(PDF) Fuoco Amico 09 - Syllabus

I E XI SS M M PR no la mi ISSN 2385-2291 Fuoco Amico / Syllabus February 2024 Imitation Parody Montage 09 FUOCO AMICO Architectural Review ISSN 2385-2291 The Syllabus series presents experiences and research made inside formative courses at different levels: bachelor, master, doctorate. The goal is to offer these results, provisional and incomplete as they can be, to the scientific community, enhancing dialogues and exchanges. This issue collects the assignments made in the course "Architecture in Transition", held by Alessandro Rocca on February 2023 at the PhD Program of Architectural Urban Interior Design, Department of Architecture and Urban Studies, Politecnico di Milano. Scientific Board Fabrizia Berlingieri (DAStU, Politecnico di Milano) Giovanni Corbellini (Politecnico di Torino) Luis Antonio Jorge (Universidade de Sao Paulo) Stamatina Kousidi (DAStU, Politecnico di Milano) Imitation, Parody, Montage Sébastien Marot (École Nationale d’Architecture & des Territoires à Marne-la- Vallée) Alessandro Rocca (DAStU, Politecnico di Milano) Teresa Stoppani (Norwich University of the Arts) Editor in Chief Alessandro Rocca Editor Sarah Javed Shah All contributions are evaluated by the scientific board with a review process. Cover and Frontespice Yuwei Ren, Contrast between pillars (Villa Savoye, Villa Dall'Ava) ©2024 MMXII Press piazza Leonardo da Vinci, 26 20133 - Milano

4 Fuoco Amico / Syllabus 09 .......................................INDEX.......................................... AUID XXXVIII Cycle Architecture in Transition January 2023 - Department of Architecture and Urban Studies - Politecnico di Milano Alessandro Rocca Reformulation and Montage Sarah Javed Shah A Reflection on Design-driven Research Imitation texts by Raffaella Cavallaro Rui Ren Ottavio Pedretti Sara Barani Beatrice Basile Parody texts by Duccio Fantoni Andrea Foppiani Margherita Marri Yiling Fu Thomas Cabai Montage texts by Yuwei Ren Qianqian Yang Ðorđe Bulajić Maddalena Laddaga Nicolò Chierichetti Silvia Di Mauro 6 Fuoco Amico / Syllabus 09 Imitation Parody Montage 7 Alessandro Rocca Reformulation, and Montage Alessandro Rocca is a Professor of Architectural Design and the Head of the Ph.D. program of Architectural Urban Interior Design at the Department of Architecture and Urban Studies (DAStU), Politecnico di Milano. 8 Fuoco Amico / Syllabus 09 Imitation Parody Montage 9 There is no more solid system for understanding an ar- chitectural project than redrawing it. In the first semester of the bachelor's in Architectural Design at Politecnico di Milano, many Design Studios use this pedagogical tool to bring students closer to the basic elements of the project. Before the photographic era, redrawing was the basis for transmitting architectural knowledge. The analytical obser- vation and drawing of buildings and fragments of Roman architecture was the primary training of the young Vene- tian Andrea Palladio. Between 1535 and 1538, he laid the foundations of his culture by redrawing and reformulating the architectural elements he discovered in the Roman fo- rums. In the eighteenth century, another Venetian archi- tect, Giovanni Battista Piranesi, settled in Rome and de- voted himself to the representation of Roman architecture, publishing collections of etchings of classical and modern monuments that spread throughout Europe. However, Pi- ranesi's ability went beyond depicting and reinventing the existing and deepened in an accurate Reformulation of Rome's entire architectural and urban consistency. In the hypothetical reconstruction of the Roman Campo Marzio, Piranesi produced an unlikely urban plan studded with a myriad of buildings. Recognizable monuments and spaces, such as the Pantheon and the stadium of Domitian, and the current Piazza Navona, stay together with conjec- tural reconstructions and inventions. Often, Piranesi refor- Giovanni Battista Piranesi, Campo Marzio dell'antica Roma (de- tail), 1762. 10 Fuoco Amico / Syllabus 09 Imitation Parody Montage 11 mulated these hypothetical buildings with weak archaeo- logical foundations. In its ambiguity between redrawing and design, documentation, and creation, this extraordi- nary work fully represents the idea of Reformulation in architecture. In recent years, Reformulation could be updated and trans- muted in the term Montage, as Manfredo Tafuri explains in The Sphere and the Labyrinth, contemporary culture no lon- ger believes it can reconstitute a unitary and homogeneous system. We deal with fragments, splinters, and residues and conceive a new order only as a sum of different parts. Palladio could reconstruct a classicist method of enormous value and immediate application. Piranesi instead put to- gether fragments that could only evoke the past through the instrument of Reformulation. Sergej Eisenstein, the Russian film director and theorist of Montage, was a col- lector of Piranesi prints, and this is, for Tafuri, the sign of continuity, of a living link between the classicist practice of Reformulation and the modernist technique of Montage. In the Analogous City (1976, by Aldo Rossi with Eraldo Consolascio, Bruno Reichlin, and Fabio Reinhart), a col- lage that juxtaposes drawings extracted from many differ- ent eras and origins, including some of Rossi's projects, the suture lines between one excerpt and another remained visible. Unity is lost forever; it remains possible to work Aldo Rossi, Eraldo Consolascio, Bruno Reichlin, and Fabio Rein- through the Montage, the arbitrary juxtaposition of inco- hart, La città analoga / The Analogous City, Collage presented at the Venice Biennale of Art, 1976. 12 Fuoco Amico / Syllabus 09 Imitation Parody Montage 13 herent fragments that finds its meaning through the fric- tion, the rejection, the similarities, and the differences that mark the different pieces. The theories and techniques of artistic restoration require that the new or reformulated parts that integrate the mutilated work be separate and recognizable. At the same time, they must reformulate a unitary and complete perception, thus restoring the whole that was lost. In these examples, the Reformulation principle is at the base of techniques that belong to the sphere of design. It identifies a terrain between representation and invention, involving both attitudes, belonging to a region where the project is a sine qua non. Still, it is also diluted, reduced, and subjected to the need to maintain fragments, ideas, and leftovers of previous work. Reformulating also is similar, in some ways, to translation. Especially in literature, transla- tion means operating on two separate registers simultane- ously. On the one hand, the original must be preserved, under- standable, and appreciable in its specific qualities. On the other hand, it is necessary to give the new text an autono- mous form recognizable in the literary canons of another language. The original and the translation must respond to different rules, terms, and parameters, and to achieve this result, it is necessary to reformulate the original work with First page of the short story "Pierre Menard, autor del Quijote", various degrees of alteration. by Jorge Luis Borges, published in Buenos Aires by the journal Sur, 56, May 1939. 14 Fuoco Amico / Syllabus 09 Imitation Parody Montage 15 Investigating the meaning of Reformulation helps us to identify this territory, usually in the shade, scarcely ex- plored and less noble, where representation and invention overlap, generating gray, blurred, ambiguous areas, where the difference between the copy and the original, between the old and the new, between copyist and author, blur. In Jorge Luis Borges' short story Pierre Menard, autor del Quijote a contemporary writer decides to rewrite Miguel de Cervantes' masterpiece. It means that Menard will place on paper, one by one, all the words that make up the work, eventually producing an exact copy of the original. Menard meditates and reformulates each term and, at the end of compositional reasoning, exactly overlaps the same cre- ative process of the author's mind. In this way, the copyist reformulates himself as a perfect copy of the author of the Don Quixote. The creativity rule, as it is commonly intended and adopted in modern times, is that there is one author (or one group of authors) for each work, and each author can produce several. In the "Pierre Menard," the literary creation is up- side down because a single work can generate an infinite number of authors trespassing any limits of space and time: the repetition carried out by Menard opens a series that can recur indefinitely. The story also poses another fascinating paradox: the read- er's transformation into an author. Menard is, first and Index of the journal Sur, 56, May 1939. 