DETAIL English 5/2014

The effect created by facades is by no means limited to the building exterior. As a rule, their colours, forms, surface qualities and structures also have an impact on the appearance of the interiors. In this issue we present buildings with a range of exceptional facades, some of which frame views, while others exploit contrasts or have moving or movable components. At the Allianz Headquarters in Wallisellen, Switzerland, the supple fabric used in the curtains within the closed cavity facade is a foil to the regularity of the glazing. The curtains endow the office spaces with a “liveable” atmosphere. In another project, the finely articulated cast iron elements of a London shop facade ennoble an existing brick building. And at a residence near Munich, the coarse stucco surfaces and wood-clad cut-outs are composed in a manner that causes the inside and outside realms to become interlocked.