This seminar examines and debates the theoretical controversies surrounding the material and conceptual properties of the architectural surface. The course is conceived as a series of case studies of buildings and projects, supported by readings in philosophy, psychoanalysis, and historiography, discussing the role of the surface historically and today. Themes include smooth and rough (Alberti, Giulio Romano); solid geometries (Ledoux, Boullée); historicist tableaux (Piranesi, Soane); frames and skins (Labrouste, Paxton); smooth and rough (Le Corbusier); containers and wrappings (Koolhaas, SANAA); topologies (Lynn, Schumacher). Following the presentations, students develop and present their own case studies. Doctoral and M.E.D. students in the seminar develop a research paper in the history, theory, and criticism of the surface with special attention to historiographical context. A fifteen-page paper, with appropriate graphic analyses, is required. Limited enrollment.
