Why Alchemy in Architecture?
Throughout the history of architecture, the act of making has often been overshadowed by the debates between form and function, relegating the process of creation to a secondary role. (LLyod Thomas, 2007, Material Matters)
There have been a lot of inspirations and adaptations in the history of architecture, from movements and philosophies to nature and science, which, with time, captivated and influenced the minds of architects and enthusiasts.
The philosophies and ideologies have always brought new approaches and perceptions of architecture. It was being referred to as the works of architects, similar to the way poets were looked at, which made architects more important than the architecture and its purpose.
Different times had different factors in focus, in some the idea became the core and in other materials took the center stage. In the race “towards a new architecture”, the ideologies were exploited to its full potential to satisfy the standards of undefined intellectuality. The intentions and the purpose never allowed the process; “the act of making” to be looked at as the core idea of design.
But as the events unfolded; movements changed, styles varied and perceptions flickered. With its parallelity , the new innovations continuously evolved and are still evolving with time, place and context. This evolution raises a lot of questions and curiosities around the design and its process; questions like: Is there a right way of Building? Does the designer discover or invent a design? Or to what extent architecture can be created by adaptations and inspirations?*
Addressing the similar questions, Alvaro Siza mentions that “Architects don’t invent anything, but they transforms the reality” (Frampton, 1995)
Commonalities and Adaptations
In the ancient tradition of Alchemy, the idea to convert lead to gold was the outcome of transformation of reality. The quest to the noble emerged only because the noble was known and already prevailing. This draws the parallel between the intent of Alchemy and Architecture. The intent where the matter already exists, the outcome is imagined, and the act of making or the process depends on exploration of potentiality.
Looking at the current context of architecture, the act of making can bring the materials as the guiding principle and its potentiality as the defining factor of the design.
There always exists an outcome architects aspire to build and there also exists the resources and processes to reach there; as Picasso quotes “I dont seek, I find ”. The idea that becomes the common ground of emergence for Alchemy and Architecture.
In Alchemy, matter is not viewed as static and inert, but as dynamic, mutable and in flux. It is capable of undergoing profound transformation. By adapting the perspective of an Alchemist, who is always in direct dialogue with the essence of matter which undergoes transmutation. Architecture can be reimagined and perceived through a new perspective of potentiality that becomes the driving force behind the design intentions. Where matter is not treated with repetition and similarity but with emergence and difference.
Fusion
I] Alchemy in architecture also offers opportunities for the fusion of technology and transmutation, blurring the boundaries between physical and digital realms. AI, digital fabrication, additive manufacturing and computational design will enable the exploration of new possibilities for material manipulation and expressions.
II] Perhaps most importantly, alchemy in architecture has the potential to relook the way we approach sustainability in built environments; by reframing architecture as a process of matter transmutation.
Matter-Material
With the definitions of matter, prime matter, material and the exposition of transmutation, materials can be described as the subset of matter. However, the relationship between matter and material is more intricate, and can be understood with various examples and conditions.
The line-letter example of alchemy shows how dots are matter, line is prime matter and the letter formed is a material of alchemy. But the condition rises in the next part of the process: a word. In this situation, a word formed is an element assembled from the materials (letter).
The conversion of line to letter is a process of transmutation and is the result of alchemy. But in the later half, the formation of a word is an assembly of letters and is not an alchemical process.
Alchemy can be examined at various scales and stages. A line represents prime matter and can be broken down into points (matter). These points can be further subdivided into smaller units, such as atoms and molecules. While all these units fall under the broader category of matter, beyond the limits of observation, the principles of alchemy become indeterminate, and scientific understanding prevails.
The theory can be understood through varied examples:
-
Making of a brick
A brick is a compressed, burnt or dried composition of clay. In this case, clay is the prime matter, which is also a composition of soil, its particles and water, that goes through transmutation. The outcome is an alchemical material: a brick.
A brick then is assembled to form a wall, which becomes an element of architecture. The alchemy can be observed at the initial stage of the process, where a smaller unit of the element is formed. But the outcome is determined by the assembly of these materials of alchemy.
2. Making of a Paper
The process of making a paper provides a totally different condition of relationship between the matter and prime matter.
The tree is cut down into wooden pieces, which is then boiled with a few chemicals. The boiled wood is then converted into pulp or slurry. The pulp is then spread onto a moving wire mesh to form a wet mat. This mat is pressed and dried through a series of rollers to remove water, then further smoothed and compressed to get the final form of the paper.
The tree in this case is the matter, and its first form is the wood itself. Hence, the matter is the prime matter itself.
