Title: Deteriotating façades 
Date: 18-05-2018
Tags: Biennale Internationale Design Saint-Etienne 2017, Entretien e(s)t l'architecture, Maintenance as architecture, façade
Location: WTC
Mood: less moody
Image: 15en.svg

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This local stone ages very poorly, and can even become diseased, if it is not protected from the rain. 
Traditionally, the stone was covered regularly with a plaster that allows it to breathe. To create this plaster, artisans mixed lime and sand together (as is the convention in most parts of France), giving the city’s facades a particular character that was limited to a few colors: ocher, pink, green... 
Today, the method of mixing this plaster has changed, producing a roughcast plaster that is available in a wider range of colors. 
Thirty years ago, the City Council proposed a series of colors within this range in order to provide the public with a frame of reference for color choices.