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The Matisse  principle

Matisse was concerned with the effect of shutters on light and the atmosphere in a room. Shutters are perceived as a typically southern-European building part but we can certainly benefit from them in Northern Europe too.

Tinted windows might do for cars but they are not suitable for buildings. If one uses shutters instead of sun-screening windows one can passively raise the solar heating contribution in the colder months and reduce heating expenses.

In the summer the buildings’ shutters function as an external, dynamic screen and replace or reduce the need for air-conditioning in homes and office buildings. At the same time they contribute to the well-being of employees and residents because shutters offer the opportunity for the individual regulation of light and heat from the sun.

Shutters can be designed in many ways and are a current topic for today’s designers.

Shutters are an exciting example of early developed multi-functionality in windows. They can give us the opportunity to regulate light and heat in buildings according to need. An aesthetic solution with shutters of wood has given the new building Kilen (Copenhagen Business School) its own unique facade.