HONESTY & DECEPTION
In the world of architecture , there were separate into two part of theory which is honesty and deception . The definition of honesty is the using of the real material , the real material which is raw material and without added any material cover the real structure ; deception which is using the material that not using raw material ,but try to pretend the raw material and the hiding of the structure with a cover .In new architecture now , there are mostly more in deception because being deception is more faster and cheap , but some of the architect still remain the honesty .
In the article THE LAMP OF TRUTH by John Ruskin written “As, whatever is pretend, it is wrong” , for him there are three way of construct are not honesty , firstly is the structural deceits , if the real structural had add in others material pretend to cover the main structure ,there would me totally wrong for him ,the secondly is painting in the material ,for him painting in material is the trick of hiding the weak of the material , the third which is all the material or ornament made by machine or from industrial like pre-cast which is wrong .
From Viollet-Le-Duc’s article ,he state out "Originallty is impossible apart from truth" . He mention an idea which is using steel as structural are honesty even it is from machine but as long as it is not an ornament and make the structural more stronger then that is no more deception .
"Truth to the medium: Using Material" by Fil Hearn . He suggested difference era of generation can be using new modern material to merge the era , and this is honesty .
The identical of the John Ruskin , Viollet-Le-Duc and Fil Hearn which is the truth of using material .In my point , I agree with using new material is not wrong as long as the material are functionality, being deception is the waste of material ,it is destroying the beauty and essence of material.
In Malaysia , Ng Sek San is one of representing local honesty architecture ,he adaptive reuse the old building by adding in the new structural and making the building new life. His design series “Sekeping” shown he is expert in combining natural and steel structural in old building.
He add in new structural to support the old element , it combining the old and
the modern . His design always make me have a comfortable feeling , the material of the origin that he used are so much attract to me. For me , the honesty of architecture which is expression of the structure , Sek San have did a great job on this.
In other hand , Zaha Hadid is the most deception architecture presentable , her design are always made people look amazing and she is kind of legend ,her work can merge to site ,her design are so functionality , the façade that she cover are save a lot of cost because it none any useless structural .But in my opinion is even her design are always look “WHAO” and can fill in any site , but I feel that her building no more present a place .
Honesty or deception ,both are important in this generation , depend how new architecture present it , different people have different view on it , but for being honesty are much more harder than deception , the studies of material using and how to apply to the building and site is much more complex , I am not saying deceptive was not good but for honesty building like Sek San always have the feelings and toughing . Difference style are workable in this generation , the most important is the material always got meaning and functionable . If it is great that combining both of honesty and deception , combining maybe can make building more wonderful and interesting .
