Dissertation: 3.0 How is “Truth to Material” Encounter the Challenges and Walk on the Track of Today’s Trend

Before we probe into the concept- “Truth to Material”, and quest for how this thirties modernism concept still relevance to today’s trend, we need to understand the definition of “Truth to Material” and how the modernist look upon this concept. In refer to Wikipedia, truth to materials is a tenet of modern architecture, which holds that any material should be used where it is most appropriate and its nature should not be hidden. Base on Ian Chilvers (2003), truth to material is a belief that the form of a work should be inseparably related to the material in which it is made. The phrase was much used in aesthetic discussion in the 1930s and is particularly associated with Henry Moore, a modernist sculptor ,who in Uni One(1934) wrote that “Each material has its own individual qualities … Stone, for example, is hard and concentrated and should not be falsified to look like soft flesh … It should keep its hard tense stoniness.’ However, Moore later admitted that the idea of truth to material had become a fetish. Obviously, truth to material is not matured conceptualize in the thirties.

So is it a failure and a trouble to re-intro it to current trend? Alternatively, it is a caroling, as it is still have the room to shape this concept to par with the reason of re-intro it for the sustainable purpose.

 3.1 The challenges of applying Truth to Material’s Concept in the New Trend in Current Architecture Field.
The challenge of re-intro the concept-“Truth to Material” in current day is likely as hard as the time of Moore, “His individual style employed what he called "truth to materials." At this point, little of his work was understood or appreciated, was considered revolutionary and was rejected by critics.”(Thompson, 2002) Or harder then Moore, as we will give the public an impression as drag-in the idea of “Truth to Material” in current design trend sound like pull back the architecture field back to thirties Modernism period. However, truth to material is a wise concept to reduce the use of unnecessary architecture finishing.

 3.2 Strategy of introducing the “Truth to Material” Concept to the Public
According to the survey, public prefer their residential and working area to be painted has 44% or to be installed with wallpaper, 21%; and only 32% from 60 responder selected bare wall as their interior finishing. (Refer to Appendix IV (b), Pie Chart ii). However, people concern about the functionality of the space is in majority, 39% and people emphasize on form and shape of the building is 36%, these percentages include the public who do not involve in design field. (Refer to Appendix IV (b), Pie Chart vi) These considerations on building can be attained by applying “truth to material” concept on the architecture. Re-intro the concept for the sake of the sustainable purpose should be started from the popularity has the nous on the soul of architecture.

3.3 Case Study
Numerous architecture practice the truth to material concept, not merely consider about the characteristic of the material for the form and shape but also act in concern with the surrounding environment and user of the building. The following paragraph in Chapter 3 will give a reference to architecture which is truth to material and harmonizes to the surrounding environment, user and in keeping with the functionality of the building.

3.3.1 Case study of Concrete Architecture
When talk about applying “truth to material” concept in architecture field, bare concrete building always the first impression of this concept, as concrete is the most common building material nowadays. The prominent bare concrete building without doubt is the masterpieces of Tadao Ando. Tadao Ando’s work can be considered going beyond the original definition of “Truth to Material”, as it is not merely consider the characteristic of concrete, it consider the surrounding environment and the building program as well.

First of Ando’s work will be introduced is, Garden of Fine Art in Kyoto, an open air Fine art museum that was conceived as a contemporary, volumetric version of a stroll garden. This architecture is featured with its journey in the space and how the space is structured. (Fig. 1) The circulation is intersected by huge concrete ramp and bridge, the paths are framed with large exposed-concrete porches and overlapping their variety directions to provide a dramatic combination of visual angle (Fig. 2), these allow the views from different angles; also adding depth and variety to the space. Ando well portrayed the stillness of concrete to set off the dignity reproduced famous masterpieces in this space yet delivered an unexpected space and journey to the visitor.

Figure 1

Figure 2

In addition, this architecture is inspired by Kamo River in Kyoto that is homage to water, a series of paths and terraces are always accompanied by the sound of water. Ando grant the space with the running water, as Zeballos, 2010 explaine, the soundscape accompanies the route and has different strength according to the position of viewer. Thus a soft murmur of water invite contemplation of “The Last Supper” by Leoardo (Fig. 3), while a stronger sound surrounds “The Doomdays” (Fig. 4). Therefore, the beauty of Ando work, is not confine to unfold the beauty of bare concrete structure but harmonize the bare concrete structure to the surrounding environemt. Just like, this Garden of Fine Art, Ando assembly the peculiar of Kyoto ingeniously to the architecture belong to Kyoto. 

