Transparent:Empty = Matt:Full

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



http://www.archinfo.it/involucro-storia-e-tecnologie/0,1254,53_ART_2416,00.html

Tetris Apartments

Tetris (Russian : Те́трис) is a puzzle video game originally designed and programmed by Alexey Pajitnov in the Soviet Union. It was released on June 6, 1984, while he was working for the Dorodnicyn Computing Centre of the Academy of Science of the USSR in Moscow. He derived its name from the Greek numerical prefix tetra- (all of the game's pieces, known as Tetrominoes, contain four segments) and tennis, Pajitnov's favorite sport.
The Tetris game is a popular use of tetrominoes, the four element special case of polyominoes. Polyominoes have been used in popular puzzles since at least 1907, and the name is given by the mathematician Solomon W. Golomb in 1953. However, even the enumeration of pentominoes is dated to antiquity.


A random sequence of tetrominoes (sometimes called "tetrads" in older versions)—shapes composed of four square blocks each—fall down the playing field (a rectangular vertical shaft, called the "well" or "matrix").

The objective of the game is to manipulate these tetrominoes, by moving each one sideways and rotating it by 90 degree units, with the aim of creating a horizontal line of blocks without gaps.

 When such a line is created, it disappears, and any block above the deleted line will fall. With every ten lines that are cleared, the game enters a new level. As the game progresses, each level causes the tetrominoes to fall faster, and the game ends when the stack of tetrominoes reaches the top of the playing field and no new tetrominoes are able to enter. In certain versions, the game can also end if the player is able to get all the way to level 15

Tetris Apartments is an innovative project completed by slovenian architects Ofis in Ljubljana. As you can see from these pictures these apartments are inspired by the well known game named Tetris. The building stands on the edge of the 650 apartments development which was finished year ago. By urban rules the block is 3 floors high and 65 meters long. Since the orientation of the apartments is towards the car road the apartment areas together with balconies are orientated to the quieter south side.

   http://freshome.com/2007/10/18/tetris-apartments/       

   http://www.colinfahey.com/tetris/tetris_en.html                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          



Brasilia: Amazing Empty Space

Procuradoria Geral da República, Brasília, Brazil

The Itamaraty Palace - Ministry of External Relations - Brazil

National Congress Building, Brasilia, Brazil

Cathedral of Brasilia , Brasília, Brazil

The Cathedral of Brasília (Catedral Metropolitana Nossa Senhora Aparecida) is the Roman Catholic cathedral serving Brasília, Brazil, and serves as the seat of the Archdiocese of Brasília. It was designed by Oscar Niemeyer, and was completed and dedicated on May 31, 1970.

The cathedral is a hyperboloid structure constructed from 16 concrete columns, weighing 90 tons each.

The exterior of the cathedral resembles the circular plan and ribbed structure of Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral, but the latter is clad in solid material, while the Cathedral of Brasília allows light in and out for almost the full height of the ribs.

Palácio do Planalto, Brasili, Brazil

The Palácio do Planalto (Palace of the Highlands) is the official workplace of the President of Brazil.It is located at the Praça dos Três Poderes in Brasília, Brazil. As the seat of government, the term Planalto is often used as a metonym for the executive branch of the government.

National Congress Building, Brasilia, Brazil

Since the 1960s, the National Congress has been located in Brasília. As with most of the city's government buildings, the National Congress building was designed by Oscar Niemeyer in the modern Brazilian style.

The semi-sphere on the left is the seat of the Senate, and the semi-sphere on the right is the seat of the Chamber of the Deputies. Between them are two vertical office towers. The Congress also occupies other surrounding office buildings, some of them interconnected by a tunnel.

Palácio da Alvorada, Brasilia, Brazil

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brasilia 

Full & Empty in architecture