16 Fuoco Amico / Syllabus 09 Imitation Parody Montage 17 foremost, a reader of the Quixote, a very attentive scholar who does not miss a word, capable of absorbing and re- producing the perfect totality of Cervantes' work. There- fore, if Menard's novel is exactly a replica, it is evident that its creative process is different, molded in a personal and unique experience. The multiple paradoxes embedded within Borges' short story enlighten the meaning of Refor- mulation and its ability to prefigure multiple relationships and two-way paths between reading and writing, drawing and designing. Bibliography Borges, Jorge Luis. 1939. "Pierre Menard, autor del Quijote". Sur 56. Piranesi, Giovanni Battista. 1762. The Campus Martius of Ancient Rome, the Work of GB Piranesi, Fellow of the Royal Society of Antiquaries. Rome. Rossi, Aldo. 1976. "La città analoga / The Analogous City". Lotus 13: 4-9. Tafuri, Manfredo. 1976. "Ceci n'est pa une ville". Lotus 13: 10-13. Tafuri, Manfredo. 1987. The Sphere and the Labyrinth. Avant-Gardes and Architecture from Piranesi to the 1970s. Cambridge: MIT Press. 18 Fuoco Amico / Syllabus 09 Imitation Parody Montage 19 Sarah Javed Shah works as an Assistant Pro- fessor at the Department of Architecture, Uni- versity of Engineering and Technology Lahore, Pakistan. Currently, she is on study leave to pursue her PhD in Architectural, Urban and In- terior Design (AUID) at the Department of Archi- tecture and Urban Studies (DAStU), Politecnico di Milano, where she is also working as a PhD Tutor. Her research topic is “Urban Interiority as Spatial Continuum”, focusing on (retail-oriented) collective spaces. Sarah Javed Shah She has designed architectural and interior projects, taught undergraduate and graduate Imitation, Parody, and Montage: a Reflection on courses and supervised thesis and design Design-driven Research projects. She has authored many publications in peer-reviewed academic journals, co-au- thored and edited books, and presented at international conferences. Her interests include public space, interior urbanism, urban interiority, traditional architecture, deep beauty, sustain- ability, and sustainable architecture. Her latest publication is: Shah, Sarah Javed, and Carles Muro. 2023. “Manifestations of Urban Interiority in Delhi Gate Bazaar of Lahore.” Interiority 6, 2: 177-200. 20 Fuoco Amico / Syllabus 09 Imitation Parody Montage 21 This anthology is based on the AUID (PhD Program) sem- architectural works with real-scale maquettes. Her curious inar “Architecture in Transition”, which was focused on the “what if ” provokes questions about the evolving nature of topics: imitation, parody, and montage, mainly present in architectural replication and its implications for authen- Alessandro Rocca’s (2022) book, Totem and Taboo in Ar- ticity. Raffaella Cavallaro probes into imitation across cre- chitectural Imagination and other suggested readings. The ative fields, with the original as a foundation for imitation, outcome revealed various viewpoints of the participants achieved through synthesising various elements. Self-im- on design culture, incorporating themes from other disci- itation is a process where architects internalise external plines – art, literature, philosophy, etc. models to develop a distinct perspective, thus fostering cre- Sara Barani accounts for the evolving discernment of copy- ativity and innovation. Architectural examples by Smiljan ing in architecture, from a historical acceptance of imita- Radić, Christian Kerez, and Mies van der Rohe illustrate tion to a recent taboo on copying. She focuses on the pe- the dynamics of imitation and originality. She suggests that culiar case of Las Vegas, a city renowned for its replicas of the dream of a copy, aiming to replace the original, must famous architecture and artworks, where such copies are recognise the deviation it produces, eventually striving to embraced and celebrated, blurring the lines between au- be both similar and different from the original, thus evolv- thenticity and imitation. Her article raises questions about ing into an imitation. the nature of originality and authenticity in a place where Moreover, Rui Ren reimagines transcultural imitation for copies of copies construct a city’s identity. creative reinterpretation and integration of architectur- Similarly, Beatrice Basile contrasts the concept of repli- al elements from different cultural contexts. He identifies cation in architecture: the idea of exact copies vis-a-vis three critical aspects of transcultural imitation: structural reinterpretations and shifts in authenticity that occur as reference, spatial operation, and cultural implication. These a result. She presents the replication of Borromini’s San aspects illustrate how imitation can lead to innovative ar- Carlino alle Quattro Fontane (1:1 scale wooden model) and chitectural solutions, respecting tradition while promot- the reconstruction of Mies van der Rohe’s German Pavil- ing creative and dynamic approaches. There is a need for ion in Barcelona, reflecting on whether the copy is a mere further research on the subject and its position in shaping replica or a reinterpretation. The concept of a post-pro- practices within and beyond the architectural field. duced replica portrays the potential of 3D printing to verify Ottavio Pedretti draws attention to the influence of the 22 Fuoco Amico / Syllabus 09 Imitation Parody Montage 23 Japanese Masters on the next generation of architects: how the parody, stressing the contemporary fascination with do they imitate the role of the grid as a design tool to de- replicating idyllic natural settings and wilderness in urban fine space, program, structure, and materiality? Toyo Ito environments, driven by ecological concerns and a biophil- employs the grid as an organising device but distorts it to ic human attitude. He draws three stages of natural parody: create fluid, interconnected spaces; Sejima and Nishizawa stage 1 refers to exhibitions, where enclosed spaces simulate (SANAA) manipulate the grid to create modularity and natural environments and create sensory experiences; stage fluidity, breaking free from rigidity; Junya Ishigami utilis- 2 discusses artificial grasslands and attempts to recreate es the grid as a tool to abstract the houses he reuses and extinct species’ scents, highlighting the fragility of such fic- harmoniously assembles them to create new architectural tion; stage 3 explores the digital realm of virtual representa- compositions. Hence, transferring knowledge, influence, tions of nature, detached from physical spaces, challenging and ideas shape diverse design approaches within a shared the boundaries between architecture, interior design, and cultural context. idealised natural settings. Correspondingly, Duccio Fantoni accentuates for the ret- Margherita Marri analyses one imitation and three par- rospective recognition and influence of Japanese architect odies of the 1929 Barcelona Pavilion designed by Ludwig Kazuo Shinohara on the field of architecture, particularly Mies van der Rohe and Lily Reich. The three parodies offer outside of Japan. He uses the term false friend to refer to ar- unique design tools, from amplifying intangible elements chitectural methods like