When Architecture Meets Music: Iconic Structures and Design in Music Videos

Recently, rapper Kendrick Lamar dropped his highly anticipated video for “Luther,” a collaboration with SZA that quickly set the internet ablaze, not just for the music, but for the visuals. Directed by Karena Evans, the video stuns with its use of Brutalist-inspired architecture, lending a grounded, powerful presence to the song defined by emotional delicacy. The raw concrete textures and sculptural geometries evoke intimacy and intensity, perfectly complementing the mood of the track. 

Evans isn’t new to using architecture as a storytelling device. Drake’s 2019 hit “Nice For What,” directed by Evans, features sweeping urban vistas and architectural framing that give the video both style and substance. Similarly, her work on Coldplay’s “Everyday Life” embraces the landscapes and cityscapes as a form of emotional narration, letting built environments become part of the musical expression. 

This growing trend to place striking architecture at the heart of music videos demonstrates how design can elevate a song’s visual and emotional impact. For instance, take Solange’s “Almeda,” where blocks of color bounce against Brutalist backdrops, creating a striking interplay of form and feeling. The Weeknd’s “Secrets” uses the Toronto Reference Library’s mirrored interiors and red carpeting to create a futuristic aesthetic both lush and intimate. Directed by Pedro Martín-Calero, the video explores color theory and geometry as much as it does heartbreak and pursuit.

Other videos highlight this synthesis of architecture and music: 

Coldplay’s “Up&Up” takes architectural icons and places them in surreal contexts, from the Chrysler Building in a cereal bowl to cyclists scaling One World Trade Center. 

The Chemical Brothers’ “Go” features dancers moving in front of Paris’ Brutalist buildings. 

The Jonas Brothers’ “Sucker” was shot on location at Hatfield House, Queen Elizabeth I’s childhood home, using the regal backdrop to create a whimsical, aristocratic dreamscape. 

Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy” was filmed in the iconic mid-century modern Eichler home La Nanette, where California cool meets pop chaos. 

From the subtle strength of concrete structures to the whimsical grandeur of historic estates, architecture is increasingly becoming a co-star in the world of music videos. As playwright and poet Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe famously said, “Music is liquid architecture, architecture is frozen music.” Architecture shapes tone, influences mood, and often says just as much as the lyrics. Whether you’re a design lover or a music fanatic, it’s hard to ignore the visual power of the built environment in pop culture’s most memorable moments.