Magic Realism
“Architecture is more than just buildings. “
- Hyde + Hyde
Among other projects underway in our studio, we were recently commissioned to produce a bespoke two-metre wall light of pure glass. The work will be for a new home in the South of England. Working with this wonder material for the first time has made us consider a little deeper the implications of this amorphous form of matter.
Glass emerges here as a true philosophical material. It can challenge your perceptions of spatial reality through its unique and subtle qualities of transparency and fragility.
I have always perceived glass as if it has an abundance of embodied light, even if found in a darkened room. In this way, it expresses a sort of Magic Realism.
Magic Realism is often defined as "what happens when a highly detailed, realistic setting is invaded by something too strange to believe."
Glass in contemporary architecture is ultimately ubiquitous and invisible in its everyday use - yet it is fundamental in creating the contemporary architectural experience. We have found it to be an emotionally active material to work with and has immense and unexplored potential for further research in our studio.
Working closely with our clients on these objects of desire means that our architecture often emerges as more than just building. Ideas evolve outward and permeate into objects and abstractions. They conjure emotions and memories that reinforce and become the backdrop to our lives.
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