historical and material

The word 'layering' brings to mind many different images because there are so many ways one can look at the concept of layering. Does it bring to mind layers of material, the overlaying of history, maybe the stacking of volumes and circulation or a combination of these ideas? Different sorts of layering create their own ideas and stem many interesting possibilities. I have found the mass of ways to view this simple word quite perplexing at times and a little overwhelming as each different way you look at it creates an array of new images and concepts.

figure 1:
www.mimoa.eu

The first thing that comes into my head when someone says the word layering is the physical overlapping of materials. I’m not sure if this has something to do with my interest in fashion design but it seems like a good place to start.

figure 2:
www.modernpreservation.blogspot.com.au    

Scarpa is one architect who deals with this physical layering of materials. He juggles the old and new and makes each part greater and more defined by doing so. Where new and existing materials meet, he details unique seams, literally stitching together a building. He treats the past with the utmost care and uses details that showcase the intersection of the old and new. The new layer supports the old and vice-versa. An instance of Scarpa’s layering of material in this fashion is the bridge over the canal at the entrance of the Querini Stampalia (fig 1). The detail of the new bridge cradles the old step so as not to disturb it, but uses its structure for support, a platform from which to spring. The layering of history through materiality is evident. Another example is the Castelvecchio where the new wall is set inside the existing colonnade giving it a stage set-like appearance (fig 2). The viewer can decipher the façade's story through the layers of the built form and use of varied materials.

In some of his work John Wardle has used also used idea of layering materials to enrich the history of a site. This can be seen in buildings such as the Shearers quarters and UniSA’s Hawke Building. In the Shearers quarters in Tasmania, the idea of this historical layering through materiality has come in the form of echoing the shearing shed that stood on the site.  The Hawke building however looks at the future of materiality. Ageing gracefully. This is articulated by the copper fluting that is inlayed in the concrete and is designed to stain it over years of watershed, effectively adding another layer to the façade.