FACING THE FUTURE OF FACADES: Facades in the wind
Publicatiedatum: 12.12.2024
In 2014, Rem Koolhaas - curator of the 14th Venice Biennale - presented the exhibition ‘Elements’ in the central pavilion of the Giardini. As a kind of decomposition of architecture, the exhibition was presented as a vast catalogue of its different elements. Walls, floors, ceilings, chimneys, windows and even escalators and lifts were catalogued, and their evolution was followed both chronologically and thematically.
The facade, which was deliberately not mentioned in the list above, was also a key element of the exhibition. Considered the first and often only level of the building accessible to passers-by, it was treated in architecture not only as a plane of artistic and architectural expression, but also as an interface between the interior and exterior. Its mission reveals the need for a response in terms of comfort and structure.
In this boundary zone, the façade has been the subject of intensive research, particularly in terms of materials and their interpretation as a surface. If we move from the massive, earthy facade to the ‘disappearing’ facade - a long pane of glass - there is also room for the floating facade.
Drawing by Hugh Ferriss from 1916 on the Zoning Law Skyspider in New York. The drawing is taken from the manifesto book ‘Metropolis of Tomorrow’, in which Ferriss proposes his vision of a new image for the apple metropolis.
In the early 20th century drawings in which Hugh Ferriss imagined a city of exponential vertical growth, we could already see ghostly facades that seemed to move. This phantasmagoria, which can be found in many drawings of the modern era - for example, in Mies van der Rohe's widespread collage of the great tower of Friedrichstrasse in Berlin - found particular expression in the artistic projects of Christo and Jeanne-Claude who, from the 1970s onwards, covered entire buildings and monuments, such as the Arc de Triomphe in Paris or the Reichstag in Berlin, with large panels of fabric.
Although Christo and Jeanne-Claude's experiments were not necessarily the starting point for a more concrete application in architecture, they did help to illustrate the possibilities of using textiles on facades.
To this has been added the exploration of fabric as a potential technology, either as part of more complex functional systems, or as an isolated element. Architects are using fabric as a material that can control shading and the degree of light absorption, or contribute to thermal and acoustic insulation.
The Curtain Wall House by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban is a symbol of the technical and creative potential of textiles in facades. Numerous experiments have followed, by architects such as Lacaton et Vassal, Arno Brandlhuber and Office.
One of the most emblematic examples of the use of fabric in facades is Shigeru Ban's Curtain Wall House in Tokyo, built in 1995. Inspired by the filtering elements of traditional Japanese architecture, the curtain that covers the entire facade of this urban dwelling is the response to the wishes of a builder accustomed to living in the urban structure of the city's historic centre. The curtain, made from a material similar to a tent, serves to control the view and protect privacy, while at the same time - depending on its position - providing a degree of visual permeability. It also acts as a light barrier and an insulation system, helping to conserve heat during the colder months.
More recently, Studio Maio, in its proposal for a residential building subsidised by the city of Barcelona in the Sant Feliu de Llobregat district, has taken up both the visual principles of the works of Christo and Jeanne-Claude and the comfort aspects of the Curtain Wall House.
The ‘Housing’ project by the Maio studio in Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Barcelona, nominated for the Mies van der Rohe Award 2024, uses economic solutions to respond to the housing policy promoted by the city to combat the housing shortage. The facades are covered with external curtains that give an impression of movement while contributing to the thermal comfort of the dwellings.
The installation of curtains all along the external facade of the flat block is a direct response to the requirement for low-cost construction, as is generally the case in this type of project. Thanks to the low maintenance requirements and long service life of the curtains, the thermal efficiency of the building can be improved cost-effectively.
In combination with the clay brick facade and other passive solutions, such as the internal courtyard that cools the complex during the hottest months, the construction and maintenance costs associated with energy efficiency have been kept below the national average.
The use of curtains on the facade has also made it possible to incorporate balconies as part of each flat, acting as multifunctional spaces between inside and outside - a premise that also applies to the semi-public thoroughfare on the ground floor, with its meandering layout.
Permeability, reflected in the curtain wall, guides the various dimensions of the complex, particularly the public dimensions. The ground floor follows the shape and language of the urban space for greater integration between the two, maintaining an undulating path of hard paving stones to facilitate accessibility and maintenance of the urban space. The roof is accessible to pedestrians for community use.
With its five floors and 40 housing units, the project focuses on urban connectivity, social justice and sustainability, while retaining a distinctive visual identity, thanks in particular to the curtains that sometimes give the impression of a building with sails when the white fabrics float in the wind.