HARTAIXX2016-V009900

Summary

The script discusses Aldo Rossi's unbuilt monument to Italian partisans, a 12-meter cube in Cuneo, Italy. The structure, resembling an urban room, features a floating surface and steep steps leading to an open sky, symbolizing the partisans' struggle. The narrow window frames the landscape they fought for, offering a profound experience of ascent, enclosure, and perspective. Rossi's design subtly references modern architects, yet retains a distinct architectural identity.

Takeaways

• 🏛️ The script discusses Aldo Rossi, a late 20th-century architect, and his affinity for Adolf Loos's aphorism, suggesting a parallel in their architectural philosophies.
• 🇮🇹 Rossi's first project mentioned is an unbuilt monument honoring the Italian partisans, who fought against fascism in Italy and Germany.
• 📍 The monument is planned for Cuneo, a town in the northern part of Italy, indicating a geographical significance to the project.
• 🔲 The design features a 12-meter cube open to the sky, symbolizing a sense of enclosure and openness at the same time.
• 📈 The monument's structure includes steep steps leading to a small room, creating a sense of ascent and anticipation.
• 🏙️ The monument is designed as an 'urban room,' with a precise relationship to a piazza, emphasizing its integration with the city's urban fabric.
• 🏗️ Architectural elements such as thin concrete corners give the impression of a floating surface, adding to the monument's visual impact.
• 🌅 The small room opens to the sky without a roof, offering a direct view of the sky, which is a unique spatial experience.
• 🖼️ A narrow window in the room frames the view of the fields and mountains outside of Cuneo, symbolically representing the territory the partisans fought for.
• 🤝 The script suggests that like Loos, Rossi's work has sensuous associations and a rich tapestry of references to modern architects, appealing to those with architectural knowledge.
• 🏛️ Rossi's monument, like Loos's work, focuses on the architectural type as a real object that withdraws from direct experience, inviting deeper contemplation.

Q & A

Who was Aldo Rossi and what was his connection to Adolf Loos?

Aldo Rossi was a late 20th-century architect who was influenced by the aphorism of Adolf Loos, suggesting a shared interest in the essence of architectural design.

What was the purpose of the unbuilt monument by Rossi mentioned in the script?

The unbuilt monument was intended to honor the Italian partisans, who fought against the fascist government and the Nazis during World War II.

Where is the town of Cuneo located?

Cuneo is a small town in the northern part of Italy where Rossi's monument was conceptually situated.

Describe the physical characteristics of Rossi's monument design.

The monument design is a 12-meter cube, open to the sky, with steep steps leading to a small room, creating an urban room effect at the edge of the city.

What is unique about the way the monument's surface is presented?

The monument's surface appears to be floating, supported by very thin corners of concrete, giving it an almost weightless appearance.

How does the experience of entering the monument's room affect the visitor?

Upon entering, visitors initially feel the oppressive weight of the cube, but then experience an opening to the sky with no roof, creating a sense of ascension and enclosure.

What is the significance of the small, narrow window in the monument's room?

The window, positioned to look out onto the fields and mountains outside of Cuneo, symbolizes the territory the partisans were fighting for.

How does Rossi's monument relate to the architectural work of Adolf Loos?

Both Rossi's and Loos's works involve a sensuous experience of space and a withdrawal of the architectural object from direct experience, focusing on the essence of the monument.

What other architects are referenced in the context of Rossi's monument?

The script mentions modern architects like Giuseppe Terragni and Le Corbusier, whose work might be recognized by those familiar with architectural history.

What is the concept of an 'architectural type' as referred to by Rossi?

An 'architectural type' as referred to by Rossi is a fundamental category of architectural design that withdraws from direct experience, emphasizing the underlying concept over the physical form.

What is the role of the piazza in relation to Rossi's monument?

The piazza plays a significant role as it is in a precise relationship with the monument, contributing to the urban room effect and the overall experience of the monument.

Outlines

00:00

🏛️ Aldo Rossi's Unbuilt Monument to Italian Partisans

The script introduces Aldo Rossi's architectural philosophy, influenced by Adolf Loos, and discusses an unbuilt project by Rossi dedicated to the Italian partisans who fought against fascism. The monument is described as a 12-meter cube in Cuneo, Italy, with a skyward opening and steep steps leading to a small room. The design is likened to an 'urban room' due to its strategic placement near a city's edge and a piazza. The structure's minimalist facade, with thin concrete corners, creates an illusion of a floating surface, while the interior space evokes a sense of enclosure and weight, contrasted by the open sky above. A narrow window frames the landscape that the partisans defended, adding a layer of symbolic meaning to the monument. The script also mentions the monument's connection to the works of other modern architects, emphasizing Rossi's focus on architectural types and the experiential aspects of his designs.

Keywords

💡Aldo Rossi

Aldo Rossi was an influential late 20th-century architect known for his theoretical writings and architectural designs. He is a central figure in the video script as his work and philosophy are discussed in relation to the aphorism of Adolf Loos. Rossi's architecture is presented as embodying a distilled essence of what constitutes 'architecture' itself, as illustrated by his unbuilt monument project discussed in the script.

💡Adolf Loos

Adolf Loos was an early 20th-century architect and theorist, famous for his aphorism that the script refers to. Although not the main focus of the video, his influence on Aldo Rossi and the broader architectural discourse is mentioned. Loos's work is associated with a move towards simplicity and functionality in architecture, which is a theme that resonates with Rossi's approach.

