Involucro, crocevia di segni, mode e tecnologia

The word “envelope, involucro” has, in Italian, two meanings. First, it denotes the physical object that envelops something else of which it hides and substitutes the appearance. The second meaning, metaphorical, identifies a set of concepts and thoughts. In architecture, the envelope expresses both meanings, gives physical body to the first, and, in the same time reveals intentions and cultural premises of the architect. Specially innovative are the works of the so called top few architects. Their projects present three main reasons of interest, if observed from a designer’s point of view. The first: the procedure of generating shapes, tightly linked with the representation possibilities and then with the digital tools. The second: the growing importance of the contribution the envelope gives to the energetic-environmental balance of the whole building, also with an autonomous production of energy. The third: the growth of the communication function. From the latter point of view the envelope shows a marked trend to transform itself from a simple support of various “communication machines” to a direct and autonomous “communication machine” (a paradigmatic example is the Kunsthaus in Graz). Well established functions and new ones are realised with new technologies and well established ones. And sometimes all the four undergo fashionable bias.