Inside out: Video mapping and the architectural facade

This article discusses the conceptual implications of the introduction of video mapping to building facades, the role of the facade as an architectural mediator between interior and exterior spaces and the ways in which video mapping transforms this role. At one time transparent (in modern architecture) and then opaque (in postmodern architecture), the architectural facade has traditionally maintained its integrity as a mediator between public and private spheres. Video mapping proposes to transform this situation by creating an ever-changing image for the facade, as well as by exploiting the facade’s ability to absorb any projection on its surface. The outcome is a videomapped facade, composed of both a physical surface and the video’s virtual images; together, these two elements create a new type of architectural facade.