In redesigning the façade of the Saar project, we were faced with a building where the majority of the façade construction had already been completed using a weak, linear, and repetitive structure. In the design process, on one hand, we confronted a flat and monotonous façade, and on the other hand, due to the completion of the interior construction work, it was not possible to demolish the outer masonry walls in order to reconfigure the layout of the boundary walls.

Our proposal was to attach an additive skin to the existing façade—one that would minimize interference with the current structure while providing a means to break away from the flatness of the existing elevation.

During the design process, by examining the existing pattern of openings, terraces, and vertical proportions of the building, we arrived at a structure that—with a dual logic—aims to both generate a unified composition and maximize the use of the existing terraces. The design is a double-skin façade, composed of an integrated grid of movable vertical louvers, which is interrupted at two points by large incisions.

The proposal of a unified, dynamic skin not only conceals the original façade but also creates a flexible and ever-changing interface for the openings. The large voids within the skin are formed by expanding and deepening the pre-existing terraces, creating points of disjunction that challenge the idea of façade unity.