The façade defines a building - it gives it an identity, a spirit, it creates a dialogue with its surroundings, it determines the emotions at the first glance. It is a design criterion that can determine whether residents and users will accept the building, and whether they will feel comfortable in and with it for years to come.
Zbigniew Reszka, president of the Arch-Deco architectural firm in Gdynia and longtime president of SARP, stresses that the facade is not just packaging.
The façade is one of the most important elements of a building, because it is experienced from the very beginning. Therefore, a building made of high-quality materials, with good proportions, enriched with greenery will be well appreciated and positively perceived by the user or client. It is important that façade materials, which we experience and perceive from different distances, in varying light and with different senses, through their texture, detail and the way they work with light, maintain high quality and remain attractive and valuable in each of these perceptions," says Zbigniew Reszka.
According to Wojciech Targowski, president of Pracownia Fort, what material is used on it, and thus what the facade looks like, can build a building's prestige and communicate its function.
Even a well-tailored suit won't impress if it's fashioned from licentious material. Similarly, the facade of a building will only attest to its unique function if it is of good quality and the material used is associated with no small expense. This has been the case for centuries. Magnificent historical buildings, carefully veneered, have survived in their grandeur thanks to durable and timelessly exquisite, expensive facades, Targowski says.
Gdynia Waterfront 1, Pekao Bank of Poland office building, Marriott Courtyard hotel, - proj.: Fort Targowski
photo: Robert Yuchnievic
Reszka stresses that a building should age with dignity and should not scream.
That's why it's so good to look at buildings from the interwar period. Back then, architects showed in their designs what we often refer to today as less is more. Back then it was all about sense and moderation," says the architect.
Wojciech Targowski, on the other hand, stresses that the historical conditions of the space and the context in which the new building is to stand are of great importance, and in his work he thinks of it as a challenge, not a necessity to conform.
This is a challenge for every architect. It's important to decide: do we expect a "wow" effect, relevant to urban dominants, or do we create background architecture that fits into the cityscape. And it is not architecture that is less important. It creates its everyday face, provides basic functions and builds the context for the dominants, which at first glance are supposed to delight and confidently produce the much-desired "wow" effect," adds the president of Studio Fort.
The Arch-Deco team has been considering Swisspearl fiber-cement facade materials when designing for many years.
I have been using Swisspearl fiber-cement for more than 20 years. The colored materials suit me. I like to mix their textures and colors. A good effect comes from combining them with plaster, titanium-zinc or wood. Swisspearl is the highest quality material in its class," adds Zbigniew Reszka.
Center for non-invasive medicine in Gdansk, - proj.: Arch-Deco
photo: M. Frania
Wojciech Targowski points out that Swisspearl fiber-cement panels meet the needs of the aesthetics of modern architecture referring to the heritage of modernism and work well in the context of modernist buildings.
A ventilated facade is more durable, functional and protects the building more efficiently than plaster laid directly on top of insulation, the architect says.
Swisspearl products are made from natural raw materials and can be recycled, so they are part of a responsible approach to architectural design, in which aesthetics and environmental concerns are equally important.
Tomasz Lisiecki
For more information, visit the company's SWISSPEARL POLSKA page on PdA.
