Political Transparency
"The façade of a building functions not only on a purely biological level. It assembles the building’s interior, which it protects, and the external public realm with which it communicates. The surface of the building has a kind of double existence intervening in two disparate worlds: the private inside and public outside.It is a boundary which does not merely register the pressure of the interior, but resists it, transforming its energy into something else. And vice versa. The envelope is the result of an act of violence on both spheres. In the same way that artificial intelligence and genetic modification have become key political subjects, the building envelope is central to a political discussion of material practices." - Alejandro Zaera Polo, The Politics of the Envelope
Transparency and honesty is a hot topic is today's world of politics. We all want our politicians to make decisions with our best interests at heart, and to avoid all deception and remain as transparent and honest as possible. The politics of architecture is a bit of a different monster. Many envelopes use advanced technology and complex applications to deceive or hide what is really going on either within the building or even the envelope itself. As the facade is something that is, first and foremost, a primarily visual element, it is popular focus for a strong political statement (in the architectural sense.)
My question is, is there anything more of a political statement than that of a completely transparent building? With the introduction of glass curtain wall systems, the entire inside of the building, once a very private entity, is now in a forced direct relationship with the exterior public realm. It is a literal manifestation of architectural honesty: there is nothing to hide. For the most part (depending on the architect) you can see the entirety of the structural system that supports the curtain wall, you can see heights between floor slabs, you can see mechanical systems, you can see the now public life within; the curtain wall becomes a window (no pun intended) into the living breathing body that is the building. As we have began to better understand how to implement these wall systems, deception has slowly began to creep in. Smart curtain wall systems are almost a norm today. Architects today can now choose to implement transparent systems that ironically hide more than a typical solid wall ever has. Thus, "transparent deception" has been created, and celebrated. Smart systems are becoming more and more popular, and the more you can hide within the system, the smarter it is. I don't think this cheapens the political statement of the "transparent building," however, I just believe it dilutes its true purity. So, if politics in the social realm were to align with those of the architectural realm, would we rather have buildings that are completely and honestly transparent, or politicians that utilize "transparent deception?" Maybe, they already do.
Transparency and honesty is a hot topic is today's world of politics. We all want our politicians to make decisions with our best interests at heart, and to avoid all deception and remain as transparent and honest as possible. The politics of architecture is a bit of a different monster. Many envelopes use advanced technology and complex applications to deceive or hide what is really going on either within the building or even the envelope itself. As the facade is something that is, first and foremost, a primarily visual element, it is popular focus for a strong political statement (in the architectural sense.)
My question is, is there anything more of a political statement than that of a completely transparent building? With the introduction of glass curtain wall systems, the entire inside of the building, once a very private entity, is now in a forced direct relationship with the exterior public realm. It is a literal manifestation of architectural honesty: there is nothing to hide. For the most part (depending on the architect) you can see the entirety of the structural system that supports the curtain wall, you can see heights between floor slabs, you can see mechanical systems, you can see the now public life within; the curtain wall becomes a window (no pun intended) into the living breathing body that is the building. As we have began to better understand how to implement these wall systems, deception has slowly began to creep in. Smart curtain wall systems are almost a norm today. Architects today can now choose to implement transparent systems that ironically hide more than a typical solid wall ever has. Thus, "transparent deception" has been created, and celebrated. Smart systems are becoming more and more popular, and the more you can hide within the system, the smarter it is. I don't think this cheapens the political statement of the "transparent building," however, I just believe it dilutes its true purity. So, if politics in the social realm were to align with those of the architectural realm, would we rather have buildings that are completely and honestly transparent, or politicians that utilize "transparent deception?" Maybe, they already do.
I like your idea about the use of facade transparency. I agree that it starts to blur the line of what is exterior and what is interior, and that it stays true to the phrase "hidden in plain sight". However, I have to disagree with your statement of "the facade is something that is, first and foremost, a primarily visual element". Personally I think that the facade is first and for most a means of shelter. We as architects choose to make it into a visual element because we want to create something unique.
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