357and vertical articulation, they give expression to tranquil con-
stancy or gestural animation.
While we cannot escape the ground, nor perhaps reach
the ceiling, the wall allows us freedom of movement; we can
approach it, distance ourselves from it, or adopt a variety
of positions in relation to it. It becomes the backdrop to a
scene, a framed background for that which occurs in front
of it, and provides opportunities for withdrawal or conceal-
ment behind it. In the Middle Ages, the primitive travelling
theatre consisted of nothing more than a plain wall curtain
set up on a wooden floor. When using a room, locations with
a wall towards the back are preferred, because it is said to
‘cover one’s back’ while also serving as a support. Even when
not leaning against it, we find its verticality reassuring – a
quality that is lost when it is slanted, since then, we risk a col-
lision, whether with our feet or our heads. Through its physi-
cal mass, it offers stability. But since it also offers resistance
to our bodies, it can also be experienced as an obstacle when
positioned directly in front of us.
- The apparent stability of thin walls is reminiscent of
the masonry wall. A masonry wall is solid, thick and heavy, is
generally constructed of brick or stone, and stands or lies on
the ground, while other types of walls may also be hung or
suspended. Gottfried Semper believed he had discovered the
tectonic origin of the wall in the covering of a space frame
with textiles or carpets; he claimed that the word Wand (Ger-
man for ‘wall’) could be derived from the word Gewand (Ger-
man for ‘garment’). By means of cladding or facing (> cover-
ing), even the masonry wall can assume this character, and
light walls may take on greater mass and strength through ad-
ditional layering. The structure and corporeal quality of walls
becomes visible in > openings and embrasures which expose
them in section, and which may even be expanded to become
space-containing walls.
- As soon as walls assume their genuine task, that of
delimiting rooms, their dual role comes into play: ‘Seen from