Figure 3

Figure 4

Besides consider the soundscape of the architecture and space, Tadao Ando works with natural lighting too. Church of Light in Osaka (Fig. 5) is a bare concrete chapel sit modestly in a silent residential neighborhood in the surbubs of Osaka. As usual, Ando’s concrete work never fail to deliver the stately and placidity of the space (Fig. 6), especially interpret the solemnity of religious building.

Yet, every concrete work of Ando have a hallmark, such as Church of Light,  the most impressive part of this  building is how Ando take advantage of natural lighting to indicate the majestic of the cross, the symbolic of Christianity (Fig. 7). The natural lighting illuminate the space from the glaring cruciform cut in the concrete wall behind the altar. 

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

However, not everyone appreciate the kernel of Ando’s concrete work. This can be seen by a random quote from an architecture layman in a casual blog, about his opinion towards the famous building in architecture field, Church of Light.
“Other than the main chapel, the building does not especially stand out… In my humble non-architect opinion. Lots of concrete and sharp angles.” (Harvey, 2007)
As the blogger, Harvey’s opinion, besides the illuminated cross in the main hall, other than that is not interesting.
This is the vital point of the hardship introducing the concept “Truth to Material” in current architecture trend and expect advocating to the public. Therefore, make the concrete craftmanship prominence like how people has the particular on paint, painting skill, quality of wallpaper, the craftmanship of plastering and so on, is one of the way to lead the public appreciate the beauty of bare concrete. Tando Ando is very exquisite in term of the concrete crafmanship for all his work, and the concrete design is typical of Tadao Ando’s way of designing. Morby, 2006, called this type of architecture concrete design as “Ando Concrete” (Fig. 8).

Figure 8

It is non troppo to named this type of concrete design as “Ando concrete” as Ando is prudent in the making of the precast concrete.
“When constructing “Ando Concrete,” there are three main elements that have to be addressed, constantly improved, and carried out in a manner similar to an artist working on a masterpiece….…To conform to the zero-tolerance wall deflection requirement, we chose to use …to give us a very stable surface that met the deflection requirements… and after we have construct a number of different surface, Tadao Ando made a trip to St. Louis to view the resulting wall finishes...  Work progressed and most of the procedures used on the Chicago house were tested, refined, improved and tested again.  All areas that could possibly leak were gasket….. “ (Morby, 2006)

3.3.2 Case study of Brick Building and Wooden Building
Brick building and wooden building not so common nowadays compare to concrete building. However, the aesthetic of these building is comparable with concrete building.

A modern brick house (Fig. 9) by Marc Koehler locating on a very small plot in IJburg, Amsterdam, has enhanced the sculptural mass with its ornamental masonry (Fig. 10) also functions as an underlay for different sort of climbing-plants to grow up the façade. The house is designed as a monolithic sculptural mass (Fig. 11) and the ecological character of the house was reinforced by making use of passive and active solar-energy and an earth heating-pump. (Hammond, 2008)

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

No doubt, the attraction of brick building is the masonry ornaments (Fig. 12). Without decorative finishing, brick can work solely to decorate the façade with the flexibility of the masonry ornamentation (Fig. 13).  

Figure 12

Figure 13

Apart from this, wooden architecture staying true to wood lays upon the connecting with the nature. Wood Patchwork House (Fig. 14), a riverside summerhouse in Tverskaya, Russia by Architect Peter Kostelov, with the exception of the glass windows and stone base, the house is constructed completely out of hardwood planks (Fig. 15).  The timber species are mixed and matched, and the overall effect is like a fine choice of shutters adorning the whole. Some of the slatted sections of exterior were made so that light and air could penetrate between the planks (Fig. 16). The wooded interior is constructed in much the same manner, with different sections of planks made of various types to provide visual variation (Fig. 17). The solid hardwood house is extremely rustic, while building on some very modern concepts at the same time. (Jennifer, 2010)

Figure 14

Figure 15

Figure 16

 

Figure 17

Even if brick and timber not so common compare to concrete in today’s architecture field, however both materials have their own characteristic. Brick building places upon the masonry ornamentation, while wood emphasizes on the nature of the material. The ability to make these materials prominent with its own featured aesthetic is one of the ways to stay true to material with current trend.