If your home or office building is starting to look tired, why not create an architectural facade that will refresh its image? Interestingly, many of the facades listed below are polar opposite in style and design to the building they are covering. Their juxtaposition appears to have the intention of shocking, or at the very least, capturing the attention of its audience. Facades are the perfect way to add an element of drama to a building. Come on… live a little. Splash some personality onto your building.
1. Psychodelic exteriors:
Where: Kelburn Castle, Scotland
What: Exterior painted with bright, Brazilian colours
Who: Brazilian street artists from Sao Paolo, Nina and Nunca Os Gemeos
2. Architecture wrapped in art:
In spring/summer 2009, the Hong Kong museum of Art hosted an exhibition that should not have been missed “Louis Vuitton: A Passion for Creation”. In addition to it being an exceptional exhibition of one of this century’s most notable fashion designers, the museum commissioned Richard Prince to wrap the exterior of the building in images of Hong Kong. It was one of Hong Kong’s first ever public art installations.
3. Melting buildings:
What: Melting windows of the Steckelhorn 11 building- part of the city’s plan to renovate this historic area
Where: Old centre of Hamburg
Who: Designed by J. Mayer H.
4. Playful art school:
What: Ontario College of Art and Designs’s Sharp Centre for Design
Where: Toronto, Canada
So: Located in the heart of downtown Toronto, this art school stands on colourful stilts shaped like thin pencils. The building’s exterior is decorated with colourful squares.
5. EcoPods:
What: A vertical tower of prefabricated eco pods, filled with bio-fuel producing algae
Where: Downtown Boston
Who: Howler and Yoon Architecture together with Square Design
6. Modern Renos on old homes:
If you’re bored of looking at your old Victorian home, then why not renovate an exterior section? By adding a fabric such as copper-concertina clad, you will add a new, modern look, and maximize its innovative potential.
7. Influence from the Orient:
Many people in the West have adapted the interior and exterior styles of their homes to be more like those seen in Japan. The simplistic look inclusive of ramp walkways, sliding screen doors, and feng shui gardens makes for a very zen home life.
8. Stacked homes:
With the big, modern family in mind, Herzog & de Meuron architect created a new house architecture concept. Imagine five storeys inclusive of 12 separate houses with both classic and modern designs.
What type of architectural facade do you think you might choose for your home?