MATERIALITY & IMMATERIALITY
WHICH IS MATERIALITY OR IMMATERIALITY?
Today, I would like to talk about materiality and immateriality in architecture.
What is materiality?
Materiality is the concept to apply raw material in an architecture and perform its own function or meaning behind. From Leon Battista Albert’s point of view, he said a building should be expected in a rigid, stable and reassuring form with the presentation of every materials used. Material that we chose actually have their own age and history behind or even including the culture of the site when designing by an architect.
BRICKS,STONES AND TIMBER ARE BASIC MATERIAL.
In the other hands, immateriality is more talking about the five senses or the elements that we could not visualise. Immaterial passes a message without form or subtances. It might be expressed in light, feeling through an ideas or phenomena. Different user might have different point of view to the expression. But sometimes, immaterial can trigger a sense more often associated with the immaterial, such as smell, and question one more often associated with the material such as touch.
IMMATERILITY MORE TO FIVE SENSES.
Materiality can fully conserve the quality of raw material.
A material follow the natural order and begin with material that man first used for building. (Leon Battista Alberti).
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Which means the material should give its original function which is used as a structure .
For instance, Unite d’ Habitation by Le Corbusier, it constructed from reinforced rough cast concrete. Which was the least costly in post-war Europe. The reinforced rough cast concrete acts as the structure to support up the whole building and even the façade of it also present with the original texture of material without any conceal but with its own function as a structure frame.
UNITE D' HABITATION by LE CORBUSIER
Jonathan Hill arguing about the immaterial is as important as the material.
I agreed with his view as the immaterial element could tell the user something behind, which enlarge the meaning and function of the building. For instance, the Church of the Light by Tadao Ando. Yes, the façade or structure of the church is materiality but Tadao Ando create new spatial perceptions with light. The intersection of light and solid raises the occupants awareness of the spiritual and secular with themselves (immateriality).Besides, the church also create a more humble, meditative place of worship to the user, which trigger senses.
CHURCH OF LIGHT by TADAO ANDO
For today’s architecture, materiality and immateriality predominantly about the combination of expression of material, history and cultural of the site, human perception and also the value judgement from different people.
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With the combinations of factors, the architecture can just reach a higher value of it.
As Jonathan Hill’s quote: Immaterial is as important as the material and has as long a history….
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For instance, the Esherick House by Louis Khan. The outlook of the house looks very materiality but the windows size and location were actually after consideration and analysis as to allow the natural light pass through (means to trigger the immateriality). Let’s imagine the house only with typical window like terrace house we had, the feeling that perform to user is different, the space created by lights actually had trigger our senses but we just did not aware of it.
ESHERICK HOUSE by LOUIS KHAN
NORMAL TERRACE HOUSES
If the forth text were added into this chapter, I will argue on the potential of combining materiality to the immateriality, which about the probability of both architecture.
Either materiality goes first or immateriality goes first or both of them should come together. The approach might be different with different architect or designer.
For example when an architect want to create a museum, he/she can start with the material that he/she can get on the site (materiality) and then just consider about the culture (invisible feeling).Or he/she can take consideration of the senses first then just use the material to enhance the senses.
For example, the Jewish Museum in Berlin by Daniel Libeskind which create an emotional atmosphere to let the user experience what darkest moment of Jewish people at that time with the reinforced concrete material which add a cold on it.
INTERIOR PERSPECTIVE OF JEWISH MUSEUM