Semper's Sixth Element is a project based on the text: "The 4 Elements of Architecture" by Gottfried Semper. In 1851 he wrote that the origin of architecture can be explained through the lens of anthropology, and that all architecture can be defined by four key components: the hearth, mound, enclosure, and roof. It was a bold stance during an era when ornate Greek and Gothic Revival designs were commonplace. Semper argued that early structures were based on the craft of their barbaric predecessors. The hearth, for instance, was akin to the fire of early man. Around the hearth the first groups assembled; around it the first alliances formed; around it the first rude religious concepts were put into the customs of a cult. Gathering around the fire was the first indication of creating a place in space. This element remains important in contemporary architecture as people continue to find ways to gather together.
Over time, other scholars suggested that perhaps there was another element. Columns, or pillars, would be important enough to be considered a fifth element. But what about the early experience of architecture? A so called "Sixth Element" that grasps our primitive sense of what "good" space is like.
The way we see it, successful architecture will embody happiness. It will make people proud to design, smile upon seeing, and/or become excited to experience. Yes, it must embody honest, maybe even barbaric, tectonic expression, but it will also be fun… heck, it might even be funny.
If you know of something that might help the exploration, please drop us a line:
twitter: "@semperssixth"
