New Materiality as Correspondence

Emerging Technological Examples in Public Spaces

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.62161/sauc.v12.6375

Keywords:

Materiality, New Materialism , Public Space, Digital Technologies, Correspondence

Abstract

Today, the conception of materiality has evolved to encompass both the material and the immaterial, as well as the human and the non-human. Drawing upon the philosophical foundations of new materialism, this study interprets materiality as a form of correspondence. This interpretation is grounded in a non-dualist and non-hierarchical perspective, conceptualizing correspondence as a dialogue that opens onto a more-than-subject world, a mode of communication taking place among “things.” Within this framework, the projects D-Tower, Amphibious Architecture, I’m Lost in Paris, and Air Bubble, all realized in urban public spaces, are examined through the lens of new materiality as correspondence. In these public works, materiality is defined as the reciprocal field of interaction in which correspondence takes place—a space where things write to and respond to one another.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Global Statistics ℹ️

Cumulative totals since publication
0
Views
0
Downloads
0
Total
Downloads by format:
PDF (Español (España)) 0 PDF 0

References

Arbona, J. (2010). It’s in Your Nature: I’m Lost in Paris. Architectural Design, 80(3), 46-53. https://doi.org/10.1002/ad.1074

Ardatürk, A. S. (2022). Anonymous Reflections of Art in Public Spaces; Examples From the World. Street Art and Urban Creativity, 8(2), 17-34. https://doi.org/10.25765/sauc.v8i2.614

Aynalı, N. (2023). Mimarlıkta “maddi olmayan”: Kavramsal bir inceleme. IDA: International Design and Art Journal, 5(2), 221-232.

Barad, K. (2003). Posthumanist performativity: Toward an understanding of how matter comes to matter. Signs, 28(3), 801-831. https://doi.org/10.1086/345321

Bengisu, M., & Ferrara, M. (2018). Materials that move: Smart materials, intelligent design. Springer International Publishing.

Bennett, J. (2010). Vibrant matter: A political ecology of things. Duke University Press.

Bianco, A., & Scarpitti, C. (2024). Matter’s Life: Speculative Biodesign Practices Toward a New Materialism. In C. Gambardella (E.d.). For Nature/With Nature: New Sustainable Design Scenarios (pp. 357-370). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-53122-4

Braidotti, R. (2019). A theoretical framework for the critical posthumanities. Theory, Culture & Society, 36(6), 31-61. https://doi.org/10.1177/0263276418771486

Cantrell, B. E., & Holzman, J. (2015). Responsive landscapes: Strategies for responsive technologies in landscape architecture. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315757735

Chris Woebken Studio. (2009). Amphibious Architecture. Chriswoebken. Retrieved November 01, 2025, form https://chriswoebken.com/Amphibious-Architecture

Colebrook, C. (2017). Materiality: Sex, gender, and what lies beneath. In The Routledge Companion to Feminist Philosophy (pp. 194-206). Routledge.

Coole, D., & Frost, S. (Eds.). (2010). Introducing the new materialisms. In New materialisms: Ontology, agency, and politics (pp. 1-43.). Duke Univesrsity Press. https://doi.org/10.1215/9780822392996-001

DeLanda, M. (2015). The new materiality. Architectural Design, 85(5), 16-21. https://doi.org/10.1002/ad.1948000000

Derin, O. E., & Baytaş, B. (2025). The architecture of relational materialism: A categorial formation of onto-epistemological premises. Foundations of Science, (30), 1-51. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10699-025-09977-0

EcoLogicStudio. (2021) Air Bubble | air-purifying eco-machine. Retrieved April 30, 2026, form https://ecologicstudio.com/projects/air-bubble-air-purifying-eco-machine

Gentile, J. (2014). On mattering, materiality, and “transitional memory”: A discussion of Jonathan H. Slavin's essay. Psychoanalytic Perspectives, 11(1), 35-43. https://doi.org/10.1080/1551806X.2014.857987

Gruosso, S., Del Signore, M., & Di Cinzio, A. (2025). The extended mind of public space: How urban design shapes human experience. Frontiers in Built Environment, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fbuil.2025.1504549

Gygi, F. R. (2018). Materiality. The International Encyclopedia of Anthropology, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118924396.wbiea2338

Hafermalz, E., & Riemer, K. (2015). The question of materiality: Mattering in the network society. In Becker, J., vom Brocke, J., & de Marco, M. (Eds.). Association for information systems (pp. 1–17). Munster, Germany: AISeL. https://doi.org/10.18151/7217339

Harper, D. (n.d.). Correspond. In Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved April 5, 2026, form https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=CORRESPOND

Harrison, A.L (2012). The parameters of the Posthuman. In 100th ACSA Annual Meeting Proceedings: Digital Aptitudes (pp. 618-624). Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture. https://www.acsa-arch.org/chapter/the-parameters-of-the-posthuman/

Hayles, N. K. (1999). How we became posthuman: Virtual bodies in cybernetics, literature, and informatics. The University of Chicago Press.

Hood, E. J., & Kraehe, A. M. (2017). Creative Matter: New Materialism in Art Education Research, Teaching, and Learning. Art Education, 70(2), 32–38. https://doi.org/10.1080/00043125.2017.1274196

Janson, A. & Tigges, F. (2014). Fundamental concepts of architecture: The vocabulary of spatial situations. Birkhäuser.

