So Hot Right Now // Fins & Folded Facades.

Before we begin, I feel like I need to put a massive disclaimer on today’s post since I’m quite aware that, as an interior designer and a qualified “cushion fluffer”, I know Sweet FA about façades. However, in my continued effort to push myself and Yellowtrace out of my comfort zone, I wanted to delve into interesting examples of Curtain Walls & Commercial Facades. WTF – am I completely mad? Yes, quite possibly.

You do have to admit that, unless you’re a pretty hardcore commercial architect, the thought of Curtain Walls & Facades doesn’t necessarily make you go weak at the knees, does it? Or is that Concrete Profiling and Waterproofing I’m thinking of? Anyway, you get my point. What I’m really saying here is that, while façades are something most of us don’t ever consider, they are an incredibly important design element, one which can have a huge effect on our cities, communities and individuals – both as building occupants and general passers by. And although not all of today’s examples are commercial in nature – some are residential, others not technically façades as they are within interiors – each one is an arresting example of the possibilities a well thought out façade can offer.

I recall a time when I used to have a grown up job in an architecture firm, and the debate amongst my colleagues/ architects over the design of every façade. This is not surprising. Not only are they one of the first things we all notice about a building, façades are a complex beast that need to work really hard to protect, shade, ventilate, articulate,veil, and ultimately embellish a building. The focus of today’s post is primarily around the idea of Fins & Folding Façades. Some are seemingly simple and use the strength of repetition to create sculptural statements; others are twisted, pleated and folded providing a level of articulation and tactility even non-architects can get excited about.

See More ‘Stories on Design’ Curated by Yellowtrace.

Nebuta-no-ie Warasse by Molo, d/dt & Frank La Riviere Architects, in Aomori, Japan // The Nebuta-no-ie Warasse buidling is dedicated to all aspects of the Nebuta festival. In August, Nebuta Festival. The building is located in front of Aomori train station, there were the city meets the sea. A screen of twelve meter tall steel ribbons wraps the whole building and encloses an outdoor walkway – a threshold between the mythical world of Nebuta and the contemporary city. Each ribbon is twisted and bended to form openings for light, views and passageways. Photography by Shigeo Ogawa.

Pleats.M by Hironaka Ogawa // Zig-zagging pleats embellish the facade of this two-storey wedding centre in Saitama, Japan. The walls inside the building also form pleats, but the creases are inverted to create a reverse of the facade. Photography by Daici Ano.

The Academie MWD by Carlos Arroyo // A school of music, theatre and dance at the Westrand Cultural Centre, located within a suburban neighbourhood in Dilbeek, outside Brussels. Photography by Miguel de Guzmán.

San Mames Stadium in Bilbao, Spain by ACXT // Athletic Club of Bilbao is one of the big clubs in European football and its previous stadium, over a hundred years old, was referred to as the cathedral of football. Located practically in the same place as the existing one, the new stadium overlaps with the old San Mames. Photo © Aitor Ortiz.

Biochemistry Center in Oxford, UK designed by architects Hawkins Brown // Laminated coloured glass fins were fixed to the mullions of the curtain wall system. The fins provide a sense of privacy for those working in the labs and their varying colour palette was selected to “pick up on the surrounding context.” Photo © Quintin Lake Photography.

Jing Mian Xin Cheng Development in Beijing by Spark Architects // ‘Pleats’ of perforated aluminium sheeting and a ‘weave’ of rippling windows resolve a variety of practical issues while referencing a textile market that formerly operated on the site. Photo © ShuHe.

CIPEA No.4 in Nanjing, China designed by AZL Architects // China International Practical Exhibition of Architecture (CIPEA) began in 2003 to bring twenty-four renowned international and domestic architects together onto one site. The Number Four “Blockhouse” consists of four public buildings and twenty small houses, with at least 5 bedrooms, public spaces, and hospitality accommodations on 500 square meters. Photography by Yao Li.

House in Muko by FujiwaraMuro Architects // Huge vertical louvres curves around the south-east edge of the house to follow the shape of a road running alongside, with two-storey-high windows that slot between each of the louvres. Photography by Toshiyuki Yano.

Fachada Liverpool by Iñaki Echeverria // The aim was to design a dynamic and modern façade that would provide a new image for the largest luxury retailer in Mexico. The result was a façade that’s built by combining 5 different types of precast pieces shaped like a propeller. Photography © Luis Gordoa.

Biomedical Research Centre/ CIB in Pamplona, Spain, designed by Vaillo & Irigaray + Galar Architects // The perforated skin is modular in its appearance but reminiscent of origami or paper folding. In this way the project aims to create a link with the building program; Bio-Medical research, through the use of Biomimicry. Photo © Pegenaute.

Aix en Provence conservatory of music in France by Kengo Kuma // The buildings folded aluminium panels create vertical and horizontal pleats, creating an intricate play of light and shadow across the pleated façades. Photo © Roland Halbe.

Hongzhu Housing Sales Center in Taiwan designed by Lab Modus // The scheme consists of a two-story lifted glass box and a sequence of double layered perforated metal panels, inspired by a dragon’s scales. Photography by Chih-Ming Wu.

New Aveiro Train Station in Aveiro, Portugal designed by JLLA // The architectural and urban solution was based on the idea of centrality around the station, its symbolism and its multiple functionalities. Photo by Leonardo Finotti.

Enzo Ferrari Museum in Modena, Italy, designed by Future Systems & Shiro Studio // This new non-linear structure has a streamlined yellow aluminium roof that matches the colour of the Ferrari logo and features sliced incisions intended to resemble the air intake vents on the bonnet of a car. Photography by Andrea Morgante.

Bishop Edward King Chapel by Niall McLaughlin Architects // Nestled in the countryside north of Oxford, the chapel provides space within space – a ring of columns bend inwards and enmesh, referencing an existing forest glade, within the masonry and glass superstructure. Photography by Dennis Gilbert.

Previous Post // Bishop edward King Chapel by Niall McLaughlin Architects.

House of Coast Work Tsuyazaki by Masao Yahagi Architects // A residence and artist’s studio within the seaside town of Tsuyazaki in Fukuoka, Japan. The facade is comprised of vertical segments with a double curvature starting at the midpoint to warp inward and outward. Photography © Koichi Torimura.

PINC Pavilion designed by Clínica de Arquitectura // Located in the garden at the University of Porto in Portugal, the pavilion is encased by a row of concrete ribs that are intended to reference architectural ruins. Photography by Alexandre Delmar.

Roberto Cantoral Cultural Center by Broissin Architects // Inspired by the movement of a conductor´s baton, in Coyacán Federal District, Mexico, the building design is composed of five concrete roofs moving up and down in harmony to give shape, space and light to the project. Photography by Alejandro Rocha & Paul Rivera.

Broad Art Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects// A pleated facade of stainless steel and glass was designed to contrast with the surrounding red brickwork of the Michigan State University’s Collegiate Gothic north campus. Photography © Paul Warchol.