💡Unbuilt Monument

The term 'unbuilt monument' refers to a design or architectural project that was planned but never constructed. In the context of the video, it describes Rossi's project for a monument to the Italian partisans, which was conceptualized but not realized. This concept is significant as it allows for the discussion of architecture's potential and impact beyond physical existence.

💡Italian Partisans

The Italian partisans were resistance fighters during World War II, opposing the fascist government and the Nazi regime. In the script, they are the intended honorees of Rossi's unbuilt monument, symbolizing the struggle for freedom and the values they fought for, which is a central theme in understanding the monument's intended significance.

💡Cuneo

Cuneo is a town in the northern part of Italy where Rossi's unbuilt monument was intended to be located. The script describes its geographical and cultural context, emphasizing how the monument's design and placement were meant to interact with the urban environment and the surrounding landscape of Cuneo.

💡Urban Room

An 'urban room' is a term used to describe a space within a city that functions similarly to an indoor room, providing a sense of enclosure and gathering. In the script, Rossi's monument is likened to an urban room due to its design and its relationship with the adjacent piazza, highlighting the architectural concept of creating intimate public spaces within urban settings.

💡Elevation

In architecture, 'elevation' refers to a drawing or a view of a building's side, showing the exterior features and design. The script mentions the elevation of Rossi's monument, noting the striking visual effect of the blank surface and thin concrete corners, which contributes to the perception of the monument's floating appearance.

💡Architectural Type

The 'architectural type' is a concept that refers to a category of buildings that share common characteristics and functions. Rossi, as mentioned in the script, referred to his monument as an architectural type, suggesting a focus on the essential qualities and forms that define a category of buildings, rather than unique, one-off designs.

💡Sensuous Associations

The term 'sensuous associations' refers to the emotional and sensory experiences evoked by a design or space. The script describes how Rossi's monument creates a rich sensory experience through the ascent, enclosure, and view it offers, which is a key aspect of understanding the monument's intended impact on visitors.

💡Modern Architects

The script mentions several modern architects, including Loos, Giuseppe Terragni, and Le Corbusier, as having influences or being referenced in Rossi's work. These references are important for understanding the broader context of architectural history and the dialogue between Rossi's work and that of his predecessors.

💡Territory

In the script, 'territory' is used to describe the landscape and fields that the narrow window of Rossi's monument frames, which is significant as it connects the monument to the historical context of the partisans' struggle. This use of 'territory' underscores the monument's role in commemorating and reflecting upon the region's history.

Highlights

Aldo Rossi's architecture is influenced by Adolf Loos's aphorism.

Rossi's first project is an unbuilt monument to the Italian partisans.

The monument is located in the town of Cuneo, northern Italy.

The monument's design features a 12-meter cube open to the sky.

The structure is likened to an urban room due to its relationship with a nearby piazza.

The monument's elevation presents a floating surface held by thin concrete corners.

Ascending steps lead to a small room under the hovering cube.

The room's small size contrasts with the open sky above, creating an intense experience.

A narrow window in the room frames a view of the fields and mountains significant to the partisans.

Rossi's monument shares sensuous associations with Loos's mound.

The architectural experience involves ascent, enclosure, and a revealing view.

The monument contains references to modern architects such as Loos, Terragni, and Le Corbusier.

Like Loos, Rossi's architectural type withdraws from direct experience.

The monument's design emphasizes the weight and presence of the cube.

The absence of a roof in the room creates a connection to the sky.

The monument's positioning at the city's edge frames the surrounding landscape.

The design invites contemplation of the partisans' struggle and the landscape they fought for.

Transcripts

K. MICHAEL HAYS: The late 20th-century architect Aldo Rossi

was very taken with this aphorism of Loos.

We can almost imagine Rossi presenting his own architecture

and making a similar claim.

"That is architecture."

Let's take a look at a first project by Rossi.

It's an unbuilt monument to the Italian partisans.

These were the fighters who were against the fascist government

in Germany and also the fascist government in Italy

and against the sort of axis that brought Italy

into contact with the Nazis.

It's in a little town called Cuneo, which is in the northern part of Italy.

It's a cube, 12 meters, open to the sky, and it

has these very steep steps ascending up into what is a relatively small room.

It has the effect of being thought of as a kind of urban room,

because it's situated at the edge of the city in a very

precise relationship to a piazza.

When you see the elevation, the first thing you notice

is a blank surface, which is held by very, very thin corners of concrete--

so thin that the surface appears to be floating

and the steps ascend up behind the surface.

As you move into the room, first onto the steps,

there's an almost oppressive weight of this giant 12 meter cube hovering over

you.

But then when you get to the room, though it's relatively small,

it opens up to the sky.

There's no roof.

And at first, the perception would be that you only see the sky.

And then you notice a very small, very narrow sort of strip of a window.

And because of the way the cube is sited in the city, at the edge of the city,

the window looks out onto the fields and into these spectacular mountains

just outside of Cuneo which in a way is the territory that the partisans were

fighting for.

Like Loos's mound, Rossi's monument has a lot of sensuous associations.

It's a very intense experience of ascent, enclosure, and then view.

There are other encrustations or associations.

There are many, many references to modern architects like Loos himself,

like Giuseppe Terragni, like Le Corbusier that someone

familiar with architectural history would also notice these references.

But again, like Loos, the real object, which Rossi

called an architectural type--

the real object withdraws from our experience.