Enjoy 2 free articles a month. For unlimited access, get a membership now.

The Best Façades

Much like the age-old adage about books, it’s hard to judge buildings by their exteriors. But in many cases, façades provide insight into what one might find inside. These shells either make loud statements or blend into their surroundings. Whether it be a private home, storefront or office tower, concealment and exposure are often intentional choices. Today, architects favour textured complexities over clean-line modernism. There is no denying that façades make first impressions – that’s why Frame went back and selected the best examples.

Gas Receiving Station by Studio Marco Vermeulen

Designed by Studio Marco Vermeulen, this remote gas service station is covered in a typographic collage – a bio-resin and hemp-fibre façade .

Crinkled Wall by Wiesflecker and Klopf

A wall resembling crinkled paper is an apt metaphor on the side of an Austrian high school – reflecting the growing-pains students experience.

Doctor Manzana by Mazquespacio

Bringing the inside outside and vice versa, Doctor Manzana’s Valencia flagship is covered in striking baby blue.

Parkhaus Skopje by PPAG Architects and Milan Mijalkovic

Austrian and local architects cover an eyesore car park with indigenous motifs all their own – emulating history but not specific traditions.

Quattro by Designliga 

Located high up in the Austrian Alps, this new restaurant launched by Audi has a geometric facade – echoed again on interior walls.

Arteche High Voltage Lab by ACXT

ACXT designed a building with a polished metal façade to reflect the technological innovation of the Arteche Group in Mungía, Spain.

Discharge/Recharge by OSA and Christoph Rodatz

At last year’s Urban Lights Event, Office for Subversive Architecture projected a light installation against an abandoned office block.