Translucent Building Skinsexplores the design of innovative building enclosure systems (or skins) in contemporary architecture and their precedents in earlier twentieth century modern architecture. The book explores the tectonics, the history and the influence of translucency as a defining characteristic in architecture. Highly illustrated, the book analyzes works by renowned contemporary architects such as Steven Holl, Renzo Piano and Kengo Kuma, situating their designs within a trajectory that includes earlier work by such modern masters as Frank Lloyd Wright, Gordon Bunshaft, and Pierre Chareau. Today, among many contemporary architects, there is an engagement with new technologies, new material assemblies, and new priorities such as sustainability and energy-efficiency. A resurgent interest in translucency as a defining quality in buildings has been an important part of this recent dialogue and this book makes essential reading for any architect looking to incorporate aspects of translucency into their buildings.