copy, emulation, and parody and to unveiling the essence of architectural space. Rem Kool- analyses how three architects—Smiljan Radic, Fala Atelier, haas (OMA) uses the Pavilion as a matrix for intangible and Pascal Flammer—take inspiration from Shinohara’s elements, challenging traditional distinctions between pro- work while using these methods. Radic creates a new orig- duction and consumption. Jaque (Office of Political Inno- inal through humble copying, Atelier uses parody to link vation) focuses on the hidden spaces within the Pavilion, architectural discourses, and Flammer frequently emulates emphasising care and maintenance as part of architectural Shinohara’s precise rules in his practice. These architectural design. Contrastingly, Anna and Eugeni Bach wrap the Pa- influences create a cultural bond and shared design atti- vilion in white film to highlight the role of materiality and tudes among them. reveal the autonomy of geometries and forms. Andrea Foppiani refers to ‘imitation of natural settings’ as Furthermore, Yiling Fu signifies parody as an architectur- 24 Fuoco Amico / Syllabus 09 Imitation Parody Montage 25 al medium by arguing how parody is often misunderstood recontextualise historical references and reconfigure them and underutilised due to its historical definition as ‘ridi- to create new architectural expressions. Intense subjectivity culing imitation’. She attempted to re-conceptualise parody and personal expression characterise parody, while mon- as a tool for architectural innovation and critique. Parody tage focuses on subliminal influence and the experiential is an intentional method architects use to reinterpret and aspects of architecture. Today, digital technologies and arti- subvert original architectural elements while establishing ficial intelligence are reshaping their use in design. unexpected, often humorous, or ironic content. As a pow- Highlighting the evolving role of montage, Qianqian Yang erful communication medium, it captures reality more viv- addresses the challenges posed by complex and dynamic idly, promotes dialogue, fosters interaction, and challenges contemporary cities. She identifies four key research areas architectural norms, ultimately contributing to the devel- of montage use: composition, sensory experiences, archi- opment of the architectural discipline. tectural formation, and cultural context, making archi- Challenging the broad use of parody, Thomas Cabai formu- tecture dynamic and adaptable. The integration of digital lates a more focused definition. In its stricter sense, paro- tools, particularly AI, has significantly impacted the use of dy involves the conscious or unconscious reuse of existing montage while opening new creative possibilities. elements in a new context with the condition of effective Ðorđe Bulajić presents a research methodology based on communication—shared knowledge and common ground. ‘photomontage’ for the comparative analysis of ‘recycling’ The digital revolution has considerably transformed the in two architectural projects: "Recycling Beauty", an exhi- common ground in architecture, making the effectiveness bition by Rem Koolhaas/OMA, and "Tin Can Castle" by of parody more complex. A comparative analysis of two ar- Kosmos Architects, considering their distinct contexts. The chitectural projects, Arata Isozaki’s Tsubasa Building Cen- concept of recycling as a potent meta-technique in artis- ter (1983) and Bruther’s New Generation Research Center tic practices is significant in our hyper-capitalistic society. (2015), presents the early and peak stages of the digital era, The first project presents recycling as the architect’s design respectively and their diverse approaches to parody. approach, which is nostalgic but utterly projective, reusing Yuwei Ren draws the intricate relationship between Par- past elements while focusing on the process rather than the ody and Montage: their convergence in post-modern ar- object’s physicality. In contrast, Tin Can Castle offers a hu- chitecture. Shared use of pastiche and narrative elements manitarian perspective on recycling by providing shelter to 26 Fuoco Amico / Syllabus 09 Imitation Parody Montage 27 ture, Silvia Di Mauro distinguishes it from scientific re- refugees, revealing a contrast in purpose. search and highlights its exploratory and subjective dispo- Moreover, Nicolò Chierichetti introduces the act of doing sition. She accounts for Frayling’s triad of research "into, maquettes concept as MetaDesign, where models instruct for, and through" Jeremy Till’s model, and Rob Roggema’s architecture and constitute the design process. He propos- "step-by-step" methodology for research by design. The es the methodology of research-by-model-design through project A Field of Walls by the Dogma Studio encompass- conferring both ‘unfinished models’ employed by architects es the pre-design, design, and post-design phases. The role like Yona Friedman and Jacques Herzog for their capacity of design as a cognitive tool, a means of carrying out re- to represent ongoing processes and perceptual approaches search, and a transformative agent synthesises creativity to space and models of unbuilt architecture, as signified by and knowledge, leading to innovative and alternative archi- Frederick Kiesler’s Endless House, for its original form and tectural practices. influence on collective thought, even when it remains un- realised. Moreover, there is a need to go beyond the visual dimension of models and focus on their use as a ‘didactic tool’ in architectural education. Maddalena Laddaga denotes the multifaceted role of cat- aloguing in design-driven research, serving purposes ranging from imitation and typology analysis to exploring variations through parametric design. She discusses the practices of three architects: Jean-Nicolas-Louis Durand’s method involves creating collections of drawings through imitation for pedagogical purposes; Gianfranco Canig- gia’s work systematically analyses morphological config- urations, particularly in housing; and Peter Trummer’s approach emphasises population thinking and parametric design, using catalogues to showcase multiple variations. Extending the concept of research by design in architec- 28 Fuoco Amico / Syllabus 09 Imitation Parody Montage 29 IMITATION Raffaella Cavallaro - The Originality of Self-Imitation 31 The text explores the possibility of using imita- tion as a research tool to produce original archi- tecture. Quoting Gianfranco Mormino (2016): “Imitation is the primary explanation for the in- dividual animal’s extraordinary ability to adapt to different environmental situations; […] the way in which an animal stabilises motor acts found accidentally and revealed to be favourable, and I consider its necessary form to be self-imita- tion, i.e. the ability to replicate motor acts per- formed by itself.” Down to the ordinary, a few years ago, synthe- Raffaella Cavallaro sis of a journey to discover Berlin architecture was the comical remark of one of the travellers, The Originality of Self-Imitation an outsider to architecture, who mistakenly ex- changed Mies van der Rohe’s Neue National Gallerie for a gas station. Curiously enough, the master designed a service station in 1969 (the year the museum was opened). The two works, on a different scale, are strikingly similar. It could almost seem that, in a parallel universe unaware of the master’s works, the ‘non-architect’ travel- ler was right. Therefore, how should we define the service station concerning the museum? Is it original? Is it an imitation? Or even a self-im- itation? Raffaella Cavallaro - The Originality of Self-Imitation 33 Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s compositions may be consid- ered an imitation of Mozart's, yet they do not adequately sound like the source, just as Virgilio’s texts aim to mirror the writings of Omero without losing originality. As Carlos Martì Arìs explains, Borges’ work is rich in references to the great literary myths of the past. What attracts