Exterior Beauty or Interior Quality?

 

One of the most fascinating case studies from our last lecture was the Helsinki Museum by Steven Holl. It raises some interesting questions about how architects often underestimate the power of interior space and overestimate the surface-level beauty of building envelopes. In school, it seems that we are taught to design from the inside-out, but often resort to using diagrammatic processes which encourage formal fluidity and creativity over practical programming. And to top it off, we always try to imprint a final earth-friendly mark on each project, to make it appear more sustainable - and in my opinion, this is often praised more than the project's interior strengths. In this museum, however, Steven Holl celebrates the activation of interiors through the penetration of light and a form that is truly dictated by function, regardless of its exterior appearance. This moment sketched above especially illustrates the power of interior architecture, which is the essence of human experience and (should be) central to design altogether.

I would ask further, can the architectural curriculum shift to one that celebrates interior beauty and sustainability as much as we emphasize it for the envelope? And can this become critical to our decision-making rather than a frivolous afterthought?