The Power of Materials

Tim Simpson’s article Scintillant Cities: Glass Architecture, Finance Capital, and the Fictions of Macau’s Enclave Urbanism raised two important questions in my mind, can a simple material like glass be as powerful as Simpson claims and is participating in architecture projects that rely so heavily on credit ethical. 

When glass was introduced as a major material for the facade of Uruguayan ‘starchitect’ Rafael Vinloy’s Vdara Hotel it quickly became hazardous, harnessing the light to create temperature on the nearby pool that were twenty degrees above the already scorching temperatures of the Las Vegas desert. The glass was creating such boiling conditions that it actually melted a cup.  Simpson explores the history of glass and its connotations and goes so far as to present perspectives that will have you believing that it changes us as human beings. Glass is a beautiful and elegant material with a long history for certain but life changing? Can a material in the build environment be so powerful? Simpson writes:

Scheebart and fellow visionaries like his architect friend Bruno Taut imagined this alchemical potential of glass architecture and its crystalline properties; they conceived glass structures that would transform people who passed through them in the same manner that crystal transforms light.

Scheebar and Taut believe whole-heartedly in the powers of glass, a material so deep rooted in history.  It was part of the European civility and refinement during the Renaissance as a material people used to display distinction especially in the form of fine glassware.  Later glass became an important player in the city of light, in Paris’s arcades.

Simpson’s perspective had me wondering if the materials we are using for projects should be researched deeper and given more careful consideration. They are after all, something that potentially millions of people could look at everyday.   When you’re effecting that many people’s senses you are almost obligated to ask the question, is what I’m choosing creating the desired effect?

Glass continues to play an important role in architecture today. Not only does it reflect an entire financial model as Simpson so eloquently dissects through his writing but it is also present in one of the most visited buildings in New England, the Glass House. The use of glass in Philip Johnson’s Glass House in a setting the compete opposite of Las Vegas causes people to pause and marvel. The use of glass in the Glass House is innocent and serves to enhance the views of nature and frame them like a work of art. Glass used in One Central Macau is as convoluted, murky and oppressive as the politics and financial surroundings of its creation. It is interesting to see how the same material, depending upon the setting where it is used, can be either a serene or inspiring choice or a deathly weapon as in the case of the Vdara Hotel.

Simpson makes some intelligent points about the economical impact of these buildings and how their materials are tied up in that scenario. However, I got even more out of his writing by taking them at face value. Materiality is an important concept for us as designers to be aware of. We are directing the use of materials throughout our career; their placement and application. Using discretion and understanding the greater picture is essential.