The Shell

The shell is an enclosing, protecting, storing and fitting thing, defined in form by the body it encloses, otherwise forming a mass that encloses it.

It is the layer connecting the exterior and the interior, the figure that can only be seen superficially. It can transmit the authenticity of the interior or fool the viewer. It is therefore possible to communicate form via the shell or to change it, indeed to resist it. In architecture, the shell is both a protective and representational component; it is a space-creating element that can do more than dress up. The shell communicates content to the outside, but how can we learn to control this content in a directed way and convey a relationship between inside and outside?

We ask ourselves what depth and independence the shell can achieve, based on a moldable origin. What does the shell show and what does it conceal? To what extent does the shell relate to its inside? What happens when the shell is detached from its object of origin, how does the shell change? By experimenting with the shell, we develop three-dimensional objects which we examine in terms of their quality of form, materiality, orientation in space, relationship to their environment and their influence on us.

The course consists of five practical tasks that gradually lead to the final form and reflect the semester topic. The exercises are also accompanied by theoretical input in the form of weekly lectures. This continuous interaction between practice and theory is an essential part of achieving knowledge and gaining a deeper insight into the topic.