PERFORATED

EDITORIAL
Perforations take on a variety of forms and can be
­arranged in different ways. Sometimes they appear as
­circular holes in rows of regular intervals, more
­commonly, however, they are playfully distributed in
freeform geometric shapes. Sometimes perforations
­extend over an entire building volume, other times they
form partial clusters. Sometimes the drilling or cut
does not completely perforate the outermost layer, but
instead, is placed purely for a visual effect. Thus arising
are linear structures through to random, abstract
­patterns, and representational depictions. A perforated
façade’s ­appearance changes depending on whether
the beholder or inhabitant perceives it from up close or
far away.

In many cases, practical concerns become linked to

­visual ones—and vice versa. Openings that allow
light and air to enter are in line with the basic require-
ments that building envelopes must fulfill. Also present
are demands with regard to a building’s appearance.
Perforations are especially suitable for opening the exte-
rior wall in a controlled way, and at the same time,
achieving an impressive visual effect.

Fiber cement lends itself to all kinds of perforations: the

solid, homogenous material can be drilled and cut with-
out difficulty. Architecture journalist Patrick Zamariàn
presents in this issue of Swisspearl Architecture various
applications and shows what architecture is capable
of with Swisspearl. Pascal Zürn, Foreman of panel fabri-
cation and finishing at Swisspearl, comments on the
technical parameters and practical ­requirements.

Perforations on buildings’ walls and envelopes have

roots in the centuries-old Arabic tradition of mashrabi-
yya latticework membranes between spaces. The
Swiss architect Thomas Meyer-Wieser has researched
masterpieces of oriental building culture for many
years and forges a link for us to Western ­modernism.

We hope you enjoy looking at, and through!

Michael Hanak, Editor-in-chief

Left: “Conical Intersect” by the artist

­Gordon Matta-Clark, Paris, 1975.
 PERFORATED
Report by Patrick Zamariàn
2 FUNCTIONAL ORNAMENTATION

EXTERNAL APPLICATIONS
Switzerland, Weberbuess Architekten
9 WORKS YARD, BASEL
Italy, S.O.F.A.
13 ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, LAAS 13
USA, Dougherty & Dougherty
17 CORONA DEL MAR MIDDLE SCHOOL
ENCLAVE, NEWPORT BEACH

PARTIAL APPLICATIONS
Switzerland, OOS Architekten
22 COMMERCIAL AND OFFICE BUILDING
HIAG, AATHAL-SEEGRÄBEN
Switzerland, Baureag Architektengruppe
26 “GASTHAUS POST” EXTENSION,
WILLISAU
Switzerland, Moro e Moro
30 ORIZIA APARTMENT BLOCK, LOCARNO
Croatia, Sangrad + AVP 30
34 EDUCATIONAL COMPLEX KAJZERICA,
­ZAGREB

PRIMARY APPLICATIONS
Portugal, Saraiva & Associados
43 OFFICE BUILDING TAGUS GÁS, CARTAXO
Hungary, 4 plusz Építész Stúdió
47 PARSONAGE, PARISH CHURCH OF THE
CELESTIAL QUEEN, BUDAPEST
USA, Dake Wells Architecture
51 MSU DAVIS-HARRINGTON
WELCOME ­CENTER, MISSOURI STATE
UNI­VERSITY, SPRINGFIELD
Slovenia, Superform
57 KINDERGARTEN, CERKVENJAK 51

Essay by Thomas Meyer-Wieser

61 MASHRABIYYA­— THE ORNAMENT AS ­
VISUAL CONCEPT

SMALL FORMAT
64 EMBROIDERED FAÇADE
2 SWISSPEARL ARCHITECTURE #24

FUNCTIONAL
ORNAMENTATION
Report by Patrick Zamariàn

The occurrence of perforated façades is Writing against the backdrop of a period peared to be little more than a fashionable de-
a relatively recent, if all the more con- marked by stylistic excesses and an obsession parture from orthodox modernism turned
spicuous phenomenon. This introduc- with surface values, Adolf Loos’s seminal po- out to be a paradigm shift, as it coincided with
tory article explores the theoretical im- lemic Ornament and Crime, first published in a growing concern for environmental issues
plications of punctured claddings and 1910, set the tone for the nascent modern and a corresponding evaluation of building
their design potential in contemporary movement. Inspired by Sullivan’s famous dic- technologies, which, in turn, led to the de-
architecture. The material properties of tum “form follows function,” developments mise of monolithic wall systems in favor of
Swisspearl panels make them uniquely in the early twentieth century culminated in multilayered—and often lavishly decorated—
suitable to cover the entire spectrum of the emergence of a so-called “International building envelopes.
possible applications, a great number Style,” which, though never quite as cohesive
of which are illustrated in this issue of as suggested, was notable for the absence of Aesthetic and functional
“Swisspearl Architecture.” any kind of architectural ornament and the The occurrence of perforated wall clad-
removal of aesthetic considerations from the dings is part of this revival of ornamentation
architectural equation. in contemporary architecture and is driven
The remarkable resurgence of ornamen- by recent technological advances. Loos’s un-
tal features after World War II owed much to compromising critique of ornaments, some-
Le Corbusier, whose influential work incor- what narrowly interpreted as applied decora-
porated elements derived from non-Euro- tion, was centered upon the fact that it in-
pean vernaculars. Wide awnings and brise- volved skilled craftsmen in manufacturing
soleils served a distinctive functional purpose products which were, by definition, without
in their countries of origin, but transferred to practical purpose—a process that he not only
the northern hemisphere they soon became considered to be meaningless, but more im-
the decorative paraphernalia of Brutalist ar- portantly wasteful of human labor and mate-
chitecture. The advent of postmodernism in rial expenditure and therefore morally repre-
the early 1970s consolidated the revival of hensible. None of these arguments remains
aesthetic values and reasserted the façade as valid in the context of today’s building pro-
a communicative medium and carrier of duction. The rise of computer-controlled
meaning. In doing so, postmodern architec- manufacturing technologies means that per-
ture implied and effectively necessitated a forated designs, regardless of their scope and
segmentation of the building envelope into a complexity, no longer need to be cut by hand
load-bearing structural layer and a poten- and therefore do not entail any significant ad-
tially independent outer skin. What first ap- ditional costs, monetary or otherwise. More-
 PERFORATED 3

over, involving, as they do, a process of deduc- pline on designers in that it requires, but also specific façade elements and play a subordi-
tion rather than supplementation, perfora- enables them to address such fundamental nate role within the overall design. Often
tions appeal even to architects of a comparably architectural dichotomies as inside and out- used as pierced shutters reminiscent of Ara-
sober disposition, who frequently use them side, enclosure and space, solid and void, bian mashrabiyyas, the main objective is to
as adornment to otherwise strictly functional beauty and purpose. The range of applica- feed a controlled measure of light and air into
buildings. In light of this, it is perhaps not tions is accordingly wide and, considering the interior without visually breaking up the
surprising that they appear to be particularly that perforated walls are a comparably recent façade as a whole. Like their Arabic proto-
popular in countries with a proud minimalist addition to the modernist vocabulary, pre- types, they thus create a sense of one-way
tradition, such as Switzerland and Japan. sumably far from exhausted. permeability, allowing building users to ob-
Most importantly, although perforations tain a view of their surroundings while re-
can have—and often do have—a profound im- Three types of applications maining hidden from view themselves. It is
pact on the visual appearance of a building, Generally speaking, applications can be thus no surprise that punctured screens are
they differ from any other sort of façade em- divided into three categories, depending on often used in connection with bathroom win-
bellishment in that they are justifiable on their scope and function within the broader dows and private bedrooms where a degree
functional grounds, not least because they design conception. Used as single-layered di- of illumination and ventilation is desirable
play a vital part in improving the comfort lev- viders between outside or, more precisely, without compromising either the privacy of
els in interior spaces. In almost all cases, per- non-insulated spaces, perforated panel walls residents or the integrity of the façade.
forated panels are used in combination with most closely resemble their origins as low- With the possibility to produce large-
glass surfaces, regulating the penetration of tech climate control devices in tropical and scale patterns in a cost-effective way, archi-
natural light and air whilst providing build- subtropical regions. In temperate climates tects increasingly wrap entire walls—or in-
ing occupants with a measured degree of vi- such external applications are comparably deed entire buildings—in comprehensive
sual protection and privacy. Moreover, by rare and confined to uninhabited spaces, such perforated paneling. At times, this seems
shading extensively glazed frontages, perfo- as escape corridors, terraces, and, most nota- merely a convenient, if visually appealing
rated panels prevent excessive solar gains, bly, balconies. For instance, M & M Consult- measure to conceal untidy elevations behind
thus reducing the load on HVAC systems and ing’s retirement home in Grosuplje features a unifying veil. However, more ingenious de-
significantly enhancing the building’s energy pierced sliding screens that enable residents signers fully embrace the expressive poten-
performance—a key selling point in times of to demarcate a shaded and sheltered zone on tial of perforations by making them the pri-
scarce resources and high energy costs. their balconies, while One Works used perfo- mary design element, which defines the char-
The inherent simultaneity of aesthetic rated panels superimposed on a continuous acter of the building as a whole. A prime
and functional purposes is the distinguishing balcony layer to give vertical emphasis to example of this tendency is Gužič and Tr-
characteristic of perforated façades. It im- their Noverasco shopping center. In the ma- plan’s bus station at Velenje where punctured
poses an exacting, if highly rewarding disci- jority of cases, perforations are applied to vertical sun blinds give a refined, almost ethe-
4 SWISSPEARL ARCHITECTURE #24

