MATERIALITY & IMMATERIALITY
In contemporary architecture, the materials that have been used in building had changed from time to time. Steel , concrete and glass have become popular materials for architecture building. In old times, people tend to use brick, stone and timber as their main structure of building. The different materials used in building design will create a different feeling in human sense.
MODERN ARCHITECTURE
ANCIENT ARCHITECTURE
Materiality in architecture can be understand as honesty in architecture so. The transparency of structure applied in a building well represent the honesty of architecture. Therefore, the physical existence of a building is much important for the architects who are more apply materiality in architecture. Before the technological way for architecture, architect thought about a building should be solid, well strength for support load and so on. So, materiality in architecture did have many example in old times building. Most of the ancient church or china palace showed the main structure without any covering, because the materials of the structure well represent the power of the place.
 |  |  |  |  |  |
|---|
Nowadays, architect found some different way to create another kind of architecture. They would cover the structure of a building rather than expose all the column or beam , which called deception. To argue whether a building which is represent honesty or deception is tough. However, it bring some different feeling from seeing the old buildings which exposed all the structure. For an example , a building which use glass as wall inside the building will create a huge place which is an imaginery place. Immateriality architecture has been applied in new building nowadays. It means the physical appearance of the building is not the only purpose, but the quality
of space. Not like the old times, the requirement of inner place is only comfortable with temperature. The spatial quality has enhanced through the materials used, the materials will assist the design of an architect.
However, architect which wished to create an imaginery feeling inside a space needed some natural assist such as wind and sunlight. To complete their task with the assist of the natural resources, some mirror glass is able to invovled with it. These materials seems like useless with structure of the building, but it satisfied visuality and feeling of human. That is the other purpose of the exsist of those materials. Some called it Immateriality of architecture.
 |  |  |
|---|---|---|
 |  |  |
The properties of materials indicated the usage of it. When architects need to design with certain materials , they need to understanding the nature and the strength of the materials. As Louis Khan siad, When you want to built with the bricks, you need to ask what brick want to be. However, the brick want to be an arch, people know that it is more suitable to be an lintel. So, Design is not only create what you want, but also fulfilled the specific requirement. Materiality is all about the existence and appearance of the building , a structure with a materials can be seen clearly. For me, to satisfy the client which more prefer of materiality building, architect should design the building with the priciple of honesty. Exposing the materials , as less as possible the ornamentation.
In conclusion, materiality and immaterilaity , both play a important role in architecture today. There is no such situation that all poeple love only one of them. As Jonathan Hill said, both are creative.So, there is no wrong to choose either one in your architecture life , because architecture is beautiful as you insist with your own principle.
