What’s behind the Facade? – Editorial Detail 10.2023

Facades have always had many roles to play. They give buildings a face, protect them from the elements, and convey meaning. As art historian Wolfgang Kemp once expressed it, facades also serve as “places of public self-reflection in architecture.”  This might sound like self-indulgent navel gazing, but it is inevitable – particularly when renovating existing structures, where traditional materials are integrated into new contexts or archi­tectural forms must adapt to modern demands.  The examples presented in this issue highlight the merits of thoughtful facades.

More in this editorial podcast, in Detail 10.2023 and in our databank Detail Inspiration.