PAVIRŠIUS IR FORMA ŠIUOLAIKINĖJE ARCHITEKTŪROJE.

Architectural form in contemporary architecture gains more and more independence and visual difference from the tectonic structure of the building. Many researchers of contemporary architecture separate a building's "skin" from its carcass. Thus a new element is distinguished -- the coat of the building. Such autonomy of the surface makes a presumption that there is a certain separation between structural and non-structural elements, between the frame and the envelope. As soon as the building's "skin" is disembodied from its structure, its function becomes similar to that of a curtain or dress. The article examines the influence of autonomous surfaces on the architectural form, identifies the most typical features and expressions of the building's skin and provides the charactersitic contemporary examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]