SOLIDS AND CAVITIES IN ARCHITECTURE

Architecture stated briefly, is the art of playing with forms (solids) which enclose the spaces (cavities). The relationship that exist between them is quite similar to that of a container and what its being contained; which in their terms differentiate according to the function and material of the building.

But how do you define an architectural space? That is quite simple: you define it by just setting some boundaries which in their terms can be explicit or not: a continuous surface or just a few cues.

Architects might decide to either start from the frame and then continue to make the whole design (structural minded architects) or start from a group of clusters and then fill the whole design (cavity minded architects)

A good example of the contrast within these two groups can be seen in the Gothic Architecture (12th-14th centuries) vs the Renaissance Period (12th-16th centuries) In the first one, the emphasis was on structural forms (Beauvais Cathedral) while on the second one it was on cavities (a Renaissance favorite was the circular domed cavity)

The gap between the love for solids vs the love for voids repeats itself even within the same period frame: buildings in Copenhagen are a great example of it.

The contrast created by using solids and voids creates visual drama. The tweaks with form and color were greatly used in the Mannerism period after the Renaissance.

All in all, what is ideal for an architects is to think of both the forms and the spaces at the same time, instead of playing with the solids first and thinking about the voids and other details later. They both should be in harmony.