Work preparation: the CNC machine is

­programmed panel for panel based
on the delivered plans. A production worker
prepares the milling machine.

real quality to the main glass frontage, while highlight the limitations of comprehensive In addition, Swisspearl, unlike many
the white Swisspearl cladding of the parking perforated metal façades: eminently suited other manufacturers, does not confine their
garage displays an irregular pattern of circu- for a small selection of high-profile signature range to standard perforation patterns, and
lar holes that recalls a traffic signal board, ad- buildings, they are, in equal measure, inap- there is almost no limit to the imagination of
vertising the facility’s designation as a trans- propriate for most other building tasks where designers and the intricacy of their creations.
portation hub. The distinction between pri- a more subtle, contextual approach seems de- John Ronan devised cross-shaped perfora-
mary and subordinate applications is sirable. tions for the chapel of his Jesuit school in
evidently a gradual one and open to interpre- Indeed, the superior appeal of perforated Chicago, whilst SWECO proposed a pattern
tation. It is, however, important to realize that Swisspearl fiber cement panels lies in their of triangular perforations for the tunnel lin-
the visual impact of perforations is not funda- versatility, which allows them to cover the ing of their underground railway station in
mentally a matter of scope. The question as to entire spectrum of external, primary, and Malmö, called Triangeln, both size and shape
whether they sustain or dissolve the integrity partial applications. Swisspearl panels are of the openings carefully calculated to absorb
of the façade depends on the shape, size, and available in customizable colors and formats the echo effect on the platform. To guarantee
spacing of the openings and, crucially, the and a broad range of transparent, pigmented, the rigidity of the cladding, Swisspearl rec-
brightness and color of the cladding itself, iridescent, or textured coatings, which makes ommend that perforations should not exceed
which determines the conspicuousness and it possible to combine them freely with each 20 percent of the total panel surface, the dis-
visual prominence of the black perforation other as well as with other materials. Their tance between holes should be a minimum of
pattern. singular asset, however, is the unique mono- twice their diameter, and the panel should
lithic aesthetic of the integrally colored panel feature a perforation-free border to allow for
Advantages of Swisspearl panels base and its implications for the quality of fin- fixing through Sigma undercut anchors (with
Swisspearl is not the only cladding mate- ishes. As far as perforated metal sheets are ordinary screw fasteners offering slightly
rial that can be perforated. Herzog and de concerned, holes are punched or laser-cut, more flexibility). However, these are merely
Meuron used pierced and dimpled copper which either distorts the edges or leaves burn guide values, as Swisspearl engineers collab-
plates for their De Young Museum in San marks. Though there are ways to turn them orate closely with architects to turn their vi-
Francisco; Coop Himmelb(l)au wrapped back into flat, usable plates, corrective level- sions into workable design solutions—such as
their BMW World in Munich in stainless ing is a demanding task and the outcome of- the ones illustrated in this issue of Swisspearl
steel sheets; and David Adjaye’s Smithsonian ten leaves much to be desired. In contrast, Architecture.
National Museum of African American His- Swisspearl engineers use state-of-the-art
tory and Culture, currently under construc- CNC cutting machinery, which enables them
tion in Washington DC, will be encased in to finish the edges of perforations to the same
punctured bronze plates. These examples, unrivaled quality standard as the panels
spectacular though they are, at the same time themselves.
KNOW-HOW
Perforated or engraved panels can be used for many
purposes, for acoustic or aesthetical reasons, to depict
works of art, letters, logos, etc.

However, the fabrication process is rather labor inten-

sive both for preparation work and also for the actual
routing out of shapes and drilling of holes. Decisive is
whether the panels are used for exterior or interior
application. For exterior applications, i. e., increased ex-
posure to weathering, the panels are first primed, then
fabricated and subsequently coated.

For interior use, coated panels can be drilled or routed

and then left as they are.

When individual CNC routing must be programed

on the basis of CAD drawings, the process takes two or
three times longer than for standard perforations.
This is the case especially for irregular and randomly
located patterns.

For perforated or engraved panels, various aspects have

to be considered. In addition to the designed shapes
and patterns, the panel stability and fastening of the
panels is crucial, distances between perforations or en-
graved areas should not be too small, and for larger
panels, a solid perimeter zone is required, so that the
panels are not too fragile for handling on site and
installation.

Common drill hole diameters are 6 or 8 mm; since these

panels are not coated after fabrication, they are for
interior application only. These small diameter holes are
located in a grid of 16 / 32 / 48 mm in both directions.
For exterior applications or if the panels must be wash-
able, a minimum 20 mm hole diameter is required.

In the future we want to be able to realize even “crazier”

shapes and patterns with new equipment and plants.
After all, the most beautiful thing about ornamented
panels is the diversity of patterns and images that make
the building claddings come to life.

Specific Values, Perforations

Drill radius: 6 or 8 mm
Punch radius: min. 3 mm, bevel 1.5 mm
Distance: min. 12 mm
Edge: min. 50 mm

Pascal Zürn
Foreman of panel
fabrication
and finishing
 PERFORATED 5

After the cutting, a lot of handwork is

required: the edges are broken with
the help of a special planer, extra cut-
ting remains are removed with a sponge,
and in the end, the fine fibers are
burned off and cleaned, and finally,
the edges are water-proofed.
 SWISSPEARL ARCHITECTURE #24

Though normally used as a translucent

layer screening glazed sections of
multi-layered façades, perforated walls
can also serve as stand-alone elements
enclosing non-insulated structures, such
as parking garages, bus shelters, and
open pavilions. Indeed, it is arguably in
such special cases where they most
closely resemble their traditional purpose
as low-tech air-conditioning devices in
southern climates.

The following three schemes incorporate

perforated walls in connection with fire
escape routes, although in some cases this
basic functionality is extended consider-
ably. At the school in Laas, the stair tower
serves solely as a fire exit; yet at the
works yard in Basel the egress balcony
doubles as an access corridor and at New-
port as a sheltered gathering space for
school children. Moreover, the perfora-
tions differ in terms of their visual promi-
nence. Whilst barely visible in Laas, they
are conspicuous at the campus building in
Newport, where the cladding’s opening
ratio is determined by fire safety regula-
tions.

The same applies to the Basel works yard,

where the design pattern serves as
the core element of a comprehensive de-
sign strategy. What unites the three
exam­ples is the treatment of secondary
elements, such as fire corridors and
staircases—otherwise often a mere after-
thought—as integral parts of the over­-
all design. Evidently, any scheme that
features single-layered panel walls as di-
viders between publicly accessible
spaces calls for a cladding material that
offers a consistent look on all sides.
It is this specific requirement that makes
integrally colored Swisspearl panels
particularly suitable for such external
applications.
 PERFORATED 7

EXTERNAL APPLICATIONS

LOOKING DEEP AND CORPOREAL

OR DISSOLVING
WORKS YARD, SWITZERLAND
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, ITALY
CORONA DEL MAR MIDDLE SCHOOL ENCLAVE, USA
8 SWISSPEARL ARCHITECTURE #24
 PERFORATED 9

A
1

6
7

WORKS YARD,
BASEL, SWITZERLAND
1 Swisspearl® ONDAPRESS-36 corrugated panel 6 mm, perforated 1 Swisspearl® ONDAPRESS-36 Wellplatte 6 mm, perforiert
2 ventilation cavity 2 Hinterlüftung
3 horizontal sub framing 3 horizontale Unterkonstruktion
4 moisture barrier 4 Feuchtigkeitssperre
5 soft fiber board LOCATION: Brennerstrasse 11  CLIENT:
5 Immobilien Basel-Stadt (on behalf of the City of Basel) 
Weichfaserplatte
6 thermal insulation,
ARCHITECT: Weberbuess
mineral wool Architekten, Basel  BUILDING PERIOD: 2013  FAÇADE
6 Wärmedämmung, CONTRACTOR: Stamm Bau AG, Arlesheim, Switzerland
Mineralwolle
7 plywood board 7 Dreischichtplatte
FAÇADE MATERIAL: Swisspearl ONDAPRESS -36, NATURA Vulcanit N 6326
®

This works yard for the municipal cleaning ing ratio for the enclosing Swisspearl panel-
and gardening departments of Basel is lo- ing. Intent on maintaining the integrity of the
cated on a residual triangular plot wedged overall wall surface, architects Weberbuess
between sports grounds, a youth center, and opted for a perforated façade and commis-
a public park. Incorporating existing perim- sioned local artist Michel Pfister, who used
eter walls and a building that houses staff a ball made of bent wooden slats as the basis
recreation and administration rooms, the fa- for his sketch design. The precise placement
cility comprises four new timber structures of each perforation was key to creating a con-
clad in white corrugated fiber cement panels. tinuously changing façade picture as the
Three of these are single-story garages; the troughs of vertically aligned corrugated pan-
main building holds parking space and work- els become invisible when moving sideward.
shops on the first floor, and locker rooms, Moreover, by varying the width and length of
showers and an installations room on the sec- the slits, the design team managed to create a
ond floor. shaded pattern, thus giving a sense of depth
The need to provide an upper-level fire to the wall surface. Modified in dimension
escape corridor inspired a façade design that and orientation, the same pattern was applied
counters the low-key industrial look of the fa- throughout the complex, producing a versa-
cility and advertises its public function. To tile, yet coherent image for the facility as a
guarantee sufficient smoke extraction, the whole.
building insurer stipulated a 5 percent open-
10 SWISSPEARL ARCHITECTURE #24

