Surface Effects: Broromini, Semper, Loos

The argument in this paper is that surface should be understood neither as a merely structural, nor as a merely decorative aspect of building. Rather, the creation of surfaces (interior walls or fa ••ades and so on) organises a programme which allows for a reading of the space of architecture. The latter formulation-the space of architecture-has a double register. On the one hand, it refers to the specific architectural works, to particular buildings, and how they effect and affect the subject. On the other hand, it makes a broader, theoretical point about the way that architecture is conceived as an effect of the possibilities inherent in the materials used in the making of surfaces. The argument is advanced through an engagement with work by Borromini, Semper and Loos