Aldo Rossi
Aldo Rossi ( May 3, 1931 in Milan, † September 4, 1997 ibid ) was one of the pioneering architects and designers of the 20th century.
Biography
Getting Started
From 1949 to 1959 Rossi studied architecture at the Milan Polytechnic. In 1955 he was invited by Ernesto Nathan Rogers, at the architectural magazine Casabella Continuità ( ISSN 0008-7181 ) cooperate; initially in the form of editorials, later - 1959 to 1964 - as a staff editor. In the late 1950s, Rossi took the side of those who called for a critical revision of the doctrinal principles of modernity. Rossi counted at this time to the group of students from Rogers, who played along with the "experiment" of Neoliberty " a recourse to the Italian brand of Art Nouveau, the Stile Liberty in the early 20th century.
Pathfinding and theoretical discussion
But Rossi stressed at that time that his interest was not primarily architectural in nature. Only at the beginning of the 1960s begins Rossi's actual path with the competition design for a " Resistance, " monument in Cuneo ( 1962) and shortly after starting project of the town square with partisan monument in Segrate, near Milan in the year 1965. All elementary design maxim, the importance typological, formal and metaphysical aspect in Rossi's architecture can be tied back to these first drafts.
Between 1963 and 1965, coinciding with his first realizations, Rossi was also employed as an assistant to Ludovico Quaroni at the School of Urban Planning in Arezzo and as an assistant to Carlo Aymonino at the Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning at the University of Venice ( IUAV ). In parallel, Rossi had already developed the foundations of his " Architettura Razionale " which is to be considered in close connection with the rationalist theories of architecture of the Renaissance, the Enlightenment and Classicism in particular the " rationalist " from the 1920s.
Together with Luca Meda, he took over in 1964, planning for the XIII. Triennale in Milan. In 1965 he became a lecturer at the Polytechnic of Milan.
From rational, classical and monumental styles starting, he took as a young architect in a reduced, clear language. Light and shadows formed a prominent element of its design.
1966 Rossi published his reflections on modern architecture in the book L' architettura della città ( The architecture of the city). The book drew attention to the traditional European city. He criticizes the modernist dogma that the form arising from the function. Rather is historically proven that formally concise monuments could be adapted to multiple uses. Urbanism should not be unconditional total planning, but historical- critical develop the traditional urban structures.
From 1972 to 1974, Rossi visiting professor at the ETH Zurich.
In 1972 Aldo Rossi worked with Gianni Braghieri.
From national to international fame
In 1973, Rossi formulated the essential concept of Architettura Razionale for him in the XV. Triennale in Milan. It sets the Architettura Razionale directly with the situation rationalist of the 1920s in terms because for him " the problems that arose at that time, the problems of today are [ ... ]. " What is new is that decidedly Rossi's architecture as " Autonomous architecture "is understood, although understands the city as a historic site, in contrast to the 1920s hides social or political issues largely. With the introduction of Architettura Razionale is Rossi's first creative phase as it were its high point and its conclusion. Rossi's architectural vocabulary has already solidified 1973: Its characteristic, reduced to a few basic geometric shapes language that it have derived development of archetypal elements that integrates Rossi in his investigations on the typology of the city, already experienced at this time, an exemplary implementation in built architecture. Most significant examples are the built in 1969-1973 residential line in the quarters Gallaratese 2 in Milan, the cemetery of San Cataldo in Modena ( 1971 ), the town hall in Muggiò (1972 ) or the primary school in Fagnano Olona ( 1972-1976 ).
Also important for Rossi's design theory concept of the analog architecture (La città analogues, 1976) goes back to the year 1969 and is clamped to this first phase.
