Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
For centuries construction of the façade in the classic sense was governed by the exact ratio between the proportions of key elements: windows, partitions, ashlars, reliefs, decorations. For centuries the rule behind composition represented the main purpose of architecture, committed to calibrating the relationship between full and empty volumes, between windows and walls.
Until the early decades of the last century architecture was a matter of styles and tastes rather than concepts, and the constraints imposed by the materials and techniques available meant that constructions were characterised primarily by massive structures. The development of new materials and production processes after the industrial revolution led to rapid, bold changes in the rules of construction.
First iron and glass then reinforced concrete allowed cladding to be broken down and separated from its structural function, permitting new forms of experimentation leading to widespread renewal of architecture. These processes had repercussions for the role of cladding in architecture and for the expressive potential of the new materials, at times revolutionary.
Apple Store, New York
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