him is litera- ture and not the individuals who had the privilege of writ- ing it (Martì Arìs 2013); this statement is confirmed by an- other expression, devoutly pronounced by Borges himself: “Literature is written from literature” (Martì Arìs 2013). In the same way, Paolo Portoghesi asserts: “The theory is that Raffaella Cavallaro is an Italian architect and architecture, all architecture, is born from other architec- Ph.D. candidate in Architectural, Urban, and tures, from a non-coincidental convergence between a se- Interior Design (AUID) at the Department of ries of precedents that combine through imagination in a Architecture and Urban Studies (DAStU), Po- process involving the solitude of thought and the choral of litecnico di Milano, where she carries out re- collective memory” (Rossi, Meda & Vitale 1981). search and teaching support activities. Her The things we take for granted may be seen again in a new research concerns architecture for education, light. It is necessary to begin this discourse from the as- exploring models and strategies for innovative sumption that imitation is deeply rooted in a precise crite- educational spaces, a theme she has explored rion: the study of the originals. Through a constant investi- in recent years through research collaborations, gation of origins, which has ignited debates from different workshops, publications and design competi- disciplines and cultures since immemorial times, imitation tions. She has collaborated on publications on becomes a tool for architectural research and the produc- architecture for education, such as Una scuola tion of originality. However, the question arises: through condivisa: peruna cultura della felicità (2022), what processes is it possible to define a creative dialogue Inventing Schools. Una scuola grande come il between origin and originals through the ‘imitation’ tool? mondo (2023). Raffaella Cavallaro - The Originality of Self-Imitation 35 “The first step we have to make is to examine, if we are al- The primordial spirit and primitive forms of his architec- lowed the term, the genealogy and relation of our ideas, the ture blur the physical and temporal boundaries. Moreover, causes that have given rise to them, and the characteristics the Dolmen, the ‘natural folly’ of the Jean-Jacques Rous- that distinguish them: in a word, to return to the origin and seau Park in Ermenonville, France, and the ‘Folly’ designed generation of our knowledge” (Le Rond d’Alembert 1751). by Radić in 2014 for the Serpentine Gallery are two roman- In this sense, originality can be conceived as a synthesis of tic pavilions that descend from the exact genesis. Radić tangible and intangible components – the result of an in- states: “To build a folly is essentially to do something a vestigation in which certain principles, commonly consid- second time, something at an inopportune moment. That ered fundamental, are crystallised and, through processes something is always the memory of something forgotten, of memory reworking, far from any form of uncritical or about which we can paradoxically say: There is it again[…] nostalgic mimesis – capture the essence of the object ex- an abandoned cabin, a cave with some gods living inside, amined. The aim of imitation is, in general, to catch the es- a temple or a pyramid[…] a rock, for example, has for ev- sence through a creative process of selection and synthesis eryone a primitive meaning, and it is in that for everyone of those aspects of the human condition that possess uni- where the crude nature of a folly lies[…] in the repetition versal validity. On the other hand, G. Mormino, lecturer in of a commonplace” (Radić 2019). Moral Philosophy at the University of Milan, argues that The synthetic memory meditated through imitation con- “even the most elementary behaviours are first found and stitutes, following this approach, the essence of architec- then repeated, once the experience has shown their useful- ture and, consequently, its originality. Not least because, ness” (Mormino 2016). Through this ‘exploratory motion’, at times, some associations refer to memories so distant in the architect examines his surroundings and uses the imi- time that they are also reproduced in a manner dissimilar tation tool to create original solutions. Hence, if imitation to the original. Although imitation represents the process is part of the architectural invention and the origin is the through which to ‘gain experience’, self-imitation must be object of imitation, what is the origin? how a skill found and then repeated is acquired, becoming Looking at the origin and emphasising its mythical char- the architect’s heritage. Given this, the pavilion designed acter, Smiljan Radić, for instance, ‘imitates’ the nature of by Radić for Kensington Gardens could be interpreted as architecture by exploring radical and challenging modes. a self-imitation of the sculpture ‘The Boy Hidden in a Fish’, Raffaella Cavallaro - The Originality of Self-Imitation 37 created by the Chilean architect himself for the 2010 Venice Architecture Biennale. The alternation of exploration/imitation thus allows the ac- quisition of new skills. The observation of an ‘external mod- el’, in fact, never envisages a morphologically mimetic act as the ultimate goal, since the observer, in a critical manner, selects and appropriates what he needs. This appropriation process presupposes a preliminary passage through one’s own body, i.e., ‘taking possession’, an internalisation, which then becomes the actual imitated model, i.e. a self-imita- tion. “The object requires the spectator to participate with his intelligence, making him a participant in its own game” (Martì Arìs 2013). Therefore, self-imitation develops and intensifies through exploration and learning, based on a trace and perfected through personal experience. Christian Kerez first uses his personal ‘exploratory motion’ as a tool for knowledge and learning, then as a device for producing originality. In 2009, he worked on the extension project of a favela in Paraisòpolis, Brazil (El Croquis - Kerez 2022). Imitating its peculiarities, namely density and pro- miscuity, he studied its architectural forms and designed a new settlement, similar but original. The aim of the project – developed together with a research project on the change and growth of the morphology and topology of the favela– is to guarantee people who will live in this new settlement Montage. Smiljan Radić: Primitive spaceship (graphic re-elabora- the same social life as in a favela. Subsequently, through a tion by the author). Raffaella Cavallaro - The Originality of Self-Imitation 39 process of self-imitation, such a project formed the starting point for the construction of the Okamura House in Prague (El Croquis - Kerez 2022), another unique project, the al- most archaic appearance contrasts with the spatial system, which is radical and new. Aware of the mimetic character of his advantageous action, Kerez develops the idea of the atomised and vertically organised space he postulated. The dialogue between the origin and the original is silent but eloquent, “like the centina that makes the construction of the arch possible” (Martì Arìs 2013). The combination of the two actions, finding and repeating, is by no means to be confused with a superficial attempt to copy; the exemplary case is nothing more than a bench- mark for perfecting one’s own idea, a personal point of view. The latter is the reason that stimulates the search for and imitating an external model, whether natural or artifi- cial. What is learnt from the external example, which can establish relations of understanding or conflict, assumes an auxiliary and entirely instrumental role in defining the personal point of view since a filter is placed between the model and one’s way of examining it. As happens during an eclipse, the interposition of the body between the model and the point of observation causes knowledge to arrive indirectly, a reflection that reveals unforeseen