ABSTRACT
The concept of material suitability has long been a common theme in architecture. However, the idealized notion of material appropriateness has been continually challenged by the emergence of novel technologies, the development of new material capacities, the fluctuation of material resources, and mercurial cultural preferences, particularly within the 20th and 21st centuries. Chapter 24 focuses on the ever-shifting conflict between the concept of material suitability and its resulting applications in building construction, a productive tension that exemplifies the troubled search for contemporary architectural expression. It explores the evolution of material thinking in architecture, tracing its development from the 19th century to the present day. It highlights key developments in the 20th and 21st centuries, including tectonic culture, mutant materiality, surface architecture, and material experimentation. Placing particular emphasis on the critical debates and considerations surrounding material use and meaning in contemporary architecture, the chapter shows the dynamic nature of these discussions and the implications they hold for the future of architectural practice.
