The face of our world Have you ever reminisced those sights when you’d just stop by and observe birds hovering over that beautiful old rustic window? or seeing a grandma across the street, sitting in front of an ornamented door enjoying the sun?
Picture-1, Rustic window
Picture-2, Ornamented door
These frames get registered into our memory, sometimes because of our interaction with them, or for the remembrance of time and place, or simply for their candid beauty! You may be thinking, what is the point here? As the journey of our breed progressed, the world around us evolved miraculously and within that world, lie the enclosures that we designed and built to protect our very existence. Enclosures turned into dwellings, dwellings into villages, villages into towns, and towns into cities with impressive architectural expression. However, in this imagery, it is the ‘rustic windows’, ‘colorful doors’, and many such elements that separate our man-made world from outside. With time, it does not go unnoticed that the architectural essence of any place showcases this expression at the first glance by the “FAC” ADE; the face of our world. So, what is the façade? and why is it so important? The word “façade” is a French foreign loan word and has its origin from the Italian word “facciata” where faccia means face. It is the outer layer, the principal front, or any face of the building given special architectural treatment. Façade is a fascinating component of design, which in today’s world, not only enhances the building’s visual attribute but also acts as a canvas, expressing new perspectives and concepts of design. Leaving the experts who are well versed in the language of architecture, for a layman it is the façade that impresses and sells the idea. With the advancement of technology, the industry is on a turning point, while its
professionals striving hard to push the boundaries, as they propose and execute facades that are not only aesthetically appealing and functionally efficient, but also serve a meaningful purpose. India, as an emerging country is balancing both sides, one rooted into vernacular tones of heritage and the other, evolving on an international level. Similar to our diversity in cultural and social beliefs; and freedom of choice, we witness an array of languages in our façade design. They portray patterns, colors, and materials; some are influenced by history, some by regional, geographical, and cultural aspects; and some are the outcomes of designers outthinking the rest. The possibilities are endless. There are a few key factors that play as a catalyst to draw paths for façades in India.
Picture-3, Façade composition
Like everyone, we have past influences: Ruled by many, Indian architecture has a rich history of significant Mughal and British expressions such as colonial elements and Mashrabias. Although, the evolution of Indian architecture had a long journey but these magnificent masterpieces with grand proportions and intricate detailing seed inspirations for improvisation in our present concepts. In fact, many structures built during the British colonial period are standing with grace as major landmarks of the cities, one of which is the crown of Delhi, The Parliament House. Another most famous Indo-Islamic style, Mughal Architecture, rendered the Indian subcontinent with Persian art during its empire. The epitome of beauty, “The Taj Mahal” bestowed upon the Indian architecture by Mughals, is one of the wonders of the world and gets immensely admired for its massiveness and elaborative details.
Picture-4, The Taj Mahal
Picture-7, Cannaught place pillars, Delhi
Picture-5, Intricate Inlay work
Picture-6, Intricate Inlay work
Picture-8, The Parliament House, Delhi
Roots of our culture: The outlook of our structures is also driven by some stringent perspectives like the cultural significance of a particular color, motif, texture, or form. These may look as fascinating as an abstract painting to others but they have their roots deep into the culture, altering which is almost forbidden. The city of lakes, Udaipur, is also popularly known as the “Venice of the East” for its glassy waters and white palaces is a place blessed with natural beauty and cultural heritage. The city palace’s exquisite façade is built in granite and marble with delicate mirror work. The stained-glass perforations in the background of white walls and blue lake views create a magical dream-like setting. This expression is evidently dominant throughout the city’s architecture amid the Indian landscape. Another beautiful city in Rajasthan, which is also called the Blue City, Jodhpur is celebrated for the sight of indigo houses along the historic walls of the old city. Once a badge of social class in the Hindu caste system, the blue color has come to define the identity of this place. There are some who advocate another theory that the blue paint helps to deter termites. This paint is a mixture of copper sulphate and limestone that not only wards off unwelcoming pests but also imparts a soothing effect. Some residents also believe that the color blue is a good reflector of sun rays, so painting the houses with the tint will keep them cool in warmer months. Regardless of the real reason, the visitors are not likely to forget the bountiful, striking blue for which the city is remembered.
Picture-9, Stained Glass Windows
Picture-10, Jodhpur, The blue city.
Picture-11, Udaipur City Palace, Rajasthan
Picture-12, A woman painting her house
Climate and Geography have important roles to play: Driven by geographical constraints, the journey of the façade is rendered by ideas that are best suited for its surroundings. This demands contextual sensitivity, understanding of locally available materials, and technological advancements to create something that will not only sustain the test of time but will also age gracefully to complement mother nature. Rural mud architecture with smaller openings, regulating thermal comfort, Fortress architecture syncing with nature, and modern green facades are the outcomes of such processes. Bhunga, a circular mud house from Gujarat, is a classic example of vernacular architecture and cultural craftsmanship. Stretched across the vast lands of the world’s greatest salt desert, The Great Rann of Kutch, these houses are not only aesthetically charming but also climate-friendly. They are so well engineered that the home keeps cool in summers and warm in winters; also stand unharmed in the harsh sun, sandstorm, and even earthquakes. Dzong architecture, a distinctive type of fortified monastery architecture that is mainly found in the northeastern part of India is massive in style with towering inward sloping walls and small windows. Based on the concept of fortress architecture, these gigantic structures with wood and stone facades are a rare blend of harmony and proportion. The walls are built with a mixture of local sand and clay bricks covered in wooden roofs; the overall constructure style is brought together by its adaption to the cold, generally arid, high-altitude climate of the region. Respecting the aspects of nature, in modern times, the concept of green façades is taking birth with more numbers of designers and planners acknowledging its importance and influence in urbanscapes.
