Shelter is the name of a new curated global streaming platform for architecture, design, lifestyle and outdoor living content which launches on July 31. The platform brings together quality films, television series and the exclusive Shelter Originals: Inspired Architecture series. Shelter has partnered with global magazines Design Anthology and Green Magazine among others, to host and present premium video content from these distinctive international brands.
Shelter creator Dustin Clare said: “Design is at the centre of our lives – from our homes and environment, to our aspirations, our holidays and our escapes, and there are so many films and TV series which explore our relationship to our space. With a passionate audience for this genre Shelter was created as the premium home of quality curated video content.
“The reality of lockdown has made us re-examine our connection to home, our immediate environment, and the world around us. Through Shelter, we invite you to explore, be inspired, be entertained and engrossed, and most of all, be engaged with the world of architecture, design, lifestyle and outdoor living.
“With a genuine focus on sustainability content on our platform we have partnered with Eden Reforestation Projects, a non-profit org established to reduce poverty and restore healthy forests in countries devastated by deforestation. Each month a tree will be planted to represent every subscriber, with a view to us and each of our subscribers planting many thousands of trees where they are most needed,” he said.
Clare said the interactive cross-platform approach to content marks a new standard for streaming platforms, delivering a range of ‘must-watch’ options from feature length films to television series, snackable short series and premium magazine content.
The carousel encompasses stories of inspiring design and architecture, a deep dive into sustainability, history, and real life aspirational stories, and features famous faces including Charlie Luxton, Dermot Bannon, Tim Ross, Sarah Beeney and more.
One of Shelter’s exclusive offerings is its Inspired Architecture Series. These 6 x 15 minute episodes commissioned by Shelter explore six uniquely Australian structures including JR’s Hut in Gundagai, Permanent Camping in Mudgee and Hart House at Great Mackerel Beach. All in their own way inspirational and isolated, the series explores the narrative of the buildings and their creators, and draws the viewer into an active exploration of modern architecture and design. Each episode includes interviews with the Architects and their commissioning clients, cinematically shot and crafted by award-winning filmmaker Jim Lounsbury (The Meaning of Vanlife, The Infinite Lens).
Curated from Australia, New Zealand, Europe, United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, United States and South America, Shelter will feature more than 200 hours of content available July 31, with new content to be added every month. Highlights available from July 31 include:
• Festival favourite Tadao Ando: From Emptiness to Infinity (2013) pays homage to one of the world’s most renowned architects: the Japanese ‘Master of Minimalism’ Tadao Ando. The film introduces viewers to his famous buildings and offers an exclusive look into his work process, inspiration and motivations.
• Winner of Best Documentary at the Atlas Awards International Film Festival, Don Freeman’s Art House (2016) is a film which thoughtfully explores the homes of eleven creatives and examines the integration of their craft with their living spaces including the labyrinthine sculptural home @eliphante.village , hand crafted by Michael Kahn and Leda Livant over the 28 year period of their relationship, beginning in 1979.
• Winner of the Green Planet Award at the Rhode Island International Film Festival Tiny (2013) is a film about dreaming big and living small. Many are now choosing to focus on flexibility, financial freedom, and quality of life over quantity of space. These self-proclaimed “Tiny Housers” live in homes smaller than the average parking space, often built on wheels to bypass building codes and zoning laws. Tiny takes viewers inside six of these homes stripped to their essentials, exploring the owners’ stories and the design innovations that make them work.
• The documentary film Do More With Less (Hacer Mucho Con Poco) (2017) explores the new wave of architecture being developed by contemporary Ecuadorian designers in South America, with creative new ways of existing in the post-financial crisis world. The film is an inspiring look at the future of architecture and the potential for an alternative economic model to exist – one characterised by social, economic and environmental awareness.
• Harry Seidler: Modernist (2017), a retrospective celebration of the life and work of Australia’s most controversial architect. Sixty years of work is showcased through sumptuous photography and interviews with leading architects from around the world.
• The Edge of the Possible (1998) charts the dramatic course of the creation of a masterpiece and includes a rare interview with Jørn Utzon as he reflects on his role in the compelling story of the conception and construction of the Sydney Opera House
• TV series Charlie Luxton’s Homes by the Sea follows architectural designer and television presenter @charlierluxton as he travels along Britain’s stunning coastline in search of the most outstanding coastal architecture he can find.
• Streets of Your Town (2015) with comedian, broadcaster and architecture enthusiast Tim Ross. A two-part series focusing on the aesthetics of our suburbs.
Shelter: the deal
• New content launched each month.
• 14 day free trial available
Monthly subscription:
AUD $7.99
NZD $8.99
USD $5.99
EURO €4.99
GBP £4.99
Download the Shelter app for iOS and Android from 31 July or watch online.