HARTAIXX2016-V010300

Summary

The script delves into Aldo Rossi's architectural philosophy, emphasizing 'typological permanence' and the 'anteriority of type,' suggesting types pre-exist architectural acts. Rossi's concept of the 'analogous city' is exemplified through Canaletto's painting, illustrating how architectural elements, despite their geographical displacement, form a recognizable city. This concept underpins Rossi's epistemological and ontological claims that architecture produces knowledge and exists as a virtual reality manifesting through types, influencing the design process and the city's evolution.

Takeaways

• 📚 The concept of 'typological permanence' is discussed, emphasizing the enduring nature of architectural types.
• 🕰 'Anteriority of type' is introduced, suggesting that types exist before the architectural act and even in the architect's imagination.
• 🏛 The 'analogous city' is explained using Canaletto's painting of Venice, which features Palladio's projects in a non-geographical context.
• 🎨 Canaletto's painting serves as an example of how architectural elements can be repositioned to form a recognizable city, despite their actual locations.
• 🏙 The 'analogous city' represents a city of architectural references, highlighting the idea of architectural virtuality.
• 📖 Rossi's passage on the painting illustrates the translation of a logical-formal operation into a design method and a theory of architectural design.
• 💡 The script makes an epistemological claim that architecture produces knowledge, with types providing a form for social experience and collective understanding.
• 🌐 The city is portrayed as both a concrete social-material object and an abstract, virtual reality in Rossi's philosophy.
• 🔄 Every act of architecture is said to originate from and return to the city, emphasizing the cyclical relationship between architecture and urbanity.
• 🌌 Rossi views architecture as existing in a virtual state, which he refers to as the 'analogous city', making both epistemological and ontological claims.
• 🔍 The ontological plane is described as intersecting with historical time, allowing for the actualization of architecture and the emergence of its authentic meaning.

Q & A

What does K. Michael Hays mean by 'typological permanence'?

K. Michael Hays refers to 'typological permanence' as the persistence and continuity of architectural types over time, as described by Rossi.

How does Hays describe the 'anteriority of type' in Rossi's thinking?

Hays explains that the 'anteriority of type' in Rossi's thinking means that architectural types pre-exist the design effort, the construction, and even the architect's imagination. These types are already present before any architectural act.

What example does Hays use to explain the 'anteriority of type'?

Hays uses Canaletto's painting of Venice to explain the 'anteriority of type'. The painting includes buildings like the Chiericati Palace, the Rialto Bridge project, and Palladio's Basilica, none of which are actually located in Venice but are used to illustrate an analogous city.

What is the significance of Canaletto's painting according to Rossi?

According to Rossi, Canaletto's painting demonstrates how a logical-formal operation can translate into a design method and a theory of architectural design, where pre-established and formally defined elements result in an unforeseen and original meaning.

What epistemological claim does Rossi make in the passage Hays reads?

Rossi claims that architecture produces knowledge. Despite being pre-theoretical and pre-conceptual, architectural types provide the form for social experience and collective understanding.

How does Rossi view the relationship between architecture and the city?

Rossi views the city as both a social and material reality and an invisible, abstract, virtual reality. Every act of architecture originates from the city and returns to it.

What does Rossi mean by the 'analogous city'?

The 'analogous city' refers to the virtual reality of the city, composed of architectural references and associations. It represents the idea that architecture exists in a virtual form that manifests through type.

What ontological claim does Rossi make about architecture?

Rossi makes the ontological claim that architecture exists as a virtuality, manifesting in the form of type. This virtuality intersects with historical time to actualize architecture.

How does Hays describe the intersection of the ontological and historical in architecture?

Hays describes this intersection as a vertical plane where the field of potential and possibility of architecture intersects with historical time, leading to the actualization of architecture. The ontological aspect is embedded in history from the start.

What does the painting by Canaletto symbolize for Rossi in terms of architectural knowledge?

For Rossi, the painting by Canaletto symbolizes how architectural knowledge and meaning are produced through the combination of pre-established elements and their formal definitions, leading to new and original interpretations of the city.

Outlines

00:00

🏛 The Concept of Typological Permanence and Anteriority

In this paragraph, K. Michael Hays discusses the 'typological permanence' and introduces the concept of 'anteriority of type' in architecture, as presented by Rossi. Hays explains that for Rossi, architectural types pre-exist the design process, construction, and even the architect's imagination. The 'analogous city' serves as a prime example of this, illustrated through Canaletto's painting of Venice, which features Palladio's projects in a non-existent setting, yet still recognizable as Venice. Hays reads Rossi's passage on the painting, emphasizing the idea that architecture is not just a physical reality but also a virtual one, with the type providing a schema for social and collective understanding. Rossi's perspective posits that every architectural act originates from and returns to the city, suggesting an epistemological claim that architecture produces knowledge.

