Look into architectural proposal throughout the past decades, consciously or unconsciously most of them are deal with one question related with the very same specificity of architecture: Materiality. As Helmut Jahn said “Architecture is a materials thing, it take a lot of resources.” It is quite clear and honest to say that without materials nothing would exists, especially no architecture. Materials creates an ambience and provide texture and substance to architecture. The roles of materiality include much more than structural properties, it shapes the atmosphere in which we live. Materials are used to express concepts and furthermore functions to materialize our beliefs in architecture.

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“The need of immaterial is the most deeply rooted of all needs. One must have bread, but before bread, one must have ideal.”-Victor Hugo

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Urban spaces that surround us are made up with real materials such as steel, concrete, bricks and glass. But what lies underneath is the flow of nature such as water flows, wind blows along the topographical undulations. These movements have a great influence on architecture. Perhaps this is  meant by “Immateriality” we keep on mentioning, an idea or principal of which to explore the understanding of critical architecture, what architects do was tried to conceptualise it into design by manipulating the materials to achieve particular spatial aim such as solid and voids, sound and silence , lighting and etc. Therefore, I’m totally agree with Hill’s words, which “Materiality and immateriality are in conjunction not opposition….”

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Besides, Hill also take his understanding further to relate to the architectural practice. He states that “architecture must be immaterial and porous, as well as solid and stable where necessary, and so should the practice of architects.” The jobs of architects always oscillated between immaterial design idea and material object and rules, the creative unpredictable artistic sense and solid professional. Therefore, materiality and immateriality not only express about the real material itself but also the professions of architecture

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And my argument is, the role of architects on handling the matter of materiality and immateriality, which we should focus on the interrelations between these two “traditions” for manifesting a common goal. Just like what Hill had advocated in his article “Architecture that embraces the immaterial and the material” I always believe these two aspects can make a formidable combination which encounter much more architecture design challenges in the future world, just like our master architect Toyo Ito did.

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“I am trying to counter the fixity of architectures, their stolidity, with elements that give an ineffable immaterial quality.” – Toyo Ito

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Architecture is a triumph of human imagination over materials, methods and men to put man into possession of his own Earth. The consequences for architecture are potentially enormous. We can no longer restrict ourselves to the material or the past, but must consider future lives of material, space and form.We as a human should always link material and immaterial concepts so that they can flow reciprocally.

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