CARLO SCARPA: THEORY DESIGN PROJECTS
Maria Antonietta Crippa
Maria Antonietta Crippa: CARLO SCARPA: THEORY DESIGN PROJECTS. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1986. First English edition [First published in Italy under the title "Scarpa: Il Pensiero, Il Disegno, I Progetti," Editoriale Jaca Book, Milan, 1984]. A near-fine hard cover book in a near fine minus dust jacket. Interior unmarked and very clean. Out-of-print.
10.5 x 12 hard cover book with 262 pages and 363 illustrations in black and white and color. Translated by Susan Chapman and Paola Pinna. From the book: Carlo Scarpa [1902 - 1978] belongs to the generation of Italian architects working in a period when political conditions placed severe restrictions on architectural expression. Yet Scarpa's achievements surpassed anything else being done in Italy between the wars and exemplified the best work done in the 'Rationalist' tradition. This book considers the full spectrum of Scarpa's work, concentrating especially on his museum projects. It closely follows Scarpa's complex, multidimensional personality, covering the vicissitudes of his career, his ideas and their relationship to those of the modern masters, his cultural milieu, and his unique architectural contribution, which is imbued with a profound feeling for craft."
Contents
Introduction by Joseph Rykwert
An Experience of Modern Architecture: The Warp and Woof of a Craftsman
Early Years
Rationalism and Le Corbusier
The Influence of Wright: Scarpa's Awakening to Modern Architecture
The Teachings of Aalto and Neoplasticism
The Cultural Heritage of Vienna and its Venetian Context
Design and Craft
Design and Project
Harmony with the Architectural Culture of Italy
From Imitation to Invention
A Found Language
The Last Works: The Unfinished
An Architectural Theme: Exhibition and Museum Arrangements
New Criteria in Museum Work: General Aspects
The Arrangements
The Museums
Uncompleted Museum Projects
Includes Notes, Biography, Inventory of Work, An Outline of Contemporary Architecture, Bibliography and Index of Illustrations
Excerpted from the web site for Famous Architects: "At the time of his death in 1978 at the age of 72, Carlo Scarpa was at the height of his fame and influence. His buildings and projects were being studied by architects and students throughout the world, and his decorative style had become a model for architects wishing to revive craft and luscious materials in the contemporary manner. Yet Carlo Scarpa remains an enigmatic character in the history of modern architecture and design. His work does not submit easily to explanation and analysis, despite attempts by numerous architects and historians, nor is it particularly photogenic."
"During the late 1920s and 1930s Carlo Scarpa became acquainted with a number of influential intellectual figures in Italy and abroad. Massimo Bontempelli, Carlo Carra, and Arturi Martini became his friends. It was during this time that Carlo Scarpa also began a relationship with the Venini Glass Works in Venice, for whom Scarpa created many designs. He painted avidly during this period in a novecento style reminiscent of Mario Sironi and Carra. Also during the late 1920s, Carlo Scarpa began his career as an interior designer and industrial designer."