and original nuances, which already belonged to the architect but are made more substantial and more evident in this way. The Montage. Christian Kerez: Learning from favela (graphic re-elab- oration by the author). Raffaella Cavallaro - The Originality of Self-Imitation 41 perspective of the ‘one who does’ promotes a different look at the work observed because the act of choosing what and, above all, how to look at it stems from wholly personal re- search. Consequently, the personal response to an architectural question is indeed critical but also respectful of the things we have seen and experienced, but primarily, it is different; it is other, and in this difference is to be found self-imita- tion and innovation. Adam Caruso reminds us that “rad- ical developments have never emerged from a tabula rasa condition: innovators like Palladio and Koolhaas have al- ways worked from engagement with architectural culture” (Caruso 2016) and, he adds, “any claim to completely new forms is tautological” (Caruso 2016). Emphasising differences rather than similarities is crucial in abandoning the notion of copying or even plagiarism and recognising that a work can be original even if it ap- pears to imitate another. The insistence on searching for and repeating the same elements, time after time, “makes the work progress not so much an extension as in depth” (Caruso 2016). Through repetition, Andy Warhol finds in- spiration, as he suggested, “Everything repeats itself. Amaz- ingly, everyone is convinced that everything is new when it is nothing but repetition” (Warhol Biography). Although his silkscreens look similar, they are different; it is a form of self-imitation and his own, revealing a constant search for Montage. Mies van der Rohe: Gas Station National Gallerie (graphic re-elaboration by the author). Raffaella Cavallaro - The Originality of Self-Imitation 43 personal identity. He states, “Isn’t life a series of images that “The dream of a copy that wants to replace the original change as they repeat themselves?” (Warhol Biography). must be accompanied by an awareness of the deviation The iteration of this debate and discourse leads us to reflect produced, which signals its diversity. The child who plays on how repetition represents a transition from the search astride a broomstick knows it is a wooden stick, not a for the similar to the discovery of the difference: achiev- horse. He is imitating the rider and, by doing so, activating ing a difference through similarity is a process that is by his creativity. He is not copying him. Children who play by no means simple. Mies van der Rohe, through his masterly turning leaves and shells into boats imitate, do not copy. works, embodied this latter principle that still lives on in The dream of a copy is to no longer be a copy but not to his architecture today. His quest for the essential is com- annul itself in the original, but to mark a gap and become mon to all his works, ‘authentic repositories of knowledge’ an imitation, that is, something similar and something dif- (Martì Arìs 2013). Indeed, it is unsurprising to find his ev- ferent, like a son in relation to his father” (Iacono 2016). ident and distinctive traits even in lesser works. The apho- rism ‘less is more’ applies as much to the anonymous - in Bibliography terms of fame - gas station designed by Mies on the periph- Caruso, Adam. 2016. In sintonia con le cose. La base ma- eries of Nun’s Island, Canada, as it does to the much bet- teriale della forma nell’architettura contemporanea. Milano: ter-known and celebrated Neue National Gallerie in Berlin. Christian Marinotti. Curiously enough, the master designed the service station Dal Co, Francesco. 2023. “A=πr2, V=πr2h: due formule per in 1969, when the Berlin museum opened. The two works, rendere una casa analoga a una favela / A=πr2, V=πr2h: on a different scale, are strikingly similar. Coincidence? two formulas to make a house analogous to a favela” in How should the service station be defined concerning the Casabella 941, gennaio 2023, pp. 70-90. museum? Is it original? Is it an imitation? Or can we call it El Croquis. 2022. “Christian Kerez (1992-2015)”. Adobe a self-imitation? Digital Edition. Accessed 11 February 2023. https://el- Because, after all, what is the dream of a copy if not that of croquisdigital.com/show/christian-kerez-omnibus-vol- wanting to be an original? This is one of the questions of ume-volumen-integral the book Il sogno di una copia. Del doppio, del dubbio, della Iacono, Alfonso Maurizio. 2016. Il sogno di una copia. Del malinconia by Alfonso Maurizio Iacono: doppio, del dubbio, della malinconia. Milano: Guerini. Raffaella Cavallaro - The Originality of Self-Imitation 45 Martì Arìs, Carlos. 2013. Silenzi eloquenti. Borges, Mies van der Rohe, Ozu, Rothko, Oteiza. Milano: Christian Marinotti. Mormino, Gianfranco. 2016. Per una teoria dell’imitazione. Milano: Raffaello Cortina. Radić, Smiljan. 2019. Obra Gruesa / Rough Work: Arquitec- tura ilustrada por Smiljan Radić / Illustrated Architecture by Smiljan Radić. Santiago de Chile: Hatje Cantz. Rossi, Aldo. Meda, Luca and Vitale, Daniele. 1981. Catalogo della XVI Triennale: Architettura/Idea. Firenze: Alinari. Steil, Lucien. 2018. In the Mood for Architecture: Tradition, Modernism and Serendipity. Berlino: Wasmuth & Zohlen. The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. n.d. Warhol, Biography. Warhol Foundation. Accessed 11 Febru- ary 2023. https://warholfoundation.org/warhol/ Visentin, Chiara. 2003. L’equivoco dell’ecclettismo. Imitazi- one e memoria in architettura. Bologna: Pendragon. Rui Ren - Transcultural Imitation in Architectural Design 47 As Eastern and Western civilizations have blended and tradition and modernity have been integrated, architects are exploring theoretical resources that possess artistic aesthetic ap- peal from the shared cultural wisdom. Transcul- tural learning should be considered as imitation rather than iteration and inheritance. This type of imitation is rooted in the architect’s obser- vation of architecture within different cultural contexts, which they then incorporate into their Rui Ren familiar discourse system and interpret sub- jectively. As a result, cross-cultural imitation is Transcultural Imitation in Architectural Design: manifested in explicit or metaphorical ways, an Attempt to Interpret Architectural Creation such as in construction methods, spatial orga- Techniques under the Intersection of Eastern nization, and form generation. This article will and Western Cultures first examine the reasoning and importance of transcultural architectural design imitation, and then carry out case studies on the three ele- ments of structural reference, spatial operation, and cultural implication. The heterogeneous isomorphism or homogeneous heterogeneity of architecture demonstrated by architects in varying cultural contexts serves as a reference for us to examine the diversity of the future. Rui Ren - Transcultural Imitation in Architectural Design 49 “Contact between different civilizations has often, in the past, proved to be landmarks in human progress. Greece learnt from Egypt, Rome from Greece, the Arabs from the Roman Empire, medieval Europe from the Arabs, and Re- naissance Europe from the Byzantines. In many of these cases, the pupils proved better than their masters” (Ber- trand Russell 1922, 194-208). Since its inception, the universal laws of Modern Ar- chitecture have been largely defined as the Internation- al Style, which is viewed not only as a threat to regional traditions but also as a driving force behind the homog- enization of world architecture, with a Western-centric focus. The ongoing conflict and disagreement between Eastern architectural culture and Western regional cultures have been a persistent aspect of the development of mod- ern architecture. Later, Kenneth Frampton (1983) utilized the concept of critical regionalism, positing the question of how architecture could or should define the periphery in contrast to the