Is it immaterial? Matters of architectural matter

Abstract

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.