and Andrei Dolnikov’s new book Parallax: Architectural Visualisation Now, courtesy of Uro Publications.
Architectural visualisation has emerged as a powerful medium that shapes how the community at large understands the future possibilities of our cities. No longer simply a representation of design intent, today, visualisation also builds an atmosphere, emotion and aspiration for collective negotiation. In a world where “pictures” shape perception, and decisions are often made “by feel” as much as objective data, architectural visualisation has become a discipline for crafting entire worlds and their narratives.
Drawing on interviews with leading global practices, this research explores how visualisation influences perception, reveals tensions and enables broader participation in the design process. As Paul Valéry suggests, meaning emerges through an “accord of the soul, the eye, and the hand”– a synthesis increasingly evident in contemporary visual practice.
Despite its growing influence, visualisation is rarely positioned as a driver of social dialogue within architectural discourse. Parallax: Architectural Visualisation Now addresses that gap by asking: how does visualisation mediate conversations about space, identity and value?
The central argument is that visualisation is no longer a supporting tool, but a cultural force. It shapes not only how architecture is seen, but how it is debated, contested and ultimately realised – opening up new forms of engagement between designers, developers and the public.
Within this new form of engagement, social dialogue can now take place sometimes years before a project (a building, a masterplan) breaks ground. One version of this dialogue is the process of marketing new developments or vision proposals for new urban areas. Architectural visualisers strategically construct narratives to build desire and a sense of belonging; in this way, visualisation has evolved into a form of brand expression. Studios like Binyan & Pureblink have become more VFX production houses than traditional architectural illustrators.
While the work of such studios functions primarily on the commercial side of architecture and design, the subtle curation choices these creatives make impact how the community at large thinks about the future of our cities.
A more provocative understanding of architectural visualisation centres around the notion that the way we depict future worlds is rarely neutral. A simple but important example of this is the growing presence of people of colour and diverse backgrounds in computer generated imagery and animations – a shift that was far from evident just five to 10 years ago. While there is still more progress to be made, the shared momentum between studios and clients globally is worth noting. It signals a young industry that understands the cultural significance of what, and who, it chooses to show – and is willing to adapt in response.
Likewise, governments and developers often use imagery to promote urban renewal projects, sometimes glossing over their social or environmental consequences. While progressive or environmentally ambitious proposals often need visualisation to gain traction, building trust through transparency and helping stakeholders believe in the vision. In this sense, architectural visualisation has become a tool of persuasion, critique or complicity – depending on its context and intent. The best studios understand this and increasingly see themselves not just as illustrators but as cultural agents shaping public discourse.
Space Popular, the experimental studio led by Lara Lesmes and Fredrik Hellberg, embodies this role. Their use of open-source tools and deliberately lo-fi aesthetics reflects a deeper critique of tech monopolies and the gatekeeping of digital space. Their visualisations promote accessibility and imagination over polish, a politically relevant approach underscored by their advisory work with governments.
Likewise, architect and filmmaker Liam Young uses architectural visualisation to propose and provoke possible futures of our planet as a result of our decisions. His award winning film Planet City – featuring live action, dance and high-end visual effects – imagines a speculative future where all of humanity inhabits a single, sustainable megapolis. The film’s production quality is essential to making the vision of the future feel believable rather than an abstract possibility. In doing this, Young critiques our lack of positive, collective future casting and highlights how visualisations can not only shape what we see but also the futures we strive for.
These emerging practices reveal how visualisation has evolved far beyond its original role of describing architecture to one that shapes how we imagine what could – and perhaps should – come next in our cities’ future.
Parallax is available for preorder here.