dominant architecture taking shape in the Rui Ren is a double Ph.D. candidate in the Architec- centre. tural Urban and Interior Design program at Politecni- However, beyond the scope of critical regionalism, trans- co di Milano, Italy, and the School of Architecture at cultural architectural imitation provides another possibil- Tianjin University, China. He is under the supervision ity. This much is evident from Thorsten Botz-Bornstein’s of Prof. Ilaria Valente and Prof. Yuhang Kong. He is book Transcultural Architecture: The Limits of Critical Re- presently committed to delving into the contempo- gionalism. The author introduces transculturalism as more rary representation of Chinese traditional design and than the arbitrary combination of several cultures by sub- construction methods. Rui Ren - Transcultural Imitation in Architectural Design 51 duing the political dimension of Frampton’s discourse on foundational principle of Chinese architectural culture to Critical Regionalism. According to some definitions, “it is utilising modules, based on the characteristics of wooden based on the process of seeing oneself in the other” (Thor- structures (Ledderose 2000, 4). Modules are employed to sten Botz-Bornstein 2016, 2). “Good imitation is a contin- create various forms and spaces, ranging from components ual invention”(Louis Racine 1747, 94), imitation has the to frame systems to architectural monomers. Rather than potential to surpass simple duplication and involves artistic being replicated as standard nodes or units, the modules ingenuity. From a transcultural viewpoint, integration, col- are reconstructed in accordance with the relevant con- lision, dislocation, and other techniques utilizing various struction logic. This flexible feature enables contemporary architectural cultural components create novel connections applications of the modules. and outcomes. These innovative solutions to present-day Jørn Utzon, for example, utilised the construction logic issues can be achieved by utilizing diverse thinking pat- of traditional Chinese roof trusses to address the design terns. This article will delve into the methods of imitation, challenge posed by the shell roof of the Sydney Opera drawing on the imitation practices of architects from var- House (Chiu 2015, 21). At the time, the pouring technol- ious time periods, and attempting to map several paths of ogy was inadequate to fulfil the demands of constructing cross-cultural imitation. The article discusses three aspects the shell-shaped roof. Hence, Utzon drew inspiration from of transcultural architectural imitation. combining Chinese modules to employ the ‘overlapping’ construction method. This allowed for the displacement Structural Reference and overlap of beams, enabling the realization of the The naturalistic philosophy inherent in the East Asian cul- curved roof ’s construction. The form presentation also met tural sphere holds that destruction and demise are an inte- the requirements for a flexible and adaptable roof curve. gral part of the lifecycle of all entities, including architec- Furthermore, to address the challenge of uneven concrete ture. It contrasts with the traditional Western architectural pouring and vibration in the empty base, Utzon imitated culture’s emphasis on timelessness and meaningfulness. As the Juansha technique recorded in Yingzaofashi, which he a result, the use of wood and stone in architecture and their successfully utilized to resolve the issue. respective tectonic functions diverge between the two cul- Another example of cross-cultural imitation in architecture tures. German scholar Lothar Ledderose has attributed the can be seen in the Library of Tama Art University, designed Rui Ren - Transcultural Imitation in Architectural Design 53 by Toyo Ito. This building reflects the lonely beauty and a touch of sadness that is often found in Japanese culture. Contemporary architects in the 21st century are reinter- preting these beliefs through modern technology while keeping traditional vernacular architecture alive (Daniell 2008, 64). In the design of the library, the imitation of the arch structure was approached with a fresh perspective. While preserving the monumentality of the arch, Ito also sought to dispel its monumentality. In contrast to the traditional centralised and static interior spaces of ancient Rome or the coordinated and balanced spaces of Renaissance humanism, using a frame construc- tion (reinforced concrete) to create the image of an ‘arcade’ was a unique interpretation. This choice of materials is not just an arbitrary decision but a deliberate effort to create a new meaning for the transcultural architectural imitation. By breaking away from the conventional principles of ‘au- thentic material’ or ‘natural colour of material’. Ito’s design underscores the significance of cross-cultural architectural imitation as an endeavour transcending pastiche, plagia- rism, or quotation. Spatial Operation Gottfried Semper first introduced the concept of ‘space’ in architecture, later expanded upon by Frank Lloyd Wright (Forty 2000, 237). Cross-cultural architectural imitation Structural reference in transcultural architectural imitation (graphic re-elaboration by the author). Rui Ren - Transcultural Imitation in Architectural Design 55 has played a significant role in developing modern archi- tecture, and Wright’s imitation of Japanese architectural space remains a significant topic in architectural history. This cross-cult ural architectural imitation by Frank Lloyd Wright in his Prairie Style, such as the Winslow House and the Robie House, was a breakthrough in Western archi- tecture. He was inspired by the Ho-o-den (Phoenix Hall) at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893, and incorporated el- ements such as the continuous plan, far-reaching eaves, clear separation of the roof and maintenance, wooden frame structure, and horizontal flow of the facade into his designs. This liberation of the traditional closed room con- cept allowed for a more fluid and connected space while maintaining the proper independence of each functional area. It was a significant departure from the static spaces commonly found in Western architecture and demonstrat- ed the impact of Eastern architectural culture on develop- ing new architectural styles (Nute 2000, 30). Another example of cross-cultural architectural imitation can be seen in the design of the Red Brick Art Museum in Beijing by Dong Yugan. The design of the museum draws inspiration from the space-building techniques found in Chinese classical gardens, which contain rich cultural and aesthetic connotations that are unique to Chinese tradition. The museum's space is constructed from material elements such as landscapes, plants, and garden buildings, which Spatial operation in transcultural architectural imitation (graphic re-elaboration by the author). Rui Ren - Transcultural Imitation in Architectural Design 57 are organized in ways that reflect China's traditional un- ric volumes in a visually prominent manner. However, due derstanding of space (Peng 1986, 6-11). However, the func- to the cultural context of the site asked for imitation of cul- tional requirements of the museum demanded a space that tural implications, he chose to elevate the exhibition hall to could accommodate gatherings and meetings, a character- better reflect the changing sense of space in Chinese paint- istic not found in traditional Chinese gardens. To address ings. It was achieved by using a rising structure that allows this conflict, Dong created a huge indoor circular lounge, visitors to experience the constant change of perspective borrowing elements from the Greek amphitheatre, while and the expression of materials as they move through the still maintaining the overall style and aesthetic of an Orien- space. The changing field of vision during movement to the tal garden. The spatial structure of the museum employs a elevated gallery space cleverly connects with the surround- narrative