Picture-13, Phuktal Monastery in Ladakh
Picture-14, Bhunga Mud Houses in Indian villages
Picture-15, Green Façade, Vertical Garden
Functional, Sustainable, and Pleasing! What else do we have to offer? As people kind, we always strive to achieve better. The Façade sector is rising as a totem of unusually strong technological advancement. The world is stepping towards sustainability in every field and the façade industry is also not left untouched. We rose a little above these ideas where facades, now as “Smart Facades” act as a layer to generate energy like photovoltaic façade systems, “Interactive facades” mimicking the moods of its users imparting psychological activation and “Kinetic Facades” flowing fluidically till the boundaries between the inside and the outside are no longer perceived.
The Aqua Tower and Cloud Gate are some of the few examples of building facades that completely changed the way people interact with buildings; physically, psychologically, and emotionally. The standard modern glass box is veiled with slow-rippling, white concrete balconies, giving Aqua a true feel of water cascading down its sides. The curved balconies have a unique configuration, encouraging neighbours to chat, breaking up wind vortices, shading surrounding apartments, and preventing birds from colliding with windows; all in all, solving most of the problems associated with high rise designs. The famous Chicago bean, Cloud Gate which reflects everything around it, the people, the sky, and surrounding green space is a work of public art that perfectly encapsulates the millennium park experience. The GreenPix media wall is indeed a ground-breaking concept of interactive skin which integrates sustainable and digital technologies within curtain wall systems. It works on the idea of storing solar energy and using it after dark which is making it a self-sufficient organic system. Another brilliant showcase of the limitless scope of façade innovation is the stunning kinetic façade of the Fosun Foundation culture and art building. Its spectacular façade system with shifting shapes that reveals different parts of the building as it moves; is unquestionably one of the revolutionary visions of modern facades.
Picture-18, Cloud Gate
Picture-16, The Aqua Tower
Picture-17, Fosun Foundation Art Center
Picture-19, GreenPix, Zero energy media wall
With all these prospects to captivate, to amalgamate, to transform, to inspire and, to stand graciously in the future; Façades are certainly a perpetual promise to fuel our creativity and growth. Because “For an observer, nothing is trivial”!
Picture-20, A hand-painted window.
References: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parliament_House,_New_Delhi https://www.britannica.com/topic/Taj-Mahal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Architecture_of_India https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_Palace,_Udaipur https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/travel/destinations/why-is-jodhpur-known-as-the-blue-city https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dzong_architecture https://sahasa.in/2020/09/03/bhunga-house-a-traditional-mud-house-of-kutch/ https://www.urbangreenbluegrids.com/measures/green-facades/ https://www.mgsarchitecture.in/architecture-design/projects/283-aqua-tower-a-landmark-addition-to-the-chicago-sskyline.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_Gate https://theculturetrip.com/asia/china/articles/this-beautiful-moving-building-is-inspired-by-chinese-theatre/ https://www.arup.com/projects/greenpix-zero-energy-media-wall Sources: Picture-1, https://www.pinterest.at/pin/512636370064278179/ Picture-2, https://www.pinterest.at/pin/857513585269434898/ Picture-3, https://tr.pinterest.com/pin/351632683402508443/ Picture-4, https://in.pinterest.com/pin/842665780252996404/ Picture-5, https://www.wallpapertip.com/wdown/ToiTwT_indian-window-itmad-ud-daulahs-tomb/ Picture-6, https://steemit.com/love/@aman1595/world-s-most-beautiful-building-and-love-story Picture-7, https://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Asia/India/North/Delhi/New_Delhi/photo1385626.htm Picture-8, http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00routesdata/1800_1899/britishrule/lutyensdelhi/lutyensdelhi.html Picture-9, https://in.pinterest.com/pin/129689664256155850/ Picture-10, https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/travel/hotels/a-guide-to-best-hotels-in-jodhpur-near-railway-station/as66708953.cms Picture-11, https://trip101.com/article/historical-places-in-udaipur Picture-12, https://in.pinterest.com/pin/349380883593816321/ Picture-13, https://in.pinterest.com/pin/262475484505142494/ Picture-14, https://www.womenindesign.co.in/ketaki-jadhav/ Picture-15, https://www.mydomaine.com/green-walls-5198059 Picture-16, https://in.pinterest.com/ilutsky/chicago-the-windy-city/ Picture-17, https://vietnamconstruction.vn/vi/fosun-foundation-toa-nha-biet-dong-day-o-trung-quoc-du-khach-thi-nhau-check/ Picture-18, https://www.viva-amerika.cz/tours/chicago-new-orleans-miami/ Picture-19, https://in.pinterest.com/pin/425942077250444276/ Picture-20, https://www.flickr.com/photos/nevilzaveri/316528739