The fictional worlds evoked in film by director Wes Anderson are instantly recognisable by their precise symmetry, eye-catching backdrops, and obscure colour palettes: from the skies, to the buildings, to the furniture, to the very outfits donned by the characters, everything is picturesque, incredibly dream-like, and as far from the real world as possible.
Or is it?
The people of Reddit have joined forces to share the ‘Accidentally Wes Anderson’ locations that they have stumbled across in the real world, and they make for some truly spectacular photographs. Scroll through to see just a handful of our favourites...
Ak Orda Presidential Palace, Astana, Kazakhstan
Wes Anderson doesn’t work on huge budget movies – but the set design is always phenomenal. This clean-cut palace would fit right at home in his movie catalog, we think…
Image: Reddit
Grimm Zentrum Library, Berlin
Within his films, Wes Anderson likes to use symmetry in the majority of his shots – so we imagine he’d be a big fan of this stunning library.
Image: Reddit
The elevators at The Pierre Hotel, Manhattan
This hotel, tucked between 61st Street & Fifth Avenue, boasts some of the prettiest and most Anderson-esque decor we’ve ever seen.
Image: Reddit
Belle Isle Aquarium, Detroit
This aquarium has been decked out in that same vintage boy-scout green we see in Moonrise Kingdom – and it makes for a very Instagrammable destination, in our opinion.
Image: Reddit
A locker room in North Korea
Unnervingly quiet, and decked out in corals and sea greens, this locker room definitely wouldn’t feel out of place in a Wes Anderson movie.
Image: Reddit
A modernist theatre in Le Corbusier's Chandigarh
It’s certainly in need of some extensive (and no doubt costly) renovation work, but it would be so worth it to watch a Wes Anderson film inside this theatre.
Image: Reddit
Lobby Bar of The Graduate Hotel - Oxford, Mississippi
Conference room, North Korea
This is, without a doubt, the same colour palette used in Moonrise Kingdom. Throw in the perfect symmetry and you have the ideal Wes Anderson scene.
Image: Reddit
The Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island
We can’t believe that this room was created without Wes Anderson firmly rooted in the designer’s mind,,,
Image: Reddit
A hotel in Petra, Jordan
Have we found the real-life inspiration for The Grand Budapest Hotel?
Images: Reddit
Station escalations, Singapore
The pink, the parallel lines, the perfect symmetry… it’s as if we’ve stumbled straight into The Grand Budapest Hotel.
Image: Imgur
The Exchange District in Winnipeg, Manitoba
Is it the snow, the arched windows, or the well-dressed man walking across the bottom of the ‘set’? Either way, this could be a still from any Wes Anderson film.
Image: Reddit
A clock tower on the island fortress of Suomenlinna, Helsinki
We can just imagine the children of Moonrise Kingdom absconding to this island.
Image: Reddit
Airport waiting area, New Orleans
This airport is tinged with that same very particular French mustard that comes to define Gwyneth Paltrow’s Margot Tenenbaum in The Royal Tenenbaums.
Image: Reddit
The Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island
Wes Anderson may favour a pastel palette, but he isn’t opposed to using bold reds to make a statement – which is why this bedroom feels so very Anderson-esque.
Image: Reddit
undefined
By signing up you agree to occasionally receive offers and promotions from Stylist. Newsletters may contain online ads and content funded by carefully selected partners. Don’t worry, we’ll never share or sell your data. You can opt-out at any time. For more information read Stylist’s Privacy Policy
Thank you!
You’re now subscribed to all our newsletters. You can manage your subscriptions at any time from an email or from a MyStylist account.