CCTV BEIJING

To protect against the sun and wind, the façade is covered with monumental umbrellas made of stainless steel structures and woven metal mesh. This aerial covering seems to float above the rational and functional architecture of the building.
Jürgen Habermas wrote that “what is subject to public judgment acquires publicity”: here, the mesh acts as a witness. A witness to the modernity of the building, with its umbrellas protecting the façade. A witness also to a private, secret space, that of information, suddenly revealed to the public. The two hundred umbrellas cling to the walls like a mountain, creating a cascade of terraces sheltered from the light. Like giant pixels, each umbrella has its own orientation, so that no two people perceive the building in the same way. It is precisely like information: delivered once, interpreted thousands of times. Looking at the design, one might think it is a random collection. But this is not the case.