What is a facade?
To many architects a facade is an afterthought, a two-dimensional
surface (elevation) dictated by the interior plan. Following
this approach, materials and openings are articulated to give
the building its presentation to the public, limiting the compellingness
of a building's exterior and the chances of a successful integration
of inside and outside. Architects like Michael Graves design
elevations while Eduardo Souto de Moura, in his Department of
Geosciences for the University of Aveiro in Portugal, designed
facades. The distinction may seem small, if not inconsequential,
but it means the difference between fake and real, respectively.