CH_Werkhof_Basel
Vertical section
Scale: 1:20

Second floor

First floor 1:1000

A

1 Vertical section 1:20

2
1 Swisspearl® ONDAPRESS-36 corrugated
3 panel 6 mm, perforated
2 ventilation cavity
4 3 horizontal sub framing
5 4 moisture barrier
5 soft fiber board
6 6 thermal insulation, mineral wool
7 7 plywood board
A

1 Swisspearl® ONDAPRESS-36 corrugated panel 6 mm, perforated 1 Swisspearl® ONDAPRESS-36 Wellplatte 6 mm, perforiert
2 ventilation cavity 2 Hinterlüftung
3 horizontal sub framing 3 horizontale Unterkonstruktion
PERFORATED 11
12 SWISSPEARL ARCHITECTURE #24
 Vertical section
Scale: 1:20 PERFORATED 13

A
1

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL,
LAAS, ITALY 1 Swisspearl® LARGO panel 8 mm, perforated
2 ventilation cavity
3 steel profile
1 Swisspearl® LARGO Platte 8 mm, perforiert
2 Hinterlüftung
3 Stahlprofil
LOCATION: Schulweg 8  CLIENT: Municipality of Laas  ARCHITECT: S.O.F.A., Vienna (Andreas
4 bracket Grasser, Kurt Rauch) 
4 Wandhalter
BUILDING PERIOD: 2014  GENERAL CONTRACTOR
5 steel
AND FAÇADE CONTRACTOR: Unionbau GmbH,
column 5 Sand in Taufers, Italy
Stahlstütze

FAÇADE MATERIAL: Swisspearl LARGO, PLANEA White P113 and Green P517
®

Austrian architects S. O. F. A. prevailed over white Swisspearl panels interspersed with
one hundred international competitors with light green color accents. Chosen for its lon-
their scheme for a combined kindergarten gevity, color fastness, and sustainable pro­-
and school complex for the municipality of duction credentials, the Swisspearl cladding
Laas in northern Italy. The designers divided extends to the adjoining external stair tower,
the spatial program into two individual build- which provides a fire escape route for the up-
ings, adopting the scale of the neighboring per floor spaces. The paneling of this annex
houses while using the existing topography is punctured by a mesh-like pattern of myr-
of the site to create differentiated outside iad small dot holes, which allow a degree of
spaces for each age group. Complementing transparency while sheltering users from
the kindergarten, which was completed in wind and precipitation. Beyond this narrow
2009, the state-of-the-art elementary school functional purpose, using a perforated clad-
accommodates ten classrooms on the two up- ding allowed the architects to enclose large
per floors as well as a canteen at ground level sections of the open staircase, giving it a dis-
and an assembly hall with separate access in tinct sculptural quality in keeping with the
the basement. equally angled, trapezoid shape of the main
In contrast to the timber-clad kindergar- structure.
ten, the new school is wrapped in pristine
14 SWISSPEARL ARCHITECTURE #24

REI-179_Elementary-School_Laas
Vertical section
Scale: 1:20
First floor 1:500 Second floor
A

Vertical section 1:20

1 Swisspearl® LARGO panel 12 mm, perforated

2 ventilation cavity
3 horizontal steel profile
4 bracket
5 steel column
A
PERFORATED 15
16 SWISSPEARL ARCHITECTURE #24
 Scale: 1:20
PERFORATED 17

A
1

CORONA DEL MAR

MIDDLE SCHOOL ENCLAVE, 1 Swisspearl® LARGO panel 8 mm, perforated 1 Swisspearl® LARGO Platte 8 mm, perforiert

NEWPORT BEACH, USA

2 ventilation cavity, vertical panel support profile 2 Hinterlüftung, vertikales Plattentragprofil
3 steel beam 3 Stahlträger

LOCATION: 2101 Eastbluff Drive 

CLIENT: Newport-Mesa Unified School District  ARCHITECT: Dougherty & Dougherty, Costa Mesa ( CA ) 
BUILDING PERIOD: 2012 / 13  FAÇADE CONTRACTOR: Cal Pac Sheet Metal Inc., Santa Ana ( CA ) 
FAÇADE MATERIAL: Swisspearl® LARGO, CARAT Azurite 7043 and XPRESSIV Yellow 8080

This new high-tech facility complements an campus, the new facility contrasts sharply
existing school complex in Newport Beach, with the texture and color scheme of the ex-
California, providing additional classrooms, isting brick structures by displaying a combi-
science labs, and lecture space and creating a nation of exposed steel columns, smooth con-
much-needed sheltered enclave for middle-­ crete surfaces, and Swisspearl paneling.
school students within the high-school cam- Large sections of the cladding on the two up-
pus. Designed by Dougherty & Dougherty per levels feature a chessboard pattern of per-
Architects, the staggered, three-story build- forations, softening the monolithic appear-
ing encloses a landscaped courtyard from ance of the building by day whilst dissolving
which a number of interconnected staircases, it almost entirely when backlit at night. The
ramps, and access corridors lead to the vari- perforations were chosen for functional as
ous facilities in the form of a promenade well as aesthetic reasons. For one, they allow
architecturale. sufficient airflow into the enclosed spaces to
An integral part of a comprehensive sus- comply with local building code require-
tainability strategy aimed at LEED Gold cer- ments for non-fire rated external egress bal-
tification, the architects devised a rain screen conies. More importantly, they mark out a
façade clad in Swisspearl panels, which will series of sheltered gathering zones along the
boost the building’s energy performance and circulation route, animated by a continuously
help keep long-term maintenance costs to a shifting shading pattern and maintaining a
minimum. Though adopting the geometrical visual connection to the central courtyard at
clarity and rectangularity of the mid-century the heart of the enclave.
18 SWISSPEARL ARCHITECTURE #24

LAX 93-High-School-Enclave_
Newport-Beach
Ansicht
Scale: 1:20

First floor 1:1000

A

Vertical section 1:20

1 Swisspearl® LARGO panel 12 mm, perforated

2 ventilation cavity, vertical panel support profile
3 steel beam

3
A
PERFORATED 19
 SWISSPEARL ARCHITECTURE #24

In the majority of cases perforations are

utilized as part of a broader design
concept and are limited to specific façade
elements or specific sections of a larger
scheme. Though they can have a distinct
visual effect, their main purpose is func-
tional rather than aesthetic. They serve to
illuminate and ventilate specific rooms
while providing a degree of privacy and
visual cover—in other words, they perform
the traditional role of shuttered or lou-
vered windows, without, however, affect-
ing the coherence and integrity of the
façade.

The following examples illustrate the wide

range of such subordinate applications.
At one end of the spectrum is the factory
conversion at Aathal, where perforations
are used sparingly and inconspicuously
to screen a small number of existing wall
openings behind the dark corrugated
cladding. At the guesthouse in Willisau,
punctured panels are used for bathrooms
and ancillary spaces only, but the white
color of the cladding makes them a rather
more prominent feature of the façade
composition.

The use of sliding perforated screens at

the apartment block in Locarno is likewise
limited to specific spatial units—in this
case bedrooms rather than bathrooms—
but together they cover a much larger
area and therefore have a profound and
permanently changing impact on the
look of the building. Similarly, the perfo-
rations at the educational complex in
Zagreb, which illuminate and activate a
number of circulation and service spaces,
cover almost the entire wall surface.
In spite of this, their visual impact is de-
liberately muted to enhance the contrast
between open and closed frontages.
 PERFORATED 21

PARTIAL APPLICATIONS

PROTECTING FROM FIRE, SUN,

AND INQUISITIVE GAZES
COMMERCIAL AND OFFICE BUILDING, SWITZERLAND
“GASTHAUS POST” EXTENSION, SWITZERLAND
ORIZIA APARTMENT BLOCK, SWITZERLAND
EDUCATIONAL COMPLEX KAJZERICA, C
­ ROATIA
22 SWISSPEARL ARCHITECTURE #24

A
9
8 7

9 8

10 1
2
3
4

5
6
A

COMMERCIAL AND OFFICE BUILDING HIAG,

AATHAL-SEEGRÄBEN, SWITZERLAND
1 Swisspearl® ONDAPRESS-36 corrugated panel 6 mm, perforated 1 Swisspearl® ONDAPRESS-36 Wellplatte 6 mm, perforiert
2 ventilation cavity 2 Hinterlüftung
LOCATION: Zürichstrasse 22  CLIENT: HIAG Immobilien AG, Zurich 
3 horizontal sub framing 3 horizontale Unterkonstruktion
ARCHITECT: OOS Architekten, Zurich 
4 vertical BUILDING PERIOD: 2013  FAÇADE CONTRACTOR: Husner
sub framing AG
4 vertikale , Frick 
Unterkonstruktion
5 insect
FAÇADE MATERIAL: screen
Swisspearl ®
ONDAPRESS -36, NATURA Vulcanit N5 6512 Insektengitter
6 bracket 6 Wandhalter
7 moisture barrier 7 Feuchtigkeitssperre
8 thermal insulation 8 Wärmedämmung
9 brickwork 9 Backsteinmauerwerk
In 2010 property developer Hiag acquired utilitarian look in keeping with
10 window frame
the building’s
10 Metallzarge
Streiff, once a major cotton manufacturer, industrial past. Arranged with a series of
with a view to revitalizing its substantial real overlaps, the undulating and slightly slanted
estate portfolio. Serving as a two-stage light- paneling adds a sense of depth and pro-
house scheme for this undertaking, the com- nounced horizontal emphasis to the façades,
pany’s premises in Oberaathal, on the periph- accentuated by the yellow undersides of the
ery of Zurich, have been transformed into projecting parts. The building’s designation
a mixed-use office and retail complex. Linked as a retail park eliminated the need for natu-
by a fully glazed vestibule to the old, heritage-­ ral lighting and allowed the architects to
protected spinning mill (which has been con- wrap the cladding around existing window
verted into office lofts, shops, and a restau- openings. Rectangular fields of slip-shaped
rant), this second, more recent structure pro- perforations add an unusual iridescent effect
vides 4,000 square meters of retail space and filter a limited, almost negligible amount
spread over two floors complete with storage of light and air into the large interior. Indeed,
and parking facilities in the basement. the chief purpose of the perforations is as an
Zurich-based OOS Architects combined active fire protection measure, as their open-
precast gray concrete base elements and ing ratio enables the windows to serve as heat
anthracite-colored corrugated Swisspearl and smoke vents.
panels to create a unified and deliberately
PERFORATED 23
 24 SWISSPEARL ARCHITECTURE #24

thal
nsicht

9 Vertical section 1:20

8 7
1 Swisspearl® ONDAPRESS-36 corrugated panel 6 mm, perforated
9 8 2 ventilation cavity
3 horizontal sub framing
10 1 4 vertical sub framing
5 insect screen
2
6 bracket
3 7 moisture barrier
8 thermal insulation
4
9 brickwork
10 window frame