05:02

🌐 The Intersection of Ontological and Historical Time in Architecture

This paragraph delves deeper into the ontological aspect of architecture, as proposed by Rossi. It describes the ontological plane as a vertical dimension where the potential and possibility of architecture intersect with historical time, leading to the actualization of architectural forms. The ontological is not separate from history but is inherently intertwined with it from the beginning. The paragraph suggests that architecture exists in a virtual state, manifesting through types, and that the actualization of architecture happens at the intersection of this ontological potential and the flow of historical time. This perspective offers a nuanced understanding of architecture as both a physical manifestation and a virtual concept that is deeply connected to the progression of history.

Keywords

💡Typological Permanence

Typological permanence refers to the enduring nature of architectural types over time. In the video, it is suggested that these types persist not just through the physical existence of buildings but also in the collective memory and design practices. The concept is integral to understanding how architectural styles and forms continue to influence contemporary design, despite changes in societal needs and technologies.

💡Anteriority of Type

The anteriority of type is the idea that the concept of an architectural type pre-exists its physical manifestation. According to the video, this concept is central to Rossi's philosophy, where the type is seen as existing in a realm of ideas before it is brought into being through design and construction. This challenges the notion that architecture is solely a product of its time, suggesting instead that it has a timeless quality that precedes its realization.

💡Analogous City

The analogous city is a concept introduced by Rossi to describe a city that is constructed from elements that are not geographically accurate but are historically and architecturally significant. In the script, Canaletto's painting of Venice is used as an example, where buildings from different locations and even unrealized projects are depicted together, creating a city that is recognizable despite its non-geographical accuracy. This concept is key to understanding how architecture can transcend physical boundaries and contribute to a collective understanding of place.

💡Capriccio

A capriccio in art, particularly in the context of Canaletto's painting mentioned in the video, refers to a composition that is imaginative and not necessarily based on a real place. It is a fantasy view that combines elements from different locations or times to create a new, cohesive scene. In the video, this concept is used to illustrate how the analogous city can be a valid representation of a place, even if it does not correspond to any actual geography.

💡Palladio

Andrea Palladio is a renowned Italian architect whose work is frequently referenced in discussions of architectural types and classical forms. In the video, his projects, such as the Chiericati Palace and the Basilica in Vicenza, are used to demonstrate how architectural types can be recontextualized within an analogous city. Palladio's work is significant for its influence on classical architecture and its enduring presence in the collective architectural imagination.

💡Classicism

Classicism in architecture refers to the use of classical forms, proportions, and details that are inspired by ancient Greek and Roman architecture. In the video, the script discusses how Palladio used classicism to imbue buildings with a certain status and to integrate them into the urban fabric. The concept is important for understanding how architectural styles can shape the perception and function of buildings within a city.

💡Epistemological Claim

An epistemological claim in the context of the video refers to the assertion that architecture produces knowledge. It suggests that through the use of architectural types and forms, society gains a deeper understanding of its own experiences and collective history. The video posits that architecture is not just a physical manifestation but also a generator of social and cultural knowledge.

💡Ontological Claim

The ontological claim made in the video is the assertion that architecture exists as a virtuality that is manifested through types. This claim goes beyond the physical existence of buildings to suggest that architecture has a presence in the realm of ideas and cultural memory. It implies that the essence of architecture is found in its potential to shape and be shaped by human experience.

💡Virtuality

In the video, virtuality is used to describe the intangible, abstract existence of architecture before it is realized in physical form. It is the space of potential and possibility where architectural ideas and types reside. The concept of virtuality is crucial for understanding how architecture can influence and be influenced by societal and cultural contexts beyond its physical presence.

💡Actualization

Actualization in the video refers to the process by which the potential of architectural ideas and types is realized in the physical world through design and construction. It is the intersection of the ontological plane of architectural potential and the historical timeline where architecture comes into being. The concept is important for understanding the dynamic relationship between architectural ideas and their physical manifestations.

💡Geographical Transposition

Geographical transposition, as discussed in the context of Canaletto's painting, is the act of placing architectural elements in a location different from their original setting. In the video, this concept is used to illustrate how the analogous city is formed, creating a new urban narrative that is both recognizable and imaginative. It highlights the flexibility of architectural types and their ability to adapt to different contexts.

Highlights

K. Michael Hays discusses the persistence of types in architecture, what Rossi calls 'typological permanence.'

Hays introduces the concept of the 'anteriority of type,' suggesting that the type pre-exists the architectural act.

In Rossi's thinking, the type is already present before the design effort, actual construction, or even the architect's imagination.

