31By virtue of their spatial connection to the terrain and the
necessity for secure foundations, works of architecture differ
from objects that can be inverted or carried away. The bottom
edge, where a building rests on the ground, requires a differ-
ent treatment than all other edges and surfaces (> tectonics).
The base reveals the relationship between a building and the
ground: it pushes into the earth, rests on the ground, or is
detached from it. Whether a building makes the impression of
standing upright, reclining or floating depends upon whether
it has a base, and if so on its formation. The connection be-
tween the building and the ground also determines the way in
which the building relates to the terrain of the exterior space
and how the two join together to form a spatial unity.
Depending upon its design, the base shows us how a
building rests upon the > ground. Solidity and robustness pro-
duce a tectonic expression of load-bearing capacity. Particu-
larly in historic buildings, these qualities are achieved by
means of rough rusticated masonry or the use of natural stone
in the pedestal zone, or by squat proportions and apertures
smaller than those in upper storeys. Bases also ensure that in-
dividual architectural elements, such as > columns and pillars,
neither sink into the earth optically nor seem detached from it.
Although the base belongs to the building, and not to
the earth, it fulfils the task of creating a connection to the
terrain, broadening out by means of transitions, steps, ped-
estals or terraces. In ways comparable to the shoes we wear
on our feet, materials also convey distinctions between
the fineness of the interior and the coarseness of the exte-
rior. Along with the building, the base also brings its oc-
cupants down to earth, shaping direct contact with the
passersby and vehicles that move around the building.
Through its palpable presence and tactile qualities, the
base constitutes the first zone of contact for approaching a
building within its immediate surroundings, and is its first
distinctive identifying symbol. Essentially, it is reminiscent of
the role of the pedestal, which provided stability to ancientBase