All sorts & genres
SACRE LIEU, SARDAIGNE, 2019
Essay in French on the architecture of congregation in Sardinia.
Click here to read the text.
PER FIDE ALBION, 2019
A Brexit comment.
PRESENTATION OF GIRTH, 2017
Stefania GALLANI had kindly accepted to exhibit the blue table in family business’ showroom, and a cocktail event had been organized by friends.
Naturally I was invited to talk about the table.
The Roman pedigree of the oval form (unknown to Ancient Greeks), exalted by later architects such as fellow-countryman Robert ADAM, provided the axis of discursive development.
The commissioners of the original table from which this one derives, apparently concluded : This is a real speech. Just as well.
BANNER FOR GIRTH, 2017
PDF from a Word document, printed at 300%.
Marco SCALTRITI asked me to prepare an explanatory banner for the exhibition of the table in castello di Roccabianca. (July-December 2017)
A smaller print (200%) of the same was used at Villa Emo, Fanzolo di Vedelago. (December 2017 – April 2018)
ALMA MATER, STABAT MATER, 2016-2018
In 2016 Professor Anna DOLFI solicited papers on the subject of her forth-coming volume, and I agreed to do one on Freiburg-im-Breisgau’s Baukunst.
The paper, Alma Mater, Stabat Mater, scultura e politica nel novecento a Freiburg, was written as I intermittently followed building work on an adjacent site, illustrated early 2017 in part by drawings I made especially for it (and by Michael KLANT’s gracious purvey of photos) appearing 2018, just in time for a second stay at FRIAS.
Given the contentions of the article, I declined the kind invitation to post the English-language version on the FRIAS website without any prior peer review.
10¨ TO MAKE YOUR POINT, FRIAS, 2015
Although no Fellow, I was invited by Britta KÜST to introduce one of their AHC apéro debates with brio.
Studying the architecture of Freiburg-im-Breisgau, I had been struck by the transformation over the centuries of building identities as indicated by their nomenclature.
Poetic and descriptive regarding Haüser in the old town, this had become progressively function-related, almost mechanical during the 19th & 20th centuries.
With disrespectful nicknames if need be.
Begging the question : by what name will the new University Library be referred to ?
My own suggestion (printed on an impromptu paper model) was Origamibau.
BLUE STUDIO, DUBLIN, 1983
Having procured the Aldo ROSSI material for his monographic exhibition on behalf of London’s ICA, I was invited to talk on a Sunday afternoon in Dublin, in a gallery specially acquired by John O’REGAN & co. for the purpose of hosting the exhibited material.
BUILDING DESIGN, 1981
Three articles on furniture design, published in the architect & building professionals’ weekly rag, including what I believe to be the first ever in English on MEMPHIS.
ARCHITETTURA ERMAFRODITA, 1981
A play on words (per niente figa, ma invece due palle), by reference to Alessandro MENDINI’s homonymous event in Milan.
opus incertum 