5
6

Second floor

mm, perforated 1 Swisspearl® ONDAPRESS-36 Wellplatte 6 mm, perforiert

2 Hinterlüftung
3 horizontale Unterkonstruktion
4 vertikale Unterkonstruktion
5 Insektengitter
6 Wandhalter
7 Feuchtigkeitssperre
8 Wärmedämmung
9 Backsteinmauerwerk
10 Metallzarge

First floor 1:500

PERFORATED 25
26 SWISSPEARL ARCHITECTURE #24

A
1
3
4 6
5 7
5 8

2
A

“GASTHAUS POST” EXTENSION,

WILLISAU, SWITZERLAND
1 Swisspearl® LARGO panel 8 mmLOCATION: Leuenplatz 3  CLIENT:LARGO
1 Swisspearl® EdithPlatte
und 8Hans
mm Herzog, Willisau 
2 Swisspearl® LARGO panel 8 mm, perforated ARCHITECT: Baureag Architektengruppe
2 Swisspearl® LARGO Platte 8 mm,AG , Willisau
perforiert
3 ventilation cavity, vertical sub framing 3 Hinterlüftung, vertikale Unterkonstruktion
BUILDING PERIOD: 2010 / 11  FAÇADE CONTRACTOR: Schürch-Egli AG, Sempach 
4 moisture barrier 4 Feuchtigkeitssperre
5 insect screen FAÇADE MATERIAL: Swisspearl® LARGO, CARAT Onyx 7091
5 Insektengitter
6 thermal insulation, mineral wool 6 Wärmedämmung, Mineralwolle
7 window frame 7 Rahmenverbreiterung
8 gypsum plaster board 8 Gipskartonplatte
9 fine plaster Baureag prevailed over three invited compet- structures. Precisely adjusted to the indenta-
9 Abrieb
itors with their scheme for a four-story ex- tions and angles of the envelope, the slightly
tension to this family-run guesthouse in the glossy and carefully detailed paneling adds a
small town of Willisau. Linked to the existing restrained, yet unapologetically modern
building by an entrance lobby, the new annex touch to the new extension. The design of the
provides eight hotel rooms on the second two main façades reflects the orientation and
floor and two condominiums on each of the specific urban situation of the building. The
two levels above. Responding to its sensitive south-facing public front combines extensive
location on the edge of the historic center, the glazing with continuous, angled balconies,
new building has a crooked plan geometry which give it a dynamic, horizontal emphasis.
aligned with the medieval street layout. The The rear wall, on the other hand, has a more
north façade sits on top of an existing stream sober appearance owing to the balanced dis-
bank wall; the south elevation features a re- tribution of windows and cladding, complete
cessed ground floor, which accentuates the with a number of ceiling-high perforated
main entrance and broadens the adjacent Swisspearl panels. Shielding the hotel bath-
public square. rooms from views, the punctured screens ex-
The architects chose a uniform white hibit an elegant pattern of vertical slits in two
Swisspearl cladding, which creates a contrast lengths, lending visual interest to the façade
to the rendered surfaces of the neighboring without affecting its serenity.
PERFORATED 27
28 SWISSPEARL ARCHITECTURE #24

CH_Leuenplatz_Willisau
Vertical section
Second floor

Scale: 1:20

First floor 1:500

A

Vertical section 1:20

1 1 Swisspearl® LARGO panel 8 mm

2 Swisspearl® LARGO panel 8 mm, perforated
3 3 ventilation cavity, vertical sub framing
4 6 4 moisture barrier
5 insect screen
5 7 6 thermal insulation, mineral wool
5 7 window frame
8
8 gypsum plaster board
9 9 fine plaster

2
A
PERFORATED 29
 Vertical section
30
Scale: 1:20
SWISSPEARL ARCHITECTURE #24

A
7 1
8 2
9 3

4
A 6

ORIZIA APARTMENT BLOCK,

LOCARNO, SWITZERLAND 1 Swisspearl® LARGO panel 12 mm, perforated 1 Swisspearl® LARGO Platte 12 mm, perforiert
LOCATION: Via Serafino2 Balestra
Swisspearl®42   CLIENT:
LARGO Municipality
panel 8 mm of Locarno 
2 Swisspearl® LARGO Platte 8 mm
3 ventilation cavity 3 Hinterlüftung
ARCHITECT: Moro e Moro, Locarno (Franco Moro)  BUILDING PERIOD: 2006
4 sub framing – 2009 
4 Unterkonstruktion
FAÇADE 5 CONTRACTOR:
aluminum sheetLaube SA, Biasca  5 Aluminiumblech
6 window timber/aluminum 6 Holz-Aluminium Fenster
FAÇADE MATERIAL: Swisspearl® LARGO, XPRESSIV Grey 8060
7 thermal insulation 7 Wärmedämmung
8 brickwork 8 Backsteinmauerwerk
9 plaster 9 Verputz

This five-story apartment block in the Swiss areas and north-facing bedroom layers by
city of Locarno is the outcome of a national means of central bathroom units. The design
competition won by local architects Moro e and detailing of the envelope, which is clad in
Moro in 2006. The uncompromising slab sits a uniform gray Swisspearl paneling struc-
amongst a disordered cluster of speculative tured by continuous red horizontal bands,
housing schemes, adjoining a new tree- supports the fundamental distinction into
planted garden to one side and closing the day and night zones. The fully glazed living
landscaped courtyard of a neighboring resi- areas are recessed behind deep overhanging
dential estate to the other. balconies incorporating mobile awnings to
The building rests on an oblique, window- lower the impact of direct sunlight. Preserv-
less concrete base containing cellar compart- ing the integrity of the remaining façades, all
ments and other ancillary rooms. Four bedroom windows feature perforated sliding
breezeways cut through this plinth, provid- screens made of isochromatic Swisspearl
ing access to an equal number of circulation panels. The punctured shutters, which cover
cores servicing the individual house seg- three quarters of the total wall surface, allow
ments. Offering a degree of flexibility, all residents to shield their private rooms from
apartments feature an open-space arrange- intrusive views whilst at the same time ben-
ment without load-bearing interior walls, efitting from natural light and the cooling ef-
divided into south-facing living and dining fect of the prevailing northern winds.
PERFORATED 31
 32 SWISSPEARL ARCHITECTURE #24

Attic floor

Second floor

CH_Residenziale-Orizia_Locarno
Vertical section
Scale: 1:20
First floor 1:1000
A

Vertical section 1:20

7 1
1 Swisspearl® LARGO panel 12 mm, perforated
8 2 2 Swisspearl® LARGO panel 8 mm
9 3 ventilation cavity
3
4 sub framing
4 5 aluminum sheet
6 window timber/aluminum
7 thermal insulation
5 8 brickwork
9 plaster

CH_Residenziale-Orizia_Locarn
A
PERFORATED 33
 Scale: 1:20
34 SWISSPEARL ARCHITECTURE #24

A
1
7
3
5
4
7
5
6

EDUCATIONAL COMPLEX KAJZERICA,

ZAGREB, CROATIA 1 Swisspearl® LARGO panel 8 mm
2 Swisspearl® LARGO panel 8 mm, perforated
3 ventilation cavity, vertical sub framing
1 Swisspearl® LARGO Platte 8 mm
2 Swisspearl® LARGO Platte 8 mm, perforiert
3 Hinterlüftung, vertikale Unterkonstruktion
LOCATION: Ulica Žarka Dolinara  moistureCity
4 CLIENT: of Zagreb  ARCHITECT: Sangrad + AVP
barrier 4 ,Feuchtigkeitssperre
Zagreb
(Vedran Pedišić, Erick Velasco Farrera, Hrvoje
5 thermal Davidovski, Mladen Hofmann, Iva5Marjančević) 
insulation Wärmedämmung
6 metal framing 6 Metallrahmen
BUILDING PERIOD: 2014  GENERAL CONTRACTOR:
7 gypspumGradnja, Osijek  FAÇADE CONTRACTOR: Imal-Plast,
plaster board Osijek 
7 Gipskartonplatte
FAÇADE MATERIAL: Swisspearl® LARGO, CARAT Black Opal 7020 HR