Rossi's central concern was - as formulated in L' architettura della città - exposing the relationship between the uniqueness of the shape and the variety of functions: While the shape forms a permanent constant for him, the function is changing and impermanent. " The rationalist ," said Rossi, "wants the greatest possible ability to adapt the building to a variety of needs. "
Between 1973 and 1980 Rossi succeeds in his second creative period, to position itself mainly at national level. During this time follow - often in collaboration with Gianni Braghieri - several outstanding works, such as the competition design for the seat of government in Trieste (1974 ), the middle school in Broni ( 1979-1980 ) and especially the floating Teatro del Mondo for the Theatre and Architecture Biennale 1980 in Venice.
Just one year later Rossi begins his first project outside of Italy: From 1981-1988 arises in the context of the International Building Exhibition IBA the much acclaimed residential and commercial building on Wilhelmstrasse in Berlin- Friedrichstadt. Rossi gained through this Signalbau far greater notoriety. Even the administration building Fontivegge in Perugia (1982-1988) and the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa's Old Town (1982-1990), although they are among the national projects, perceived much stronger.
1980 begins Rossi's collaboration with Alessi in Crusinallo ( Omegna ) for which he wrote many objects, including the coffee pot Caffè Rossi (1984 ), the kettle Il Conico (1986) and the espresso machine La Cupola (1990 ) designed.
1983 Rossi led the first Architecture Biennale in Venice. With Umberto Barbieri he founded in 1987 a joint office in The Hague. In 1988 he was made an honorary member of the American Institute of Architects
While Rossi in the first half of the 1980s, built mainly still projects in other European countries ( Switzerland, Netherlands, Germany ), the second half of the 1980s has been marked by the first non-European implementations, such as the School of Architecture at the University of Miami (1986 - 1992) or the hotel building in Fukuoka ( Japan) ( 1987-1989). Rossi's popularity, which is now based on a variety of national and international projects, has achieved an absolute maximum. His theory formulated Architettura della Città has experienced with these prominent buildings is a concrete structural implementation.
In 1987, he was with the design of a museum for Marburg participants in the Documenta 8 in Kassel.
Late work
Until the late 1980s, the initial austerity and coolness of the early designs Rossi had waned considerably. In the course of this decade, Rossi was even brought into the vicinity of the architects of postmodernism. Busy with many works contracts, Rossi changes at the interface to the 1980s with the central building of the Teatro del Mondo from a mainly theoretical discussion to a primarily practical exploration of architecture. The hitherto very important for him theoretical study of architecture is becoming less important.
In 1990, he won the Pritzker Prize for architecture.
In the years 1990 to 1993, large - Rossi exhibitions were held in Paris, Berlin, Ghent and Amsterdam.
In the 1990s, a further conversion of Architecture Aldo Rossi takes: While in the years Razionale previously the projects implemented Rossi still with the programmatic his Architettura to reconcile, this applies to little more on his last major projects. The ability of this architecture is provided Autonomous solely by their size as a complete urban block in question. Rossi's collages in signal-like hues acts as reproducing its architecture. Examples of this are the UNY Shopping Center in Nagoya (Japan, 1989-1993), the Walt Disney complex in Orlando ( 1991-1995), or the block of flats in Berlin Protect Road ( 1994-1997). This is a change to see the " analogies of the place" to an internationalist structuralism, operate globally in similar situations more similar expectant cities where similar solutions. This tendency of the interchangeability of his designs, it is Rossi succeeded in combining his typology with a global acceptance - its developed from archetypes building work regardless of place as cover for a variety of uses in the same context.
On 4 September 1997 Aldo Rossi died in Milan at the consequences of a traffic accident on Lake Maggiore. His last great project, the reconstruction of the early 1990s spent Theatre La Fenice in Venice was led by his former office employees to an end. Unlike almost any other project of the architect manifests the true handling of the original plans of the theater and the careful creation of spatial and technical supplements Rossi unbroken extraordinary sensitivity to the built heritage and the identity of the place.
Structures
(Selection)
Stairs Bonnefantenmuseum, Maastricht
Protect Quarter, Berlin
Scholastic Building, New York City
Theoretical Publications
(Selection)