Between two ‘exterior’ layers
Suva, Basel: Exterior
Exterior Surface
begin to detect the different patterns that these surfaces are being articulated at various locations in a dialogue with the programmatic interior. It gives us a glimpse of what lies underneath. Here the com- munication between architectural surface and space inside is subtle, hidden underneath the skin. Paradoxically it is neither the space inside that determines how the surface appears, nor the surface that determines the space inside.
Consider the Suva Building in Basel where the old building is retained with a glass enclosure uniting both old and new parts. Glass panels appear with diverse physical traits, either transparent, silk-screened or prismatic, depending upon their locations. Either individually operated or by a computer, all panels function as optical, acoustic as well as climatic insulation. What seems to be a decorative skin becomes operative. Both the space inside and the skin are relying on each other to perform their tasks. As for the building’s interior, an organiza- tion of space varies from point to point, from offices to apartments to a café At first glance, the building presents a uniform surface which appears to be similar at all locations. Any patterns of use seem to be unreadable out of the surface.Yet at a closer look, we could
ON SITE review 6: BEAUTY
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