Date of Submission
Spring 5-13-2026
Degree Type
Dissertation/Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Architecture
Department
Architecture
Committee Chair/First Advisor
Ehsan Sheikholharam Mashhadi
Abstract
This thesis argues that architecture is not experienced as static form, but as something constructed through movement. It reconsiders the declining drive-in cinema typology not as a destination for passive viewing, but as a spatial system where movement and perception are actively choreographed.
The project asks: how can architectural movement transform the drive-in from a static act of viewing into a dynamic, cinematic experience?
Drawing from montage theory in film, particularly the work of Sergei Eisenstein, this thesis understands meaning as something constructed through sequence (through order, duration, repetition, and rhythm). Bernard Tschumi’s translation of these ideas into architecture informs a framework where space is organized through movement as event.
The Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina serves as the site, selected for its inherent cinematic qualities as a scenic drive defined by curvature, elevation, and framed views. The project organizes the site through three overlapping systems of movement (vehicular, pedestrian, and gondola) each producing distinct perspectives of the landscape. Through strategies of framing, sequencing, and layering, the design constructs a continuous spatial narrative that shifts the user from spectator to active participant.