Honesty And Deception
John Ruskin , “ The Lamp Of Truth.”
To Ruskin, there are three types of deceits. Firstly, he brought with structural deceits. If, however, the intermediate shell were made of wood instead of stone, and whitewashed to look like the rest – this would be direct deceit, and altogether unpardonable. Also, at his time, he considered the use of iron felt as a departure from the first principle of the art compare to the materials use of stone and mortar. Secondly, he brought with the idea surface deceits. For instance, painting of wood to represent marble, or in the painting of ornaments in deceptive relief. To Ruskin, doing so it destroys much of the dignity even of the rest of the building. What however the material, good painting makes it more precious. Thirdly, he came with operative deceits. One, that all cast and machine work is bad, as work; the other, that it is dishonest.
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Vioullet - Le - Duc, he brought up with the idea that even the material of steel can be honesty as long as the material itself having the functionality as structural support instead of decoration facade. More generally, Viollet- le- Duc advocated using structural iron rather than masonry alone because it allow architects to make larger spaces with lighter and stronger construction. Other than that, it is true that a cornice is intended to keep the water from the face of the wall; if therefore one put a projecting cornice in an interior, he considered it as unmeaning. Also, he proposed that if one produce a work that cannot be justified by reason, which satisfies neither people’s eyes or understanding , it then wastes costly materials.
Fil Hearn, he then came with the idea “ Truth To The Medium : Using Materials.” A very strong reason for accepting new materials to perform various structural tasks was that their inherent virtues could be exploited to make the structure more efficient and the building more commodious. Building materials in the modern era assumed a crucial in architectural theory that they had not posse in the past. This change with the multiplicity of materials, newly available due to industrial production, both imposed and invited new ways of building.
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Ruskin, Viollet, and Hearn , they were all agree with the truth of materials.
As if, whatever is pretended, it is wrong -– Ruskin.
Originality is impossible apart from truth – Viollet.
Truth to the medium, using materials – Hearn. (Using new materials to bring out the age of the building).
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Mies van der Rohe's Farnsworth House.
Now a day, the role of honesty and deception in architecture come with vary approaches. For example, adaptive architecture, it all designed in a way that the surface of materials are meant to be exposed. Using local materials surrounding to create the ambience that people are so comfortable with, just because of the truth of the materials themselves and the people are so familiar with the materials around them. There is no hundred percent for the deception in architecture , like the perforated steel covering are wide using in building today, it is not just act as a covering, also as a ventilation and sun shading features. It is not hard to discover that there are a lot of buildings with the combination of honesty and deception surrounding us. It all comes with aesthetic , functional and design approach as considerations.
Honesty, of course, we need honesty in architecture today to prevent the happened of corruption, causing structure failure. We do not need extra of materials to waste the costing on construction. Honesty of structure expression to have larger space. Honesty of materials to have new materials to evolve from the past, we cannot keep standstill and not move forward. (Imagine, using the heavy and vulgar materials to construct the design of building today).
BIG , Museum Of Human Body.
Contradictory, we need deception for certain expression in architecture for aesthetic purpose or functionality, too. Deception, too, help in descend the rate of any non- renewable or renewable resources. For example, we have timber floor tiles that mix with plastic material which created the same texture, but come with cheaper price. Therefore, it helped to lower the rate of chopping down the trees. We have the plastic fibre which are stronger than steel , eventually can replace the steel materials. Use of steel louvre as framing as sun shading, wind channelling, etc.
In short, it is the hybrid of both honesty and deception (which in a good way), create the neo architecture today. We need the high technology materials denote the cutting edge of modernity. By way of contrast to its immediate predecessor, it has exchanged the expression strength for one of sleek sophistication.
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