Listen Live
Donate
 on air
    Schedule

    KCRW

    Read & Explore

    • News
    • Entertainment
    • Food
    • Culture
    • Events

    Listen

    • Live Radio
    • Music
    • Podcasts
    • Full Schedule

    Information

    • About
    • Careers
    • Help / FAQ
    • Newsletters
    • Contact

    Support

    • Become a Member
    • Become a VIP
    • Ways to Give
    • Shop
    • Member Perks

    Become a Member

    Donate to KCRW to support this cultural hub for music discovery, in-depth journalism, community storytelling, and free events. You'll become a KCRW Member and get a year of exclusive benefits.

    DonateGive Monthly

    Copyright 2026 KCRW. All rights reserved.

    Report a Bug|Privacy Policy|Terms of Service|
    Cookie Policy
    |FCC Public Files|

    Back to Design and Architecture

    Design and Architecture

    High Rise Horrors

    You may have seen Steven Spielberg's Empire of the Sun or David Cronenberg's Crash. They're both stories based on books by J.G. Ballard. Now a movie has been made about a novel of Ballard's that was considered impossible to adapt into a film. It's High-Rise, a story in which the occupants of a luxury apartment tower descend into barbarism.

    • rss
    • Share
    By Frances Anderton • May 10, 2016 • 1 min read

    You may have seen Steven Spielberg's Empire of the Sun or David Cronenberg's Crash. They're both stories based on books by J.G. Ballard. Now a movie has been made about a novel of Ballard's that was considered impossible to adapt into a film. It's High-Rise, a story in which the occupants of a luxury apartment tower descend into barbarism. The film was directed by Ben Wheatley and produced by Jeremy Thomas.

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Frances Anderton

      architecture critic and author

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Avishay Artsy

      Producer, DnA: Design and Architecture

    • KCRW placeholder

      Ben Wheatley

      director

    • KCRW placeholder

      Jeremy Thomas

      producer

      Culture
    Back to Design and Architecture