This vast educational complex in the Croa- artificial forest, almost the entire complex is
tian capital of Zagreb is divided into three clad in uniform black Swisspearl fiber cement
functional units arranged along a linear axis. panels accentuated by steel fire escape stairs
The school at the heart of the facility features and numerous timber-framed doors and win-
three parallel, three-story bars and is comple- dows. The spatial conception of the school
mented by a lower nursery and kindergarten building inspired the large-scale application
building to the west and a partially subsur- of perforated panels. Accessed via lateral cor-
face gymnasium to the east. The compact ridors, all classrooms are oriented toward the
grouping of the three structures frees up a sun and benefit from all-day direct sunlight
large portion of the site for outdoor facilities, through extensive glazing. To counterpoint
while the classroom slabs are lifted from the the openness of the south-facing frontages,
ground to create a continuous sheltered gath- architect Vedran Pedišić and his collabora-
ering and circulation space. tors devised entirely windowless rear eleva-
The three buildings share the same scale tions, punctured by myriad circular perfora-
and geometry and feature common design tions, which feed dappled light into the inte-
elements. Apart from exposed concrete pil- rior and create special visual effects inside
lars and timber ceilings, which metaphori- corridors, staircases and,—most daringly—
cally transform the central schoolyard into an lavatories.
PERFORATED 35
36 SWISSPEARL ARCHITECTURE #24
PERFORATED 37
 38 SWISSPEARL ARCHITECTURE #24

Third floor

CRO-152_Elementary-school-
Second floor

Kajzerica_ Zagreb
Vertical section
Scale: 1:20

First floor 1:2000

A

Vertical section 1:20

CRO-152_Elementary-School-Kajzerica
1 Swisspearl® LARGO panel 8 mm
1 2 Swisspearl® LARGO panel 8 mm, perforated
7 3 ventilation cavity, vertical sub framing

_ Zagreb
3
4 moisture barrier
5
4 5 thermal insulation

CRO-152_Elementary-School-Kajzerica
7 6 metal framing
5 7 gypsum plaster board

_Scale: 1:2000
6

Zagreb 2

Scale: 1:2000
A
PERFORATED 39
 SWISSPEARL ARCHITECTURE #24

In contrast to the preceding examples,

the buildings in this section showcase per-
forated panels as their primary design
feature. Though they serve for illumina-
tion and ventilation purposes as well,
these appear to be secondary as the main
consideration is clearly an aesthetic one.
With means of expression limited solely by
the creativity of the architect, it is all but
impossible to identify common charac­
teristics. In general, however, the perfora-
tions are employed in a comprehensive
and striking manner, which tends to have
a disintegrating, almost dematerializing
effect on the overall wall surface.

A prime example is the office building

in Cartaxo, whose cladding features
an all-encompassing perforation pattern
incorporating the company’s logotype.
Equally eye-catching, if slightly less lit-
eral, is the façade design of a church
in Budapest, where the architects repro-
duced a traditional embroidery pattern
to give a sense of place to the new
parsonage. At the University building in
Springfield, the perforations support
a gradual increase in transparency from
rear to front while giving added visual
interest to the show-stopping entrance
canopy of the student welcome center.

The kindergarten at Cervenjak takes a

special position in that the design pattern
results from gaps between the panels
rather than from perforations in the nar-
rower sense. Tellingly, it is the only build-
ing illustrated in this issue of “Swisspearl
Architecture” where the façade ornamen-
tation is indeed purely decorative and
serves no functional purpose whatsoever.
 PERFORATED 41

PRIMARY APPLICATIONS

DECORATING WITH A LOGO,

­EMBROIDERY,
OR BIRD SILHOUETTE
OFFICE BUILDING TAGUS GÁS, PORTUGAL
PARSONAGE, PARISH CHURCH OF THE CELESTIAL QUEEN, HUNGARY
MSU DAVIS-HARRINGTON WELCOME ­CENTER, MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY, USA
KINDERGARTEN, SLOVENIA
42 SWISSPEARL ARCHITECTURE #24
 PERFORATED 43

A
1
2
3
4
5
6
4

6 A

OFFICE BUILDING TAGUS GÁS,

1 Swisspearl® LARGO panel 8 mm, perforated 1 Swisspearl® LARGO Platte 8 mm, perforiert

3 moisture barrierCARTAXO, PORTUGAL

2 ventilation cavity, vertical sub framing

4 thermal insulation
2 Hinterlüftung, vertikale Unterkonstruktion
3 Feuchtigkeitssperre
4 Wärmedämmung
5 vapor retarder 5 Dampfbremse
LOCATION: Parque de Negócios do Cartaxo  CLIENT: Tagus Gás, Cartaxo 
6 steel beam 6 Stahlträger
metal sheetSaraiva & Associados, Lisbon (Miguel
7 ARCHITECT: Saraiva, Lara Gomes, Bruno Pereira)  BUILDING PERIOD: 2012 – 2014 
7 Metallblech
GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Lena Construções, SA, Santa Catarina da Serra, Leiria 
FAÇADE CONTRACTOR: Sotecnisol, Revestimentos, Lisbon  FAÇADE MATERIAL: Swisspearl® LARGO, CARAT Onyx 7099

This new headquarters for Tagus Gás in Car- helps minimize energy consumption by let-
taxo, fifty miles from the Portuguese capital, ting plenty of natural light penetrate the
is the country’s first office building to receive building. At the same time, it screens a num-
BREEAM certification. Designed by inter­ ber of manually operable windows, which
national practice Saraiva & Associados in allow the interiors to be naturally ventilated,
partnership with consultants Ecochoice, the improving air quality and comfort levels
structure features an array of sustainability while significantly reducing expenditures for
measures aimed at reducing its environmen- air-conditioning units. Beyond its practical
tal impact and optimizing its energy effi- benefits, the punctured cladding serves a ma-
ciency. jor aesthetic purpose. Inconspicuous during
The envelope is a core element of this sus- the day, the myriad perforations create a
tainability strategy, which covers the build- striking display when the interior is fully lit,
ing’s entire life cycle—from manufacturing conferring a glowing, almost dematerializing
and construction to utilization and post- effect to the façades. Moreover, the perfora-
occupancy. The façade system features ex­ tion pattern incorporates the company logo,
tensive high-performance glazing veiled by thus advertising the brand to the nearby A1
a perforated skin made of sustainably pro- highway, which connects Lisbon and Porto,
duced and recyclable Swisspearl panels. Dot- the country’s most populous cities.
ted by countless circular holes, the cladding
44 SWISSPEARL ARCHITECTURE #24

SIS-047_Office-Building_Lissa
Vertical section A-A, elevatio
Scale: 1:20

First floor 1:1000

A
1
2
3
4
5
6
4

6
A

Vertical section 1:20

1 Swisspearl® LARGO panel 8 mm, perforated

2 ventilation
1 Swisspearl®cavity, vertical
LARGO sub8framing
panel mm, perforated 1 Swisspearl® LARGO Platte 8
3 moisture barrier
2 ventilation cavity, vertical sub framing 2 Hinterlüftung, vertikale Unt
4 thermal
3 moistureinsulation
barrier 3 Feuchtigkeitssperre
5 vapor retarder
4 thermal insulation 4 Wärmedämmung
6 steel beam
5 vapor retarder 5 Dampfbremse
7 metal
6 steelsheet
beam 6 Stahlträger
7 metal sheet 7 Metallblech
PERFORATED 45
46 SWISSPEARL ARCHITECTURE #24
Scale: 1:20
PERFORATED 47

A
1 7
3 8
4 9

2 1
5
6

PARSONAGE
PARISH CHURCH OF THE CELESTIAL QUEEN,
1 Swisspearl® LARGO panel 8 mm
2 Swisspearl® LARGO panel 8 mm, perforated
1 Swisspearl® LARGO Platte 8 mm
2 Swisspearl® LARGO Platte 8 mm, perforiert

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY
3 bracket 3 Wandhalter
cavit vertical sub framing
4 ventilation cavity, 4 Hinterlüftung, vertikale Unterkonstruktion
5 sub framing 5 Unterkonstruktion
6 hinge 6 Scharnier
7 thermal insulation LOCATION: Szent István square  CLIENT: Parish Church of the Celestial Queen
7 Wärmedämmung
8 concrete 8 Beton
ARCHITECT: 4 plusz Építész Stúdió (Zoltán Berzsák), Budapest  BUILDING PERIOD: 2015  GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Kharisz
Kft., Veszprém 
9 gypsum board 9 Gipsplatte
FAÇADE CONTRACTOR: Evolution Kft., Budapest  FAÇADE MATERIAL: Swisspearl® LARGO, CARAT Onyx 7090

Located at the heart of the Hungarian capital, Lending a unified appearance to the new
this former music school has been converted structure, the architects clad the pitched roof,
into a new home for the Parish Church of the both external walls, and a number of perfo-
Celestial Queen. The scheme involved a care- rated shutters in Swisspearl panels, choosing
ful restoration of the dilapidated historical a light color scheme in keeping with the
building, which now accommodates the tra- white stucco of the existing building. The up-
ditional functions of the parsonage, such as per level of the new wing holds a more en-
the parson’s quarters, a classroom for reli- closed and intimate assembly room shrouded
gious education, the library, the banquet hall, by punctured panel screens that can, in part,
and a visitor’s apartment. In addition, archi- be opened. The extensive perforation pattern
tects 4 plusz designed a new and decidedly consists of numerous circular holes of vary-
modern structure that connects the two lat- ing diameter and mitigates the strict symme-
eral wings of the existing U-shaped building try of the composition. Inspired by traditional
and divides the garden space into two distinct Hungarian embroidery, the façade ornamen-
courtyards. Fully glazed to either side, the tation evokes a sense of place and enhances
transparent ground floor of the extension pro- the open and public nature of the new par-
vides space for social events and opens a vista sonage.
from the reception area to the rear garden.
 48 SWISSPEARL ARCHITECTURE #24

m HUN-096_Parish-Church_Budapest
Vertical section
Scale: 1:20

1 7 Vertical section 1:20

3 8 1 Swisspearl® LARGO panel 8 mm

4 2 Swisspearl® LARGO panel 8 mm, perforated
9
3 bracket
2 1 4 ventilation cavity, vertical sub framing
5 sub framing
5
6 hinge
6 7 thermal insulation
8 concrete
9 gypsum board
A

