Oh, functionalism: enough already with the developer-driven efficiency that puts dollars ahead of human livability. Or so goes the critique that underlies the sculpture by NEON known as "Skin," a six-sided grid strung with 1800 pairs of skin-colored tights.

Inadvertently reminiscent of films like "Cube" and "Hellraiser," "Skin" is intended to start conversations about the human dimension in architecture. As a press release elucidates:

"From within the sculpture also imitates the aesthetic of human flesh to create a feeling of immersion with the inhabitant losing all sense of where their body ends and architecture begins. It is intended that this approach will create a strong physical and emotional connection between the inhabitant and the architectural space. This sense of being physically and emotionally present is particularly important in a world where technologies continue to erode our sense of personal space."

For more on innovative fabric-based architecture:

• A wrap-up of Vancouver's "City Fabric"
• Stephanie Clark’s embroidered architecture
• Vinn Patararin challenges the possibilities of textile architecture