Kinetic facade of Brisbane Domestic Terminal Carpark.

Both the Oxford Street Debenhams Store and the Brisbane Domestic Terminal Carpark boasted aluminum shingles that rippled in response to wind currents, providing shade and rain protection in addition to the aesthetic effect. Yet light and temperature aren’t the only environmental factors that kinetic facades can respond to. Though less immediately kinetic, the façade transforms at different points in the year to respond effectively to environmental stimuli. Image Courtesy of Ernst Giselbrecht + PartnerĮnric Ruiz Geli’s Media-ICT similarly features screen-like inflatable ETFE cushions that open in the winter to gather solar energy and close during summer to provide shade. Image Courtesy of Ernst Giselbrecht + Partner Shading panels of the Kiefer Technic Showroom. Users can control these conditions from within the building, adapting the façade to match their preferences exactly. Ernst Giselbrecht + Partner’s Kiefer Technic Showroom is another iconic example of this approach, featuring 112 large metal tiles that morph throughout the day to create optimal shading conditions. Other architects have similarly used kinetic facades to mediate temperature. Image © Aedas Al Bahar Towers Panel Diagram. The panels themselves are not only aesthetically-pleasing and star-like in design, but are inspired by traditional Islamic shading systems, respecting cultural heritage as well.Īl Bahar Towers.

The façade’s umbrella-like panels open and close in response to the sun’s movement, protecting building users from heat and glare, decreasing the need for air-conditioning, and making the building more sustainable. One of the most cited examples of this mediation is Aedas Architects’ Al Bahar Towers in Abu Dhabi. Often, they mediate between aesthetics and utility, pushing stunning visuals alongside environmental protection. Kinetic facades can and have taken a multitude of forms throughout the years. Often, these designs take the form of kinetic facades: architectural facades that change dynamically, transforming buildings from static monoliths to ever-moving surfaces. Rather, cutting-edge technology has allowed designers to develop architecture that responds to environmental stimuli in more interesting ways than ever. From the elaborately painted friezes of the Parthenon to the glass exteriors of modern skyscrapers, architecture was primarily static, only ‘changing’ as the environment would change and affect the material of the façade in differing ways, be it rain, light, rust, etc.Īs technology has progressed and facades have transformed – literally – the role of environment hasn’t diminished. For most of the history of architecture, interesting facades were achieved through materiality or ornamentation.

El Kiefer Technic Showroom