form that employs contrast in width and size, us- ing environment, creating a sense of spatial progression ing light to create a harmonious blend of Western grandeur reminiscent of the layered qualities found in Chinese land- and Eastern restraint. scapes. The floating gallery, elevated in the air, is composed of uniform, transparent materials for the exterior walls and Cultural Implication ceiling, allowing the natural environment outside to pene- Regarding the cultural implications of architecture, it can trate the space, evoking the artistic idea of mist in Chinese be said that there is a difference in how the East and the paintings. West approach the relationship between architecture, peo- However, adhering strictly to traditional Eastern cultural ple, and nature. Western architecture is often rooted in hu- implications in architectural creation raises the question manism and views architecture as a human-made product, of whether Eastern architecture will be confined to the accentuating the significance of man in the world through constraints of tradition. Toyo Ito’s Sendai Media Center the separation of man and nature(Taisto 2017). Conversely, presents a solution to this issue. He sought to integrate the Eastern architecture strongly emphasises the harmonious Eastern concept of natural organisms with Le Corbusier’s relationship between man and nature (Wu 2001, 37-39). ‘domino system’. By reinterpreting the concept of a pillar as When Steven Holl designed the Sifang Art Museum in a ‘tubular structure’ with both spatial and structural prop- Nanjing, he maintained the humanistic ideology prevalent erties, Ito could innovate and break through the word’s in contemporary architecture by showcasing pure geomet- traditional meaning. Using pipes as tree-like organisms, Rui Ren - Transcultural Imitation in Architectural Design 59 which embody heterogeneity, combined with flat floors, representing his architectural practice, Ito has made a se- ries of innovations and breakthroughs in other key system elements. Conclusion: The Poetics of Imitation It is important to note that the brief comparison of Eastern and Western cultures in this article only serves as a simpli- fied overview of the complex cultural phenomenon due to space limitations. The ultimate goal of this discussion is to arrive after The Poetics of Imitation. One group of cultural practices emphasises the preserva- tion and continuation of particular traditions and their related values. In contrast, the other group focuses on the cross-cultural exchange of artistic ideas and practices en- compassing various cultural formations, historical peri- ods, and geographical locations. This type of imitation is not just a matter of copying classical works from the past. Instead, it problematises the idea of precedence by inten- tionally including disparate stylistic features from different historical eras in the work being created. Writing in 1829 in the prospectus to English Landscape Scenery, John Constable observed: “In art, there are two modes by which men aim at distinction. In the one, by carefully applying to what others have accomplished, the artist imitates their works, or selects and combines their Cultural implication in transcultural architectural imitation (graphic re-elaboration by the author). Rui Ren - Transcultural Imitation in Architectural Design 61 various beauties; in the other, he seeks excellence at its Bibliography primitive source, nature.”(Leslie 1845, 195). Forty, Adrian. 2000. Words and Buildings: A Vocabulary of In the book Japan-ness in Architecture Arata Isozaki ex- Modern Architecture. London: Thames & Hudson. amines how some contemporary Japanese architects seek Botz-Bornstein, Thorsten. 2016. Transcultural Architecture: to create distinctively Japanese architecture, drawing on The Limits and Opportunities of Critical Regionalism. Sur- tradition but with a modern perspective. The notion of rey: Ashgate. “Japanese taste” was shaped by objects that Europeans of- Chiu, Chen-yu. 2015. "The Yingzaofashi and Utzon’s Unfin- ten collected and admired for their exotic qualities, such ished Masterpiece of the Sydney Opera House." Architec- as their simple, modest, pure, light, and sophisticatedly tural Journal 565, no. 10: 18-25. austere pictorial motifs and ornamental backgrounds, as Daniell, Thomas. 2008. "Beyond the virtual body: Toyo Ito well as the flatness of figures in pictorial space. These con- interviewed on his Sendai Mediatheque and Tama Library." cepts and their associated aesthetic qualities arose from this Amsterdam, Netherlands. 15: 64. European perception of Japanese art and design (Guzmán Eisenman, Peter. 1984. "The End of the Classical: The 2007, 167). End of the Beginning, the End of the End." Perspecta 21: The act of imitation in the context of architecture and other 154-173. [https://doi.org/10.2307/1567087](https://doi. forms of artistic expression is not simply a passive repeti- org/10.2307/1567087) tion of existing forms but a dynamic and creative process Frampton, Kenneth. 1983. "Prospects for a Critical Region- that engages with existing representational practices and alism". Perspecta 21: 147-162. protocols to bring new ideas and forms to life. This article Guzmán, Kristine. 2007. "Reinterpreting traditional aes- does not intend to be the final word on the subject of imi- thetic values." In Houses: Kazuyo Sejima + Ryue Nishizawa, tation and its relationship to globality but rather a starting edited by Agustín Pérez Rubio, 167. León: MUSAC. point for further discussion and debate on these crucial Kevin, Nute. 2000. Frank Lloyd Wright and Japan: The Role topics. The transcultural highlights the ongoing need for of Traditional Japanese Art and Architecture in the Work of further research and exploration in and beyond the fields Frank Lloyd Wright. London and New York: Routledge. of architecture and design. Ledderose, Lothar. 2000. Ten Thousand Things: Module and Mass Production in Chinese Art. Princeton: Princeton Uni- Rui Ren - Transcultural Imitation in Architectural Design 63 versity Press. Leslie, Charles Robert. 1845. Memoirs of the Life of John Constable, Esq. R.A. Composed Chiefly of His Letters. Lon- don: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans. Mäkelä, Taisto H. 2017. "Technology and Humanism." 6th International Alvar Aalto Meeting on Contemporary Archi- tecture. Peng, Yigang. 1986. Analysis of the Traditional Chinese Gar- den. Beijing: China Architecture & Building Press. Russell, Bertrand. 1922. "Chinese and Western Civilization Contrasted." In The Problem of China, 194-208. London: George Allen & Unwin. Ottavio Pedretti - Grid Variations in Japanese Architecture 65 This paper delves into the concept of archi- tectural variation by analysing the works of three prominent Japanese architects: Toyo Ito, Kazuyo Sejima, and Yunja Ishigami, and their projects from the early 2010s, and exam- ines the use of the grid as a methodological element and design tool. By investigating the variations achieved through the grid application, the research aims to comprehend its influence on design approaches, spatial organisation, program development and structural consid- Ottavio Pedretti erations. Furthermore, the study explores the transmission of knowledge from master ar- Grid Variations in Japanese Architecture chitects to apprentices and its impact on the phenomenon of architectural variation. Notably, it investigates the interconnections among ar- chitects who share common traits such as transparency, flexibility, and environmental con- cerns. Through its concentrated examination of contemporary Japanese architecture, this research significantly contributes to expanding our understanding of architectural variation. It provides valuable insights into the relationship between design tools, practices, and the evo- lution of architectural discourse. Ottavio Pedretti - Grid Variations in Japanese Architecture 67 The incipit that allows us to carry out the following analysis is the drawing made by Toyo