The Architecture of Carlo Scarpa

3 units

A course examining the major works of the Italian architect Carlo Scarpa (1906-1978). Scarpa was a unique figure among second generation Modern architects, being at once deeply embedded in the archaic and anachronistic culture of Venice, and at the same time transforming this place by weaving the most Modern of spatial conceptions into its material fabric. This course will focus on Carlo Scarpa's redefinition of the concepts of "renovation" and "preservation," and his reinterpretation of Modern architecture as constituting an integrated part of its historical place and culture; Scarpa's re-engagement of the traditional building methods and materials of the Veneto, reviving lost arts as well as introducing new structures, constructions, and materials into historic contexts; Scarpa's deployment of the articulate detail as a fundamental ordering idea; and Scarpa's engagement of Modern culture, including the integration within his works of concepts drawn from Modern painting and sculpture. Architectural works covered in this course include the Brion Cemetery, the Castelvechio, the Querini Stampalia Gallery, the Olivetti Showroom, the Banco Poplare di Verona, the Canova Plaster Gallery, among others, and will include his many interior renovations, his exhibition designs, and his glass designs for Venini. The class will consist of lectures by professor and in-class presentations by students. Students will individually research and analyze selected works of architecture, preparing presentations and summary research paper.