FORM FOLLOWS INTERACTIONISM

The first topic of this research is "form follows interactionism." Through the analysis of case studies, we aim to explore the hypothesis that buildings are shaped not only by function (1) or finance (2) but also by interactionism—specifically, the relationship between facades and users.

In other words, our hypothetical research question is: Can we trace an alternative path in architectural history that does not necessarily follow a "time-style category" but instead examines buildings based on the user-facade relationship, regardless of their historical period? Or, is it possible to classify buildings from entirely different eras under a "user-façade category" based on how this relationship influences façade design?

To celebrate the launch of our blog, we have chosen to highlight one of the most incredible yet overlooked buildings in architectural history. For decades, this remarkable structure has been neglected by many historians, despite its significance. However, in the past 20 years, it has garnered increasing attention from scholars and has been widely studied and published.

Still, looking at the pictures of this 1903 teddy bear factory, it’s impossible not to feel a sense of joy and wonder.

In 1903—long before Walter Gropius designed the celebrated Fagus Factory—Margarete Steiff and her nephew completed the construction of her visionary and beautifully designed factory in Giengen an der Brenz, a small town in Germany.

The facade has recently been recognized as the first-ever example of a curtain wall.

Margarete Steiff wasn’t an architect—she simply cared about her workers and wanted to create an elegant, sustainable factory designed around their needs.

The facade consists of two layers of glass separated by a 250 mm gap, acting as a filter to provide thermal and acoustic insulation, diffuse light over workers’ benches, and ensure privacy. It is a true curtain wall—a continuous, non-load-bearing enclosure attached to the main steel frame.

Natural cross-ventilation was achieved through manually operated box windows, which opened across both glass layers. During the summer months, adjustable louvers helped regulate airflow, keeping the internal environment cool.

From an interactionist perspective, users actively control this selective facade through operable windows and internal adjustable louvers. The facade functions as an active filter, regulating light and privacy for workers.

This creates two key forms of interaction:

User-Facade Interaction – Workers have direct control over ventilation and privacy, engaging with the facade as a responsive element.
Environment-Facade Interaction – The facade filters external conditions, such as heat, cold, and humidity, while also creating dynamic silhouettes and shadows on its surface.

As Blanca Lleó underlines in her article (1):

"The movement of persons and goods in constant circulationon this innovative inclined plane that embraced the façadescontributed to a new perception of architecture, changing and open,that is manifested by means of its innovative transparency in thevivid presence of actors and objects within an intermediate spacebetween the interior and the exterior of the factory."

The facade becomes interactive not only as a climatic filter—thanks to its double-glass layers and user control—but also as an external visual element. Through the external stairs and translucent facade, viewers outside can observe silhouettes and shadows shifting behind the curtain wall. When illuminated at night, the factory transforms into a glowing "lantern," further enhancing its magical presence.

Lleó also notes that this concept reappeared seven decades later in the Centre Pompidou, where:

"The Pompidou building wouldemploy this strategy on a large scale with its famous escalatorsthat, full of visitors and passersby, symbolized a new culture ofmasses: ‘the ornamental crowd’ as the generator of a façade in constant change."