Nathan Eddy's documentaries are closely linked to his commitment to preserving endangered buildings. Eddy's first film,
The Absent Column (2013), portrayed Chicago's Old
Prentice Women's Hospital Building, which was threatened with demolition at the time the film was shot. Despite civic efforts to preserve it, that building was ultimately demolished. In 2016–2017, Nathan Eddy directed the film
Starship Chicago. This documentary is about the
James R. Thompson Center in Chicago, which was threatened with demolition at the time. That building was designed by
Helmut Jahn. Thompson Center is an important example of
postmodern and
high-tech architecture. The building can be considered as saved today, although the owner ultimately decided to keep the property and building himself and continue to use them. However, the decisive argument for this step was the fluctuation in real estate prices. Architect
Stanley Tigerman appears in the film. Documentary films usually don't have sequels. Not so Starship Chicago. Nathan Eddy added a second part in 2023:
Starship Chicago II. This film shows the current developments around the Thompson Center since 2017., subject of Nathan Eddy's short documentary film
Starship Chicago Without using a film, but with a
petition, Eddy committed himself in 2017 to the preservation of the original condition of the
AT&T skyscraper in New York City. Designed by
Philip Johnson and
John Burgee, this building is considered a milestone in postmodern architecture. Conversions planned by
Snøhetta architects would have significantly changed the character of the building. Eddy called for protests against the conversion measures and was able to successfully ensure that the original character of the house is retained in future modernizations. Among others, the architect
Robert A. M. Stern took part in the protest actions to preserve it. Eddy's film
Battleship Berlin (2021) deals with the fate of two buildings owned by the
Charité medical center in
Berlin-Steglitz: the
Institute for Hygiene and Environmental Medicine (Hygiene Institute) and the
Research Institutes for Experimental Medicine (Mouse Bunker). This film project, too, promotes appreciation for the buildings, with the ultimate goal of saving them from demolition. During the work on the film, the institute of hygiene was listed as a cultural heritage site. In the ongoing debate about the demolition of the
Mouse Bunker, the film contributed to public perception of the building. Among others, the architect Arno Brandlhuber, art dealer
Johann König, the politician
Katalin Gennburg, the head of the Berlin state office for cultural heritage management Christoph Rauhut, the architect Gunnar Klack and the art historian Felix Torkar appear in the film. The film was shown in the film program of the Chicago Architecture Biennale, among others. In response to Helmut Jahn's death in 2021, Eddy made the short film
Helmut Jahn: In a Flash. Footage shot in 2016 for the film
Starship Chicago included a lengthy interview with Jahn. From this interview Eddy edited a short film in memory of the late architect. == Awards ==