Jordan, M., & Rizzioli, G. (2024). Introducing open montage:Material performativity in urban media configurations in space. NECSUS-European Journal of Media Studies, 13(1), 74-96. http://dx.doi.org/10.25969/mediarep/22832

Karandinou, A. (2017). No Matter: Theories and practices of the ephemeral in Architecture (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/97813155983900

Kretzer, M. (2017). Information materials: Smart materials for adaptive architecture. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-35150-6

Latour, B. (2005). Reassembling the social: An introduction to actor-network-theory. Oxford University Press.

Liu, C., Lai, F. & Gu, Z. (2015). Physical–virtual publicness of public space:An assessment framework. Urban Des Int. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41289-025-00303-5

Löschke, S.K. (Ed.). (2016). Materiality and Arcitecture: Introductory remarks. In Materiality and Architecture (1 ed., pp.1-11 ). Routledge.

Marcos, C. L. (2011). New materiality: Ideation, representation and digital fabrication. In 29th Conference on Education in Computer Aided Architectural Design in Europe (eCAADe) (pp. 351-360). Ljubljana. https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.ecaade.2011.351

Moussavi, F. (2009). The function of form. Actar and Harvard University Graduate School of Design.

New-Territories. (n.d.). I'mlostinParis/2009. Retrieved March 15, 2026, form https://www.new-territories.com/lostinparis.htm

Nilsson, F. (2013). Architectural assemblages and materializations–changing notions of tectonics and materiality in contemporary architecture. In P.J. Crus (Ed.). Structures and Architecture: New concepts, applications and challenges (pp. 408-416). CRC Press.

Önder, D. (2025). Yeni ontolojilerin felsefi kartografisi ve tartışma konuları. FLSF Felsefe ve Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, (41), 1-31. https://doi.org/10.53844/flsf.1731400

Oxman, N. (2010). Structuring materiality: Design fabrication of heterogeneous materials. Architectural Design, 80(4), 78–85. https://doi.org/10.1002/ad.1110

Oxman, N. (2012). Material Computation. In Bob Sheil (Ed.), Manufacturing the bespoke: Making and prototyping architecture (pp.256-264). John Wiley & Sons Inc.

Parisi, L. (2013). Contagious architecture: Computation, aesthetics, and space. mit Press

Parlac, V. (2021). Material dynamics in architecture. Plan Journal, 6(2), 501-520. https://doi.org/10.15274/tpj.2021.06.02.13

Picon, A. (2004). Architecture and the virtual: Towards a new materiality?. Praxis: Journal of Wri¬ting + Building, (6), 114-121. https://nrs.harvard.edu/URN-3:HUL.INSTREPOS:37373270

Picon, A. (2010). Digital culture in architecture: An introduction for the design professions. Birkhäuser.

Picon, A. (2024). The materiality of architecture, between the rise of the Digital Age and the advent of the Anthropocene. Perspectives in Architecture and Urbanism, 1(2), 100019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pau.2024.100019

Porter, T. (2004). Archispeak: an illustrated guide to architectural terms. Routledge.

Senagala, M. (2010). Deconstructing materiality. Harderials, softerials, minderials, and the transformation of architecture. In SIGraDi 2010_Proceedings of the 14th Congress of the Iberoamerican Society of Digital Graphics (pp. 142-145). Bogotá, Colombia. https://itc.scix.net/pdfs/sigradi2010_142.content.pdf

Smith, K. (Ed.). (2012). Material and immaterial. In Introducing architectural theory: Debating a discipline (pp.105-143). Routledge.

Spuybroek, L. (2011). The symphaty of things: Ruskin and the ecology of the design. Bloomsbury.

Tekeli, İ. (2023). Yaşamda özel alan ile kamusal alan ayrımının oluşumu ve karşılıklı konumları ile ilişkilerinin sürekli yeniden tanımlanmakta olması ne tür toplumsal sonuçlar yaratıyor?. Efil Journal of Economic Research, 6(1), 1-26. https://pdf.journalagent.com/planlama/pdfs/PLAN_29_3_195_201.pdf

The Living., & Jeremijenko, N. (2013). Amphibious architecture. In A.L. Harrison (Ed.), Architectural theories of the enviroment: Posthuman territory (pp.288-295). Routledge.

Thomas, K. L. (2022). Building materials: Material theory and the architectural specification. Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.

Tuin, I. V. D., & Dolphijn, R. (Eds.).(2012). New materialism: Interviews & cartographies. Open humanities press.

V2_ Lab for the Unstable Media (n.d). D-TOWER. V2.nl. https://v2.nl/works/d-tower

Downloads

Published

2026-09-02

How to Cite

Kandemir, S. S., & Aksoy, M. (2026). New Materiality as Correspondence: Emerging Technological Examples in Public Spaces. Street Art & Urban Creativity, 12(4), 537–558. https://doi.org/10.62161/sauc.v12.6375

Issue

Vol. 12 No. 4 (2026)

Section

Research articles

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Authors retain copyright and transfer to the journal the right of first publication and publishing rights

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Those authors who publish in this journal accept the following terms:

  1. Authors retain copyright.

  2. Authors transfer to the journal the right of first publication. The journal also owns the publishing rights.

  3. All published contents are governed by an Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
    Access the informative version and legal text of the license. By virtue of this, third parties are allowed to use what is published as long as they mention the authorship of the work and the first publication in this journal. If you transform the material, you may not distribute the modified work.

  4. Authors may make other independent and additional contractual arrangements for non-exclusive distribution of the version of the article published in this journal (e.g., inclusion in an institutional repository or publication in a book) as long as they clearly indicate that the work was first published in this journal.

  5. Authors are allowed and recommended to publish their work on the Internet (for example on institutional and personal websites), following the publication of, and referencing the journal, as this could lead to constructive exchanges and a more extensive and quick circulation of published works (see The Effect of Open Access).