As a starting point of consideration, this enquiry briefly weighs up the Pre-Socratic (materialists)
position of ‘the primary stuff of the universe’ with the trio Socrates-Plato-Aristotle’s differentiation
between Form (morphe) and Matter (hyle). The purpose of this initial exercise is to highlight, as
suggested by Vitruvian myths and revisited in recent architectural discourse by Joseph Rykwert and
Aaron Betsky, the differentiation between architecture (event, notion) and building (scenography,
thing). Reinforced by the essays of Jonathan Hill (Immaterial Architecture) that suggests a fusion
of the immaterial and material in architecture and Katie Lloyd Thomas (Material Matters) who
shifts the focus towards the material over the form, this endeavour exposes the blurred boundary
between the visible material of building and the invisible immateriality of event-architecture. With
the aforementioned in mind, the Dematerialisation of Mies Van der Rohe, Immaterial Material of
Kengo Kuma, Air Architecture of Yves Klein, Blur Building of Diller + Scofidio and Sound Box
of Peter Zumthor exemplify the attempt of architecture at liberating itself from material nature.
Nevertheless the research hopes to paradoxically show that even in the digital age (Space of flows) we
find ourselves in, it is the very matter of the physical that allows the immaterial of the meta-physical
to come about – matter thereby matters.
As ’n beginpunt, oorweeg die ondersoek kortliks die posisie van‚ “die primêre dinge van die
heelal” van die Pre-Sokratiese (materialiste) teenoor die van die Sokrates-Plato-Aristoteles trio wat
onderskeid tref tussen Vorm (morphe) en Materie (hyle). Soos voorgestel deur Vitruviaanse mites
en die onlangse hersiening daarvan deur Joseph Rykwert en Aaron Betsky, is die doel van hierdie
aanvanklike oefening om die onderskeid tussen argitektuur (geleentheid, idee) en gebou (scenografie,
ding) na vore te bring. Versterk deur die verhandelinge van Jonathan Hill (Immaterial Architecture)
wat ‚n samesmelting van die onstoflike en wesenlike in argitektuur voorstel en Katie Lloyd Thomas
(Material Matters) wat die fokus verskuif na die materiaal bo-oor die vorm, stel hierdie poging
die verwarde grens tussen die sigbare materiaal van die gebou en die onsigbare immateriele van
geleentsheidargitektuur bloot. Met die voormelde in gedagte, dien die Dematerialisation van Mies
Van der Rohe, Immaterial Material van Kengo Kuma, Air Architecture van Yves Klein, Blur Building
van Diller Scofidio en Sound Box van Peter Zumthor as voorbeeld van die poging van argitektuur
om te bevry van die materiële aard . Tog paradoksaal, hoop die navorsing om te wys dat selfs in die
digitale tydperk (Space of Flows) waarin ons onsself vind, dat dit die einste kwessie van die fisiese is
wat toelaat dat die immateriele van die metafisiese verskyn – dus maak materie saak.
