Allegorical Façades: When Clouds Become Clocks

Façades in architecture have essentially been used in two ways: to present blankness concealing the programmes and functions behind them or to express vitality, institutional strength and semiotic cosmologies. With the advent of AI, diffusion models and their quick processing of huge data clouds, façade exercises can be used differently as forms of inspiration for architects. Associate Professor at the University of Nebraska‐Lincoln Brian M Kelly demonstrates how disembodied AI devoid of old architectural rules can make architects re‐examine their traditional ways of architectural composition.