The Art of Heist: An Architectural Analysis of Money Heist

Money Heist, the record-breaking Netflix series with a perfect Madrid backdrop has a name that says it all. Alex Pina is the creator and producer of the Spanish television series Money Heist, formerly known as "La Casa De Papel" or The House of Paper.


LA CASA DE PAPEL

                                                                                        

The first episode debuted on May 2, 2017, on a Spanish television network called Antena 3. Later that year, Netflix acquired the rights to stream the show internationally, and it quickly became a worldwide sensation. There are numerous things we may talk about with regard to the series, including its underlying principles and philosophies, its action scenes, and even the incredibly nuanced and multi-layered characters. But while I watched this show, I found myself a little fixated on the stage that brought everything to life. Absolutely, I'm referring to the architecture and design that were involved. It's obvious that this show's plot and direction are the main reasons why viewers are madly in love with it. But, despite the guns and glitz, this Spanish musical manages to captivate us with its visual vocabulary. The settings and sets enhance the show's magnificence!

                                                                                                                                                              


The Exquisite Representation of Architecture in the Plot


In the first portions of the series, a heist at the Spanish Royal Mint is depicted, and in the last parts, one at the Spanish Bank. The plot centers on a crew of criminals who participate in a carefully planned robbery under the direction of the main character, "the Professor", and whose code names include Tokyo, Helsinki, Nairobi, Moscow, Rio de Janeiro, Berlin, etc.


Although the storyline has been brilliantly developed as the series has gone on, the main draw of the drama has been Madrid's attractive and magnificent locations, which give us a taste of the remarkable Spanish architecture.


The production crew did a good job of curating the imposing structure in the background. These enormous and opulent settings represent the grandeur of the heist for the story's heroes, with the theft and all the shooting antics happening in the foreground. In addition to the Bank and the Royal Mint's primary sites, their hiding places and command centers are also expertly portrayed, highlighting the seriousness of the circumstances.



The Backdrops Say It All



THE MONEY HEIST


The protagonists in the show were imprisoned in opulent buildings, while the police were attempting to negotiate from tents outside the buildings. The buildings represent supremacy and power. The thieves are shown to be in charge while the hostages are inside these organizations, and the police in the tents are seen urgently trying to negotiate for control.


The professor's lairs are shown as dirty, dark settings equipped with all the technical apparatus required to direct the theft. The professor is initially kept near to the scene of the robbery at the Royal Mint of Spain in order to make it easier for him to enter the police tents and ask for information. To convey a sense of mystery and deception, these hideouts are depicted in the town's darkest nooks, like vacant warehouses or factories.


The series' creators have made the best use possible of each site. The two buildings and the police camps serve as the focal points of the money heist, which also features dark sets and violent scenes. However, in some scenes, which were shot in other places, such as the Philippines island after the first heist, the characters are shown to have regular, colorful lives, spending time on beaches and traveling aimlessly. Although the locations where the heist was planned varies. To demonstrate the degree of secrecy of their studies, they are seen residing in cathedrals and monasteries outside of the city while preparing for the theft. No one could have ever imagined that thieves would organize their crime while residing in a church.



The Two Grand Structures


The Royal Mint of Spain and The Bank of Spain, two significant locations, both contribute to the splendor of the performance. Despite the fact that due to security concerns filming inside the real Royal Mint and Bank of Spain was completely out of the question, the producers had to construct a structure that would approximate a similar level of opulence and history. As a result, they selected the Madrid headquarters of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) as the location for The Royal Mint and the Ministry of Public Works and Transports building as the location for The Bank of Spain.


Reference: Pinterest

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