1 Swisspearl® LARGO panel 8 mm 1 Swisspearl® LARGO Platte 8 mm

2 Swisspearl® LARGO panel 8 mm, perforated 2 Swisspearl® LARGO Platte 8 mm,
Second perforiert
floor
3 bracket 3 Wandhalter
4 cavit vertical sub framing
ventilation cavity, 4 Hinterlüftung, vertikale Unterkonstruktion
5 sub framing 5 Unterkonstruktion
6 hinge 6 Scharnier
7 thermal insulation 7 Wärmedämmung
8 concrete 8 Beton
9 gypsum board 9 Gipsplatte

First floor 1:1000

PERFORATED 49
50 SWISSPEARL ARCHITECTURE #24
ical section Scale: 1:20 PERFORATED 51

A
1
2
3 4

4 5

1 6

2 4

MSU DAVIS-HARRINGTON WELCOME CENTER

MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY,
1 Swisspearl® LARGO panel 8 mm, perforated 1 Swisspearl® LARGO Plattel 8 mm, perforiert
2 ventilation cavity, aluminum sub framing 2 Hinterlüftung, Aluminium-Unterkonstruktion

SPRINGFIELD, USA
3 aluminum sub framing 3 Aluminium-Unterkonstruktion
4 structural steel 4 Stahlkonstruktion
5 glazing 5 Verglasung
6 curtain wall system 6 Vorhangfassade
LOCATION: 901SNational Ave  CLIENT: Missouri State University  ARCHITECT: Dake Wells Architecture, Springfield
BUILDING PERIOD: 2014 / 15  GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Wright
Construction Services, St Peters ( MO ) 
FAÇADE CONTRACTOR: Loveall Custom Sheet Metal, Springfield  FAÇADE MATERIAL: Swisspearl® LARGO, CARAT Onyx 7090

Missouri State University entrusted local The building enclosure combines a vari-
practice Dake Wells Architecture with the ety of materials in response to the surround-
design of this new welcome center, which ing campus context. The rear ground-floor
serves as a front gate to its Springfield cam- spaces are largely concealed behind lime-
pus. Conceived as a signature building for stone cladding; to the north, the envelope
the institution as a whole, the five million dol- increases in transparency, culminating in a
lar, 13,000-square-foot facility doubles as a tapering glass curtain wall that accentuates
multi-­purpose venue for special events and a the building’s main entrance. The architects
gathering place for visitors and prospective used a seemingly paper-thin layer of white
students. Enhancing the building’s visual Swisspearl panels to sheathe the fully glazed
presence, the architects devised a monumen- upper sections of the east and west façades.
tal two-story scheme that allows for a future The latter extends slightly beyond the
expansion incorporating existing admissions pointed corner of the building where the
and registration services. In addition to the lower part folds slightly away to extend a wel-
spacious entrance lobby, the ground floor ac- coming gesture to visitors. Inspired by the
commodates public functions, such as the pattern of a composition booklet, a seemingly
hundred-seat auditorium and a small cater- random arrangement of circular perforations
ing kitchen; administrative offices and con- feeds dappled light into the atrium and allows
ference rooms are located on the upper level views from the second-floor walkway.
and are accessed via a suspended walkway.
52 SWISSPEARL ARCHITECTURE #24
PERFORATED 53
54 SWISSPEARL ARCHITECTURE #24

KS-38_Student-Welcome-Center
_Springfield
Vertical section Scale: 1:20

First floor 1:1000 Second floor

1
2
3 4

4 5

1 6

2 4

3
A

Vertical section 1:20

1 Swisspearl® LARGO panel 8 mm, perforated

2 ventilation cavity, aluminum sub framing

KS-38_Student-Welcome-Center
1 Swisspearl® LARGO panel 8 mm, perforatedsub framing
3 aluminum 1 Swisspearl® LARGO Plattel 8 mm,
2 ventilation cavity, aluminum sub framing 2 Hinterlüftung, Aluminium-Unterko
4 structural steel
3 aluminum sub framing 3 Aluminium-Unterkonstruktion
5 glazing

_Springfield Scale: 1:1000

4 structural steel 4 Stahlkonstruktion
6 curtain wall system
5 glazing 5 Verglasung
6 curtain wall system 6 Vorhangfassade
PERFORATED 55
56 SWISSPEARL ARCHITECTURE #24
 PERFORATED 57

A
7
7

7 8
1
2
3
4
5

6 A

KINDERGARTEN,
CERKVENJAK, SLOVENIA
1 Swisspearl® LARGO panel 8 mm 1 Swisspearl® LARGO Platte 8 mm
2 ventilation cavity, vertical sub LOCATION:
framing 2 Hinterlüftung,
Cerkvenjak 34  vertikale Unterkonstruktion
CLIENT: Občina Cerkvenjak 
3 moisture barrier 3 Feuchtigkeitssperre
ARCHITECT: Superform,
4 thermal insulation, Ljubljana
mineral wool (Marjan Poboljšaj, Anton
4 Wärmedämmung, Žižek, Špela Gliha, Meta Žebre, Boris Janje) 
Mineralwolle
BUILDING PERIOD: 2010 – 2014  GENERAL
5 brickwork CONTRACTOR: Gradbeništvo Milan Pintarič, Gornja Radgona
5 Backsteinmauerwerk
6 plaster 6 Verputz
FAÇADE CONTRACTOR: LESAM, Miklavž na Dravskem polju  FAÇADE MATERIAL: Swisspearl LARGO, CARAT Topaz 7073
®
7 sub framing 7 Unterkonstruktion
8 gypsum board 8 Gipsplatte

Architects Superform drew the inspiration hallway itself varies in width and each play-
for this kindergarten from a nearby learning room unit boasts a unique, irregular and con-
path running through the Slovenian village torted shape.
of Cerkvenjak. Envisaged as an additional The design of the envelope supports this
branch of this path, the building features an idea. The units are sheathed in a copper-­
almost biomorphic plan layout consisting of colored Swisspearl paneling that incorpo-
six individually articulated units strung along rates a series of oblique ceiling-high window
an elongated central hallway. Five of the units slits. Equally tilted, isochromatic timber
provide play areas; the sixth accommodates posts propping up the eaves over the veran-
administrative offices and an underground das create a mirror image of the façade clad-
service level. The design concept allows the ding by inverting the pattern of solid and void
new facility to conform to the characteristics elements. Taking advantage of the relative
of the built and natural environment, as the independence of weather skin and substruc-
stepped hallway follows the slope of the ter- ture, the architects left gaps between the pan-
rain while the gable-roofed playroom units els to create a perforation-like shadow effect,
approximate the geometry and scale of the which evokes the silhouettes of flying birds
neighboring residential houses. Intended to and gives additional visual interest to the
enrich the children’s spatial experience, the façade.
58 SWISSPEARL ARCHITECTURE #24

ESA-710_Kindergarten_
Vertical section
Scale: 1: 20

A
7
7

First floor 1:500

7 8
1
2
3
4
5

6
A

Vertical section 1:20

1 Swisspearl® LARGO panel 8 mm

2 ventilation cavity, vertical sub framing
3 moisture barrier
4 thermal insulation, mineral wool
1 Swisspearl® LARGO panel 8 mm
5 brickwork 1 Swisspearl® LARGO
2 ventilation cavity, vertical sub framing
6 plaster 2 Hinterlüftung, vert
3 moisture
7 sub framing barrier 3 Feuchtigkeitssperre
4 thermal
8 gypsum insulation, mineral wool
board 4 Wärmedämmung,
5 brickwork 5 Backsteinmauerwe
6 plaster 6 Verputz
7 sub framing 7 Unterkonstruktion
8 gypsum board 8 Gipsplatte
PERFORATED 59
60 SWISSPEARL ARCHITECTURE #24

MASHRABIYYA
THE ORNAMENT AS VISUAL CONCEPT
Essay by Thomas Meyer-Wieser
 PERFORATED 61

