1752 WHITE SPACES and DESIGN -Gautam Shah
For years, we have built for presence. The greater presence allowed for stronger assurance of safety, sustenance and durability. The buildings have had immense materiality in absence of transparency, translucency or reflectivity. The only elimination of materiality was attempted through the openings, but smaller ones were overwhelmed by the framing edges.
The design of a building began with occupation, because it gave a sense of physical possession. In formal designs, the bubble diagram apparently began with nothingness, but that soon gets crowded with materiality of mass barrier walls. Most designers of early age were aware of the walls massing the architecture in design and reality. And this made them to scoop out every bit of the mass, and nullify the wall volumes by mosaics, paintings, applique Deco, and play with shadows of architectural modulations.
The buildings were preoccupied with attitude of presence, a ‘horror vacue (vs amor vacue). It was seen that spaces needed ‘a manner of prescription’ and not any imaginative engagement.
The white spaces are reborn in this century not by elimination (frugality, minimalism, etc.) but, with extensive use glass barriers, white colour, mono sensuality and also by deception.
‘If something is simple, it can inspire, the capacity of the imagination is increased’. (by Kenya Hara, who is a Japanese graphic designer and art director of Muji).
DESIGN SYNOPSIS 