Interior Vs Exterior

Zumthor believes we've got to amp up architecture's game, giving it unique qualities that make it stand out and be appreciated. He thinks architecture has gotten so complicated that the only way to rescue it is to focus on one thing. And for him, that one thing is sending a message through the facade or envelope. But can just the facade really save architecture?

Facades do a lot more than just look pretty. Some of them shape the design concept, others help the building perform better by saving energy, and some tie the design to its surroundings. These are all great features, but can they really save architecture?

Isn't architecture really about the spaces it creates? Isn't it about how people use those spaces? And isn't it about making environments that can change society for the better? Maybe the way to save architecture is by remembering why we build spaces in the first place. Sure, a nice-looking building on the outside is cool, but if the inside is terrible, the whole thing falls flat. And if it's not useful in some way, is it really a success? At the end of the day, both the outside and inside of a building matter, but saying that one can single-handedly save architecture is a tough sell.