Architects: Want to have your project featured? Showcase your work by uploading projects to Architizerand sign up for ourinspirational newsletters.At its peak, the global textile industry accounted for over half of all factory workers worldwide, fueling the rise of industrial architecture from Manchester to Mumbai. The sheer scale of production demanded innovations in building design like we had never seen before. Multi-story brick mills expanded the use of cast-iron frames; sawtooth roofs optimized daylight; and vast floor plate prefigured the open-plan logic of modernism. The architecture of the textile mill was very much the blueprint for the contemporary factory and even the modern office model as we understand it today.However, it isnt just what was on the outside of a textile mill that has influenced architects for decades, whats on the inside has equally inspired some incredible designs. From Gottfried Sempers theory that weaving gave us the first walls to mosaics that mimic materials. Architects have pleated panels, embroidered entryways, and stitched steel all in the tradition of textiles. For something inherently soft, textiles have had an unexpectedly firm grip on the architecture industry, and the following nine projects show the stunning results that can be achieved when architects draw their creativity from cloth.Herning Museum of Contemporary ArtBy Steven Holl Architects, Herning, DenmarkPhotos by Iwan Baan A museum designed with textiles in mind makes perfect sense for Herning. The roof, shaped like folded shirt sleeves, nods to the towns history as a hub for garment production. Even the concrete walls pick up the theme, their fabric-like texture created by pressing truck tarps into the formwork. Inside, solid gallery walls give the art its due, while curved ceilings soften the light. Outside, sculpted mounds extend the buildings geometry into the landscape, tying everything together with a careful attention to material and form.The Veil HouseBy Paperfarm Inc, Kaohsiung City, TaiwanPhotos by Daniel YaoBuilt in a dense neighborhood where privacy is scarce, The Veil House takes its name quite literally. Its brick faade is arranged like a woven textile, changing in density to control light, air, and visibility where required. Inspired by the districts historic brick kilns, the design uses floating clay bricks to create its tapestry-like faade, becoming a screen that is both structural and stunning. Behind it, a central atrium pulls as much light as possible deep into the house, carefully finding the balance between openness and enclosure.Brick Weave HouseBy 4site architects, KA, IndiaPhotos by Shamanth Patil J.Cubbon Peth historically housed Bangalores oldest handloom silk weavers colony. But post industrial revolution, handcrafted silk weaving art was lost. With the intent of preserving the idea of a traditional weaving, the facade of Brick Weave House is a woven screen of bricks, threaded onto steel rods and rotated at precise angles to balance light, ventilation, and privacy. By day, the screen scatters shifting patterns of light through the interiors. By night, the house glows, casting its intricate weave pattern back onto the street.Ferrum 1By TCHOBAN VOSS Architekten, Saint Petersburg, RussiaPhotos by Ilya IvanovThe Corten steel faade of Ferrum 1 is designed as a woven grid, with horizontal and vertical bands appearing to thread through one another, creating the illusion of warp and weft. The material choice is no accident. The deep rust-red patina is a reference to the sites industrial past, once home to the Rossiya factory, while the name itself (Latin for iron) reinforces its connection to the citys manufacturing heritage. At the corners, structural glazing cuts through the steel, juxtaposing the weight with moments of lightness and transparency. Inside, the theme shifts. Gold-toned finishes replace the raw exterior, creating a deliberate tension between industrial and refined: Rust on the outside, gold on the inside.Paul Smith, MayfairBy 6a architects, London, United KingdomPaul Smith built his reputation on sharp tailoring and attention to detail. His Mayfair store does the same, only in cast iron. Borrowing inspiration from woven hats and finely drawn gold ingots alongside the soft fall of cloth, the intricate facade uses interlocking circles to create a surface that appears woven. The pattern, abstracted from Regency architecture, catches the light at different angles, shifting between depth and opacity. Up close, the texture of the casting process is visible, giving in the imperfections it needs. Paul Smiths own drawings are embedded in the metal too, adding a playful touch.VICUTU Concept Flagship StoreBy AntiStatics Architecture, Beijing, ChinaPhotos by UKStudioVICUTU is one of Chinas leading menswear brands, specializing in precision tailoring and technical fabrics. Its flagship store brings that same idea to its architecture. The faade is made from bent aluminum sheets, interlocked to form a patterned outer skin. Inside, a woven diagrid motif runs through floors, pedestals and partitions to create a unified design language. Display counters are moulded to the ground, while curving walls direct movement through the space. Spanning two floors and housing multiple brand lines, the store translates the technical craftsmanship of tailoring into the built environment.Jinke Hanwang Tingquan Xiaozhen lifestyle and arts loungeBy Le Brand Strategy, Xuzhou, ChinaPhotos by Sun XiangyuAt Jinke Hanwang Tingquan lounge, the designers drew directly from the regions Han dynasty heritage, particularly its celebrated woven textiles fabrics famously described as thin as cicada wings. Interior partitions are designed to replicate this tradition, formed from transparent mesh and layered screens, they divide spaces, tea rooms and quiet areas without fully separating them. The suspended wooden ceiling also references the iconic curved rooftops of Han palaces, giving the space a sense of historical depth. Throughout, saw-marked timber and raw steel accents keep the space restrained and contemporary, offering a balance between ancient craftsmanship and modern design.Ceramic HouseBy Studio RAP, Amsterdam, NetherlandsPhotos by Riccardo De VecchiStudio RAP used its own custom-built 3D-printing technology to create the faade of Amsterdams Ceramic House. Inspired by knitted textiles, the ceramic tiles are algorithmically designed and individually printed. Each is entirely unique. At street level, large tiles glazed by Royal Tichelaar in pearl-white with hints of yellow provide illuminating texture up close, while higher up, bricks in varying shades of red blend comfortably with the original masonry. The faade maintains the familiar structure and proportions of P.C. Hooftstraat, yet brings a truly unique aesthetic to one of Amsterdams historic streets.CASA MYMBy Numero 26 Studio, Murcia, SpainPhotos by David FrutosCASA MYM borrows directly from Murcias textile tradition. The ceramic tiles that cover the faade replicate patterns found on local farmers embroidered workwear. This connection grounds the building naturally to its setting. Divided into three separate volumes, the house angles towards views of the surrounding orchards and mountains. While, inside, simple materials like unfinished clay walls, galvanized metal doors and pine joinery keep the design practical and straightforward.Architects: Want to have your project featured? Showcase your work by uploading projects to Architizerand sign up for ourinspirational newsletters.The post Threading the Line Between Fabric and Form: Architecture Inspired by Textiles appeared first on Journal.