The best example of the anteriority of type is Rossi's explanation of the 'analogous city.'

Rossi uses a painting by Canaletto of Venice to illustrate the concept of the analogous city.

In Canaletto's painting, various Palladian projects are depicted together in Venice, though they are not actually located there.

Rossi describes the geographical transposition of monuments within the painting as creating an analogous Venice.

Rossi's analogous city demonstrates how a logical-formal operation can be translated into a design method and a theory of architectural design.

There is an epistemological claim in Rossi's work that architecture produces knowledge through type.

Type, though pre-theoretical and pre-conceptual, gives form to social experience and collective understanding.

For Rossi, a city is both a concrete reality and an invisible, abstract, virtual reality.

Every act of architecture originates from the city and returns to it, according to Rossi.

Rossi views architecture as residing in a virtuality, which he calls the 'analogous city.'

Rossi makes both an epistemological claim that type produces social, experiential knowledge and an ontological claim that architecture exists as a virtuality manifest in type.

The intersection of the ontological plane and historical time actualizes architecture, with the ontological being folded into history from the start.

Transcripts

K. MICHAEL HAYS: I've mentioned the persistence of types, what

Rossi calls "typological permanence."

But there's another dimension, another sort of temporality to type

that we might call the "anteriority of type,"

for it's not the case in Rossi's thinking

that the type just continues-- that once it emerges, once it's manifest,

that the type simply continues.

The type for Rossi is already there before the design effort,

before the actual construction, perhaps, even

before the architect's imagination of it--

that the type pre-exist the architectural act.

The best example of the anteriority of type

comes in Rossi's explanation of what he means by "the analogous city."

And to make this explanation, he asks us to look at a painting

by Canaletto of Venice.

If you look at this painting, you'll see a building to the left of the painting.

That's the corner of the Chiericati Palace of Andrea Palladio.

If you look in the very center of the painting,

is a project that Palladio made for the Rialto Bridge of Venice,

but never actually executed.

The Chiericati Palace is not in Venice;

it's in Vicenza, as is the very large building on the right, which

is Palladio's Basilica.

Now, these projects are important.

They have, already, various associations.

The Basilica, for example, was really just a kind of large classical wrapper

around an existing medieval building.

What Palladio did in the Basilica was sort of bring classicism

into an urban-- it's urban form, it's modern urban form.

And in the Chiericati Palace--

which is simply, in a way, a house--

he also used the classical language in the same way

to give the house a certain status, and all of these things

would have been important to Rossi.

I'll read Rossi's passage on this painting.

"To illustrate the concept of analogous city,

I give the example of Canaletto's fantasy view of Venice:

a Capriccio in which Palladio's projects for the Ponte di Rialto,

the Basilica of Venice, and the Palazzo Chiericati are set next to each other

and described as if the painter were rendering an urban scene

he had actually observed.

These three Palladian monuments, none of which are actually in Venice

and one of which is a project, nevertheless

constitute an analogous Venice--

formed of specific elements, associated it

with the history of both architecture and the city.

The geographical transposition of the monuments within the painting

constitutes a city that we recognize even

though it is a place of purely architectural references.

This example enabled me to demonstrate how a logical-formal operation could

be translated into (both) a design method and then

into a hypothesis for a theory of architectural design

in which the elements were preestablished and formally defined,

but where the significance that sprung forth at the end of the operation

was the authentic, unforeseen, and original meaning of the work."

There's an epistemological claim made in this passage, the claim

that architecture produces knowledge.

The type, though it's pre-theoretical and pre-conceptual,

nevertheless gives the form of social experience and collective

understanding.

The type sort of schematizes aesthetic experience, sensual

encounters, in such a way that it can be scanned

by the collective human understanding.

A city, of course, is a social and material object in its own right.

It's the most concrete of realities that architecture deals with.

But for Rossi, the city is also an invisible, abstract, virtual reality.

Every act of architecture can only come from the city, and every act

of architecture returns to the city.

We can imagine Rossi looking at this painting by Canaletto

and saying, "That is architecture"-- just as Loos looked at the mound

and said, "That is architecture."

But where is the "that"?

It seems that, for Rossi, architecture resides in a virtuality.

It's this virtuality that he calls the "analogous city."

So Rossi is making not only an epistemological claim--

that type produces social, experiential knowledge--

he's also making an ontological claim:

Architecture exists.

It exists as a virtuality that is manifest in the form of type.

You can imagine the ontological existing on a kind of vertical plane and history

unfolding through time, and it's at the intersection

of the ontological plane that this field of potential, this field of possibility

as it intersects historical time, we get the actualization of architecture

at that intersection.

But the ontological is folded into history from the start.