When Walls Became Membranes: Le Corbusier, Siegfried Ebeling, and the Concept of the Breathing-Wall Skin

Following the rising explorations into material andconstruction technologies, architecture is increasinglypushing the boundaries of surface performance. Inso doing, it investigates intersections between thebuilding envelope and the physiology of breathing,exploring its analogy to an organic surface, skin ormembrane. This paper revisits the architectural literatureof the early twentieth century, in particular thework of Le Corbusier and Siegfried Ebeling, to discusshow the biological analogies related to the buildingenvelope in those days may hold the key to a deeperunderstanding of its evolving performance.

Volume Editors
Luis Francisco Rico-Gutierrez & Martha Thorne

ISBN
978-1-944214-08-1