ISBN print 978-3-85125-317-7
ISBN E-Book 978-3-85125-318-4
(DOI 10.3217/978-3-85125-317-7

The idea of architecture as the human being’s third skin has always shaped building. It is therefore not surprising that even today one speaks of the “outer skin” of a building or a “building body”. In almost all languages of the world, the terms for window and eye, or for door and mouth, are similar—if not even identical.
It is therefore not surprising that facades often resemble a face, or are intentionally designed to do so. This publication shows numerous examples from the four continents Europe, Africa, Asia and ancient America and discusses them in their cultural context.
In a further step, the city—especially the walled, historic one—can be portrayed as a fourth protective skin, which is evident at many city gates in the form of gigantic faces, but also in numerous urban glyphs with a defensive character.

Size 27.5 x 20.50 cm, 303 pages, hardcover, thread-sewn