Increasing density in Arabic metropolises during of placing clay water jugs in window niches to allow the
the Ottoman Empire opened hitherto private natural draft to cool the water. In another, the term is de-
­inner courtyards to the public. In order to prevent rived from “ashrafa” (to have an overview, observe) and
people from looking into the living spaces on was reworked over the course of the centuries under the
the upper floors, a new solution was necessary: influence of non-Arabic speakers.
mashrabiyya. Mounted in front of windows,
­loggia, and balconies, the artful, close-mesh Harâm—demarcated private sphere
wood latticework serves as a screen and protects The exact origins of mashrabiyya are unknown. The
from direct sun and also intense illumination. earliest examples are meant to date back to the twelfth
The influential Egyptian architect Hassan Fathy century. Most of those preserved today, however, were
helped mashrabiyya to a revival in Egyptian created in the sixteenth century. Mashrabiyya also spread
­post-war modernism. increasingly in Cairo during the Ottoman reign. They
were mainly found in upper stories that jutted out into
Among all of the façade and furnishing elements in Ara- the street space and in many cases were furnished with
bic residential architecture, mashrabiyya is granted an wooden alcoves. Increasing density in the city led to new
entirely special meaning. With its geometrical motifs, ground-plan solutions in monumental structures and res-
carved and turned from wood, composed in one piece or idential architecture. Traditional house units became
elaborately cut from material, it creates a world of light multistory, grouped around an inner courtyard so that the
and shadows that gives free rein to dreams. Set up in front ground floor could be rented out as shops, living space, or
of windows, loggia, and balconies, mashrabiyya serves as stalls. The courtyard was no longer private, but instead,
a screen and lattice to ensure the private sphere and pro- was used by several merchants and families.
tect from direct sunrays as well as intense illumination. The Islamic concept of protecting the interior of the
People gather, for the most part, along the street facades house from foreigners thus became increasingly less im-
of urban residential buildings and palaces in the Levant portant. In major cities, previously entirely closed outer
and Egypt. Since the production of mashrabiyya is time walls were replaced with a partially porous external skin.
and cost intensive, they are considered an ornament of Great care was taken not to injure a space’s protecting
the rich. wall: Unnecessary window openings toward the street
Two theories explain the origins of the term “mash­ were avoided or—when necessitated by the climate—were
rabiyya”: in one, the word is meant to originate from covered by close-meshed wood latticework. The curtain
“sharaba” (to drink) and can be traced back to the custom of wood latticework creates the illusion of a continuous

Left: Koran school

Sabil-Kuttab
Abd al-Rahman
Katkhuda,
Cairo, 1744.

Residential
palace Bayt
Ahmad Kathuda
al-Razzaz, Cairo,
­Fifteenth century/
1778: mashrabiyya
towards the
­courtyard.

Right: Bayt al-­

Kiridliya, Cairo,
sixteenth/seven-
teenth centuries:
private living
space (haramlik)
on the upper floor.
62 SWISSPEARL ARCHITECTURE #24

external skin, which nonetheless permits adequate inci- ing room, and study were hereby dispensed with, as the
dence of light and attractive views. Viewed from outside, same space could fulfill these functions successively at
the woodwork appears as a dominant element of the different times, and could be rearranged with just a few
façade. simple moves.

Filter for space and mind Ornament is no crime

The new residential model and upgrading of the street The diversity of uses of the space leads to leaving the
as a protected exterior space led to the façade’s clear and rooms nearly empty. Consequently, the surfaces of floor,
symmetrical organization by alcove and window, even ceilings, and walls are more important than furniture.
perforations, thus allowing it to fulfill the growing de- Symmetrically cut window openings, screened by the fil-
mand for light, air, and sun. A broad alcove on the first igree net of the mashrabiyya, wall niches, geometrically
floor often subdivided the visible face. Behind it was usu- subdivided wall friezes, ceiling decorations, floor mosa-
ally the main reception space, thus making the interior ics, and carpets as well as artistically designed equipment
structure legible from outside. placed on select sites lend the lined space a clear inner or-
The window zone was, however not merely an open- der, which does not exclude the accidental, but instead,
ing in the wall, but instead, presented a specific vertical gives it a solid frame.
spatial level cut into the wall: as a rule, it was gridded in Monumental building dimensions and delicate deco-
order to separate inside and outside, private and public. ration, is and remains a typical tension in Islamic archi-
Light penetrated the interior as though through a dense tecture. With the tendency towards dematerialization, a
filter. central characteristic steps forth that corresponds with
For windows facing the house’s own inner courtyard, the non-representational character of the fine arts of Is-
soffits were often fitted with low balustrades that served lam. Here, the aspiration is for a refining of the senses in
as shelves or benches. In most cases, alcove-like out- order to awaken to a higher reality rather than a negation
growths arose, which turned the mashrabiyya window of sensual experience or escape into transcendence. For
into an overhanging spatial niche from which one could that, the architectural shell must shed its earthly weight-
look outward, while either sitting or reclining. However, iness and take on an ethereal state, which is possible with
this was not only a unique type of window design, but also the help of the ornament.
frequently a considerable expansion of living space for
the inhabitants and at the same time, welcome shade for Reservoir of forms and ideas
people on the street. In the case of street-side windows, This aspect of Islamic art contributed decisively to the
protective measures had to be intensified, whereby in- discovery of a new, truly modern artistic language in Eu-
habitants remained out of sight from the passersby on the rope in the first decades of the twentieth century. Walter
street, while, in reverse, they were able to secretly observe Gropius and Le Corbusier successfully developed an ar-
the goings-on outside. chitecture that appeared to break radically with tradition
and orient on entirely new principles. Both architects
Nomadic architecture worked intensely with oriental architecture: Gropius had
The spaces in a traditional Arabic house were used in spent nearly a year in Spain studying Moorish art in 1907,
ways more flexible and diverse than is the case in modern and Le Corbusier traveled through Turkey together with
European life. In Europe, individual functions—eating, his friend Klippstein in 1911. Ottoman architecture of-
sleeping, household, and reception—have been divided fered him a reservoir of ideas and forms for interior de-
since the turn from the seventeenth to eighteenth cen- sign and proportion theory.
tury. In addition, heavy furniture designed specifically for Even representatives of Bauhaus grappled intensely
a particular purpose clearly and immutably defines the with the principles of Islamic art, as shown in the works
specific function of individual spaces. of Wilhelm Wagenfeld produced in 1923/24 under the in-
The Muslim house generally knew only light and mo- fluence of Johannes Itten in the metal workshop. Present-
bile interior furnishings and in that, remained entirely ing a climax of this movement was the “Meisterwerke
true to the character of the tent: the customary seating on Muhammedanischer Kunst” exhibition, which took place
the floor called for carpets and cushions rather than in Munich in October 1910. The exhibition initiated an in-
chairs; tables consisted of low, foldable bases and mov- vestigation of Islamic art in the West and met with a pos-
able copper panels, but often a cloth spread out on the itive response in painting. Rather than an interest in the
carpet sufficed; niches built into walls replaced cup- exotic content of oriental art, artists were fascinated by
boards. Long, flat, upholstered benches ran along the the two-dimensional approach of Islamic painting, which
walls or along the window sides and served for sleeping, corresponded with their own strivings. Accordingly, the
reclining, sitting, or offered a backrest for those sitting on image should, primarily, be a two-dimensional object and
the floor. Conventional differentiation into bedroom, liv- should be perceptible as such.
 PERFORATED 63

Two structures by
Hassan Fathy in
Egypt: Akil Sami
House, Dahshur,
1978 (left), and the
oasis village New
Baris, Kharga, 1967.

Staging of light other artists and was also active in teaching. Although
Under the pretext of fiction, Hassan Fathy published most of his projects remained unbuilt and some of his
personal, often critical views on questions related to mod- structures have been transformed or destroyed, Fathy was
ernism, tradition, and architectural heritage. In 1942 he nonetheless one of the most important figures of identi-
wrote the fable “Quissat al-mashrabiyya (Tale of the fication for several generations of Egyptian architects and
Mashrabiyya),” in which the filigree geometric network the Egyptian-Arabic art scene.
of the mashrabiyya of a fourteenth-century palace plays
Literature
an important role: “It was dense and detailed up to eye Stefano Bianca, Hofhaus und Paradiesgarten. Architektur und
height, above that, wide-meshed and open so that light ­Lebensformen in der islamischen Welt, Munich 1991 / 2001. –
Hans Belting, Florenz und Bagdad. Eine westöstliche Geschichte
appeared when it took its course through the space in the des Blicks, Munich 2008. – Leila el-Wakil, Quissat al-mashrabiyya
rhythm of the times of the day.” (Le Conte du Moucharabieh). Enraciner l’architecture appropriée:
Fathy thus interprets the mashrabiyya through the Hassan Fathy, (Genève) 2013. – Markus Hattstein, Peter Delius,
Islam: Kunst und Architektur, Cologne 2000. – Wolfgang Mayer,
play of light as an inward-turned light shade rather than Philipp Speiser, Der Vergangenheit eine Zukunft. Denkmalpflege in
an opening to the outside. While in the West, the window der islamischen Altstadt von Kairo 1973 – 2004, Mainz 2007. –
­Stefan Weber, Zeugnisse kulturellen Wandels, PhD thesis.
marks the location of the subject who gazes curiously out Berlin 2001.
into the world, in the Arabic space, a grid is built at this
threshold, which serves entirely for the staging of light. Book recommondation
Thomas Meyer-Wieser published an architectural guide to Cairo in
In this, light itself becomes a theme of geometry. It sepa- 2014. Based on more than 200 buildings as examples, he describes
rates from the material carrier of the window grid and cir- the concept of this north-African city, which was once the heart
of high culture in antiquity, and is today the capital of modern
culates freely in changing refractions and various corners
Egypt. More so than any other city in the Islamic world, Cairo
of the space. In this way, the mashrabiyya lends light a stands for architectural and social transformation, for the charged
shape, which first forms in the interior of the house. The field between religious tradition and a modern world of glitz. The
metropolis of eighteen million is rightly so considered the “mother
built space is the stage on which light appears as a cosmic of all cities.” (Architekturführer Kairo, 388 pages, Berlin 2014)
power as the play of light rays runs its course through the
inside space following the rhythm of the times of day.
Through the return to the mashrabiyya, Fathy ad-
opted not only an artistic, but also a political position. He
represented the view that architects should strengthen
national pride by taking up and further developing tradi-
tional construction forms. Fathy worked closely with
64 SWISSPEARL ARCHITECTURE #24

