Architectural Envelope and Uncertainty: A Conceptual Reading in the Context of Space and City

Abstract

In contemporary architecture, the envelope is no longer a line separating inside from outside; it has become a permeable, multilayered interface that mediates between space and the city. This study places the envelope at the center to examine architectural uncertainty through spatial (internal) and urban (external) factors that shape it. Uncertainty is discussed not as a deliberate aesthetic effect, but as a condition emerging where space–envelope and city envelope relations intersect. Using photographs of selected recent buildings, the research conducts conceptual readings and evaluates them through tables based on defined criteria. The results show that in uncertain conditions, the envelope is not a passive divider; it actively negotiates and redraws spatial and urban boundaries. Accordingly, the study proposes an envelope-centered framework for interpreting architectural uncertainty.