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Erasing The Face: Solar Control And Shading In Post-War Architecture, William Braham

William W. Braham

Sun control and shading constitute the second chapter in the heroic story of the modem wall, of the wall transformed by the new potentials of iron, glass, and reinforced concrete. The development of air conditioning in the 1930s helped ameliorate the overheating problems and facilitated the increased use of glass, but from the beginning of the chapter on glass walls architects sought more expressive means of dealing with the sun and preserving the recognisable qualities of the wall. This essay explores the seminal argument for shading devices developed by the Olgyay brothers in the 1940s and 1950s.