Muggle Terms ft. Harry Potter
Muggle Terms is an architectural vocabulary exercise designed in collaboration with Instagram Page ‘UnboxingVIA’ with the aim to learn and recall architectural elements through their representation in fiction
Do you remember the types of masonry? Coursed rubble, uncoursed rubble, fine ashlar, etc. During the first year, we went around the college campus identifying and categorising compound walls. I still do it; it’s almost a reflex. And that’s the thing: Architectural vocabulary is not a complicated way to describe your design. Architectural vocabulary is your design guide.
The terminologies help you identify, visually store and recall similar elements around you, ultimately becoming your inspiration boards during design discussions. How? Try imagining this:
“The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.”
“They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door. Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.”
Could you visualize Hogwarts? Almost?
Muggle Terms is an attempt to contextualise fiction for architecture.
Simply put, Wabi represents rustic simplicity or understated elegance, while Sabi construes as enjoying the imperfect. Together, complimented with a biophilic design approach they complete the holy triangle of clean, green, and comfort.
Muggle Term #1: Cloisters from the Harry Potter series.
Hogwarts may be hidden with several protective spells, but we've already caught a glimpse, haven’t we? So let's start with one of my favourite places: cloisters. Need a visual reference? Scroll down.
#Cloister
A covered stone passage around the four sides of a courtyard (a square or a rectangular space) especially in a religious order such as a church or monastery
Originating from the Latin word ‘claustrum’, meaning ‘enclosure’, cloistered (or claustral) life signifies the monastic life of a monk or nun. In enclosed religious orders, monks and nuns needed to withdraw from society to devote themselves to prayer and contemplation. The locked cloister design served as an architectural solution by allowing access to an open space to perform sacred tasks away from the distractions of servants.
The following scenes from the Harry Potter movies feature four different cloisters:
In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Ron stands up for Hermoine after Malfoy insults her. However, the spell backfires leaving Ron vomiting slugs in the middle of the Durham Cathedral Cloister.
In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Mad-Eye Moody transforms Draco Malfoy into a ferret in the New College Cloister, Oxford.
In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Dolores Umbridge (still hate her) publicly fires Professor Trelawney in the Viaduct Courtyard (a covered stone cloister with an open colonnade built in Leavesden Studios, England) before Dumbledore comes to her rescue.
In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, right after Professor Slughorn’s Christmas Party, Harry overhears a conversation between Malfoy and Professor Snape referencing the Unbreakable Vow in the Gloucester Cathedral Cloister.
Up to date? Here's a quick question (refer to the above image for a visual clue): Which one of the cloisters featured Tom Riddle's terrifying message: The chamber of secrets has been opened. Enemies of the heir... beware?