SMALL FORMAT

EMBROIDERED FAÇADE
Detailed fiber cement panels decorate and the classical organizing elements, the Rectory, Degersheim,
the rectory in the rural community of building blends harmoniously into the ­Switzerland
Degersheim. They form a uniform pro- townscape. Location
tective layer, similar to the way wood “The Swisspearl shingles that are used Steineggstrasse 23, Degersheim
shingles once did, and are reminiscent continue the tradition of the existing stock; Client
of textiles. Various formats in succes- with their detail, they shape a homogenous Parish Degersheim
sive rows reveal a site-specific design texture for the façade,” says Stutz. “The use
Architects
approach. of different formats and cuts plays with the architektur.stutz, Degersheim
idea of textiles, generating a liveliness that (Hans Ruedi Stutz, Sanae
Michael Hanak The rectory is next to the guides the attention of passersby towards it. ­Mukai, Florian Oertli,
church, in the center of town. Degersheim The façade is the ‘dress’ of the typical em- Antonios Palaskas)
is a community in the hilly pre-Alpine re- broidery building. Its design is a clear remi- Building period
gion of the Canton of St. Gallen. Two mighty niscence of the embroidery factory and the 2014 / 15
church structures define this nationally former sensually-playful building tradition, Façade contractor
significant townscape: the reformed church which is underscored by the use of a floral Giger GmbH, Degersheim
built by Curjel & Moser in 1906 / 07 in a pattern—the façade appears as though em-
Façade material
traditional Heimatstil and the Catholic broidered.” Swisspearl® NOBILIS
St. Jakobus Church built by the local archi- In order to evoke a similarity with tradi- Beige N 811
tects Danzeisen & Hunziker in 1924 in a tional wood shingles, on the one hand, and 5 × 120 × 150 cm and
neo-baroque style. the reminiscence of the typical local em- 10 × 60 × 150 cm and
Many homes in town correspond with broidery factory, the choice of façade mate- 5 × 120 × 150 cm
the style of the Stickerhaus where embroi- rial quickly fell on detailed fiber cement
dery machines were once found in the panels. At first, the architects considered
stonewalled semi-basement, and people re- combining two tones of gray and alternating
sided on the two upper floors. The facades them stripe-wise. With this, they aimed
of the upper floors were protected with to achieve an embroidery effect. However,
wood shingles, which were occasionally in the sampling they assessed that there
painted in lightly tinted shades as a refining was too much contrast. Therefore, they de-
touch. The repetition of these qualities cided on only one color tone: greenish-
led to a uniform townscape. gray, pale beige.
Architect Hans Ruedi Stutz, who is ac- In the choice of formats, diversity and
tive in town, grappled with local building variety were welcome. A dynamic stripe
tradition for the rectory project. For the pattern was meant to arise as in linear em-
new structure, he interpreted the typical lo- broidery patterns. Squares, rectangles,
cal Stickerhaus in a contemporary way. and rhombuses alternate in one to three
“The new rectory follows design principles rows. Depending on the level and intensity
from the heyday of the embroidery factory,” of the sun, but also the close or distant
says Hans Ruedi Stutz. “Nonetheless, it perspective, a finely woven façade pattern
reveals a contemporary ground plan, struc- arises visually rendering the architects’
tures, and materials and blends them to- design approach.
gether to a whole that integrates harmoni-
ously into the townscape, which is worthy
of protection.”
The house has three floors and ends
with a flat hip roof. The ground floor is plas-
tered, the upper floors are clad with fiber
cement panels. A fascia is added for organi-
zation above the ground floor, which like
the window casing is composed of prefabri-
cated concrete elements. Pilaster strips built
from flat painted wood panels run along
the corners of the building. With its detailed
shingle cladding reminiscent of tradition,
65
66 SWISSPEARL ARCHITECTURE #24

CH_Pfarramt_Degersheim
Vertical section
Scale: 1:20

A
1

2
Second floor
3

5
6
A

Vertical section 1:20

First floor 1:500 1 Swisspearl® SMALL FORMAT 4 mm

1 Swisspearl® SMALL FORMAT 4 mm 1 Swisspearl® FASSADE
2 ventilation cavity, vertical batten
2 ventilation cavity, vertical batten 2 Hinterlüftung, vertika
3 thermal block
3 thermal block 3 Wärmedämmstein
4 acoustic insulation layer
4 acoustic insulation layer 4 Wandlager
5 brickwork
5 brickwork 5 Backsteinmauerwerk
6 prefabricated lintel
6 prefabricated lintel 6 Stahlton-Sturz
7 plaster
7 plaster 7 Verputz
 67

The parish’s façade of

small-format panels
continues
the local building
tradition.

The small size

­panels have verti-
cal cuts. Overlap-
ping one another,
each part seems to
be attached indi-
vidually.
The accurate verti-
cal and horizontal
alignment makes
the panels look
smaller than they
actually are.
The precisely fit
­installation lends a
continuous and
­homogeneous
­effect to the clad-
ding.
68 SWISSPEARL ARCHITECTURE #24

Publisher Authors Photos Legal notes

Michael Hanak is a Zurich-based C1: Fernando Guerra, Lisbon Texts, images, photos and graphic
historian specialized in art and C2: Marc Petitjean, Paris work in this publication are pro-
­architecture. He has a preference C3: Kilian J. Kessler, Zurich tected by copyright and other intel-
for contemporary architectural C4: Miran Kambič, Radovljica lectual property rights. Rights to
CH-8867 Niederurnen ­history and the current handling the texts are owned by the writers
Switzerland of it. pp. 2/ 3: Swisspearl, ­Niederurnen in all cases. The contents of this
phone +41 (0)55 617 11 60 pp. 4/ 5: Kilian J. Kessler, Zurich publication may not be copied, dis-
Patrick Zamariàn is a freelance
[email protected] pp. 6/ 7, 16–19: Nils Timm, tributed, altered or made available
writer and translator. For his PhD
www.swisspearl.com Los Angeles to third parties for commercial pur-
thesis at the University of Liver-
pp. 8–11: Ruedi Walti, Basel poses. Further, some pages include
pool, his focus is on British post­war
pp. 12–15: René Riller, images the copyrights of which are
architecture.
The internationally distributed Schlanders owned by third parties.
magazine Swisspearl Architecture Thomas Meyer-Wieser, architect pp. 20–33: Jürg Zimmermann,
This publication has been assem-
sets Swisspearl fiber cement and urban planner, has been in- Zurich
bled with the greatest possible care.
products within a contemporary volved with the architecture and pp. 34–39: Sandro Lendler, Zagreb
Nevertheless, the publisher cannot
architectural context. urban planning of the Islamic world pp. 40–45: Fernando Guerra
guarantee freedom from error and
since his studies at the ETH Zurich: FG + SG, Lisbon
Advisory board the complete accuracy of the infor-
1974 internship in Teheran, 1979 pp. 46–49: Albertszki Tamás,
Michèle Rüegg Hormes, mation it contains. The plans have
restoration of the Palace Ghala Budapest
division manager communication, Dokhtar in Firuzabad, Iran, travel been kindly provided by the archi-
pp. 50–55: Gayle Babcock,
Dept. ­of Architecture, ETH Zurich stipend and research on Hassan tects. The detailed plans have been
­Springfield
Martin Tschanz, docent ZHAW reworked for greater legibility; the
Fathy. 1995–2002 lectureship land- pp. 56–59: Miran Kambič,
editors are not able to guarantee
Editorial committee scape architecture, Hochschule ­Radovljica
their accuracy.
Michael Hanak für Technik Rapperswil. Own ar- p. 60: B. O’Kane/Alamy
Martina Kast chitecture firm in Feldmeilen, p. 61 left: Stefan Bischof, Zurich Except for CARAT Onyx and
Marco Pappi Switzerland. p. 61 right: Thomas Meyer-Wieser, ­Amber, all fiber cement panels
Jürg Schönenberger Feldmeilen Swisspearl® LARGO are manu­
Yasmin Willi p. 63: Danielle Fischer, Zurich factured exclusively in Switzerland.
Robert Wirichs pp. 64–67: Jürg Zimmermann,
Zurich
Editor
Michael Hanak, Zurich
Editing
Marion Elmer, Zurich
Translation
Lisa Rosenblatt, Vienna
Design
Bernet & Schönenberger, Zurich
Detail plans
Deck 4 GmbH, Zurich
Printing company
Galledia AG, Flawil
Print run
20,000
Typeface
Brown Pro, Mercury Text
English edition
ISSN 1661–3260
Despite hi-tec, in the Swisspearl factory in Niederurnen, hands-on work is still carried out.
 Bus station in Velenje, Slovenia, 2008/09, Gužič Trplan Arhitekti, Ljubljana

PERFORATED
Openings that let in light and air are among the most basic characteristics of a
building envelope. Perforations are perfectly suitable for opening exterior walls
in a purposeful and controlled way. At the same time, they create an impressive
appearance. As can be seen on many of today’s façades, perforations form
­patterns and ornaments—a contemporary variation of the centuries-old Arabic
tradition of mashrabiyya. Small or large openings, drilled or cut, connect
technical matters with aesthetic demands. This issue of Swisspearl Architecture
presents various designs for perforated façade panels, and also, how they
can be applied.