In the case of a brick, prime matter (clay) is the composition of matter (soil particles, water, fire). On the other hand, in the case of paper, matter (wood) is the prime matter itself. The state of which is changed with time and applied processes.
Materials of alchemy in both of these cases vary as well, a brick is the material in the first case and the paper in the second.
In the cases of brick and paper, the process of transmutation relies on the inherent properties and potential of the matter. The potentiality of the material determines its initial state and the possible transmutation it can undergo. This potential dictates what the prime matter will become and whether it can undergo the process of transmutation.
These processes are observed across various applications, from pottery to building materials, at different stages and scales. However, in many instances, alchemy alone does not determine the outcome; it is the subsequent processes that ultimately shape the final result. For example, in the context of line-letter-word, individual letters (beyond the basic unit) hold little significance on their own. It is only when they are systematically assembled to form words, and words into sentences, that they gain meaningful significance.
1. The diagrams shows the relation between matter and prime matter in case of making of a brick.
2. The diagrams shows the relation between matter and prime matter in case of making a paper.
In “The Hidden Order of Art”, Anton mentioned the maze, a serial structure of a creative search that begins with a point of departure that then leads to four different points; (1) alternative routes, (2) nodal points, (3) open ends and (4) deadends.
The chart describes a structure of creative ways and a method that shows different processes a creator takes to get to the desired outcome.
Using the above diagram as a foundation to evaluate the roles of alchemy and assembly at various stages of a process, the diagram below illustrates a starting point on the left with three lines traced on the back. The top line represents the phase where the process can be characterized as alchemical, while the bottom line represents the phase where the process can be considered an assembly.
The diagram shows the making of a brick and a wall as a culmmination of alchemical and assembly process. The upper half is the alchemy of clay transmuting into brick. The lower half is the assembly of bricks to form a wall.
The making of any material is a combination of both alchemy and assembly. The alchemical processes observed in the examples discussed take place in the initial stage of making, where the potentiality of the matter can be manipulated.
Rammed earth is another case where prime matter, which is a composition of soli, cement and water, goes through transmutation by ramming. The completed wall acts as a material of Alchemy and the space is formed by the assembly of these walls.
Examples of Alchemy
Additional examples can be seen across various manufacturing processes. From glass molding to metal forging, these processes illustrate alchemical transmutation at different scales. The case of brick and rammed earth shows how alchemy is a part of the process and not the defining element. On the other hand the examples discussed below manifest the outcomes determined by alchemical transmutation.
Four of these examples are :
- Glass Moulding - Metal Forging - Sand Casting - Pottery.
Glass Moulding
giving a form to glass by
melting it and
reshaping.
Metal Forging
heating the metal and giving it form by hammering and bending.
Sand Casting
a mould of sand is created and the melted metal is poured.
Pottery
the clay is given shape by the force applied by hands and the wheel.
The above examples have prime matter which goes through transmutation and a secondary element that helps the prime matter go though transmutation.
The additional material that assists the primary matter in undergoing transmutation is known as the “shaping matter.” Various processes employ different types of shaping matter, and its role can vary significantly. The transmutation in most of the cases is dependent on the potentiality of prime matter as well as the shaping matter. The additional material that assists the primary matter in undergoing transmutation is known as the “shaping matter.” Various processes employ different types of shaping matter, and its role can vary significantly. The transmutation in most of the cases is dependent on the potentiality of prime matter as well as the shaping matter.
SHAPING MATTER
(iii) In case of sand casting, the negative of the outcome is created as the initial process, which also acts as shaping matter. And the prime matter (metal in liquid state) is poured in the mould created.
In sand casting, the shaping matter is the sand, which forms a negative mold for the prime matter. For bricks, the shuttering serves as the shaping matter. In metal forging and pottery, the pressure applied by hands or hammering enables the transmutation of the prime matter.
In alchemy, the concept of matter differs from the scientific definition of matter as something that has mass and occupies space. In alchemy, shaping matter can be both tangible and intangible, extending beyond physical substances to include various transformative forces.
(i) In the process of glass molding, glass serves as the prime matter, while heat functions as the shaping matter. The additional matter is the element around which the glass is shaped.
(ii) In metal forging, the metal (prime matter) is heated and hammered into the desired shape of a sword. In this process, the applied pressure serves as the shaping matter.
(iv) The applied force and the centrifugal force of the rotating wheelacts as shaping matter in case of Pottery.
- prime matter can be composition of matter.
- prime matter goes through transmutation, which leads to creation of static material.
- there is shaping matter that helps prime matter go through transmutation.
- shaping matter is a secondary form of matter that may or may not exist with the outcome.
- shaping matter can be tangible or intangible.