Ito on the occasion of the ex- hibition ‘A Japanese Constellation: Toyo Ito, SANAA, Sou Fujimoto, and Others’. Exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 2016 and organised by Pedro Gadanho, former Curator of contemporary architecture at MoMA. MoMa defines the exhibition as: “ an overview of Ito’s ca- reer and his influence as a mentor to a new generation of Japanese architects. The exhibition presents recent works by internationally acclaimed designers, including Kazuyo Sejima, Ryue Nishizawa, Sou Fujimoto, Akihisa Hirata, and Junya Ishigami” (MOMA 2016). Near the entrance to the exhibition, a diagram sketched by Toyo Ito himself was dis- played. It is illustrated in overlapping circles, architects and engineers whose work is influenced by Toyo Ito and simul- Ottavio Pedretti is an architect and Ph.D. can- taneously a source of inspiration for the architect. didate in the Architectural, Urban, and Interior Design program at Politecnico di Milano. The Methodology PhD research focuses on the challenge of Ur- This paper aims to investigate the topic of variation in ar- ban Air Mobility, funded by the PNRR the Italian chitecture and the influence of the Masters on the next gen- "National Recovery and Resilience Plan". Since erations of architects using as a research tool the compari- 2019, he has been working at SANAA (Tokyo), son method and as a case study of the Japanese school. The Onsitestudio (Milan), and ION Fund (Milan). He investigation is done taking into consideration one project graduated from Politecnico di Milano with a for each architect: Marroc Museo Internacional by Toyo Ito thesis on the relationship between abandoned in Puebla (Mexico), Nishinoyama House by Kazuyo Sejima industrial buildings, cotton mills, and the sur- in Kyoto (Japan) and the Home for elderly people by Junya rounding living space, slums, in India. Ottavio Pedretti - Grid Variations in Japanese Architecture 69 Ishigami in Akita (Japan). The focus is on the notions of the grid and how it is applied differently, and serves as a device to define space, program, structure and materiali- ty. The study will examine the historical context in which modernism emerged as the dominant force in Japan and its evolution in the current thinking of Japanese architecture. The Role of the Grid The grid is the design tool of modernist architecture, and the assumption is the necessity to define a homogeneous frame or grid of modern buildings that organises the city with the tendency to impose order and boundary. Early in his career, Toyo Ito wrote an article where he asserts that people’s modernist environment is a homogenous world di- vided by function and its constituent parts. The application of a frame as an organising device and a grid as a modu- lar base in the design of buildings is in direct conflict with disordered and natural qualities found in natural environ- ments (Ito 2012). It is clear that Ito uses grids in his design process to work with elements inside the grid itself—the approach to the grid changes in the work of Nishizawa and Sejima. As Nishizawa stated in an interview for the publica- tion of El Croquis 99, which collected both his and Kazuyo Sejima’s works, the use of the grid in their project is differ- ent from the Ito, “the grid in the case of the 'Ito version', Ito and surroundings (Graphic elaboration of the original sketch made by Toyo Ito, showed in the exhibition ‘Toyo Ito, SANAA, where is a grid and an oval, makes a clear differentiation Sou Fujimoto, and others’, MoMa, 2016). Ottavio Pedretti - Grid Variations in Japanese Architecture 71 between the structure and the action or space” (Sejima and order of a grid. […] offices are organised in a concept of Nishizawa 2000). abstract 'flexibility' capable of accommodating different In the same interview, Nishizawa defines their approach to functions without the need for compartmentalisation, pro- using the grid as a design tool: “The reality of construc- viding users with fluid circulation” (Ishigami 2019). tion materials is that they are orthogonal. And while you might say that concrete, for example, has plastic potential, Museo Internacional del Barroco - Toyo Ito the formwork is made of an orthogonal form. So, when you In the Museo Internacional del Barroco in Puebla (Mex- do something that has a form with anything curved, then it ico), completed in 2016, Toyo Ito decided to work with a really stands out as something that is trying too hard or is grid, considering the importance of respecting the func- very artificial” (Sejima and Nishizawa 2000). Even though tional program of a museum. The grid works as a device this interview is twenty years old, Sejima and Nishizawa, to organise and define the boundary elements. It becomes under the firm SANAA, have experimented a lot in not us- clear that the grid was used as a starting point for further ing the grid, working through the shaping of space based transformational operations. Ito embraces the grid as an on curves, even three-dimensional ones (Rolex Learning organising device, then makes several changes to create a Centre EPFL), the strength of the grid and the orthogonali- fluid flow within the grid and between indoors and out- ty of the project are also found in more recent projects such doors. Ito distorts the grid so that the rigidity and divisions as Sydney Modern Project and Bezalel Academy of Arts of spaces inherent in the grid begin to erode at the point of and Design. intersection. By twisting and pulling the grid, new spaces Ishigami has never explicitly stated the use of a grid as a de- emerge, and he uses them to create a flow between spaces sign tool. However, it can be found in some of his projects inside the grid and from the inside to the outside of the like Home for elderly people in Akita or Plaza of Kanagawa building simultaneously. He places a large courtyard in Institute of Technology. The only time he used the grid is in the centre of the grid and creates flow lines around it to the Kanagawa Institute of Technology Workshop project, eliminate circulation axes and ensure free-flowing spaces. where he neglected it and “the density of the pillars var- By further manipulating the grid, he shapes the walls to be ies in different areas, as does their disposition concerning curved and creates buffer zones that allow the light to filter the axes, meaning that the overall vision is at odds with the inside, and people can see the courtyard or the sky from Ottavio Pedretti - Grid Variations in Japanese Architecture 73 those points. “The grid matrix is strongly present, and yet rigidity has been replaced by the fluidity of movement and connectedness of the modules. Divisions are established, but a hierarchy of spaces, and the distinction between main and supports spaces are nonexistent” (Sejima and Nishiza- wa 2015). Nishinoyama House - Kazuyo Sejima Nishinoyama House is a project of ten-unit apartments in Kyoto (Japan), completed in 2013 by Kazuyo Sejima. The building regulations prescribe that new buildings in the area must reflect the character of the local urban fabric, including the roof angle, colours and materials. Instead of creating a massive, unique roof, she decided to split the roof into twenty-one separate elements. Each room, rather than each unit, is covered with an independent roof. Start- ing from a grid with dimensions similar to the surrounding buildings, she organises the plot, splitting it between units, a garden and a path. The peculiarity of the project is the lack of an actual private area, and the building is perceived as a single entity with “an ambiguous and unpredictable amalgamation of public and private” (Sejima and Nishiza- wa 2004). Sejima states, “Sometimes a very rigid grid gives you free- dom, although the form is not free” (Sejima and Nishizawa Grid of Museo Internacional del Barroco (Graphic elaboration of the plan of the Museo Internacional del Barroco, Puebla, 2004). Moreover, this is clear in the case of Nishinoyama Mexico, Toyo Ito, 2012-2016). Ottavio Pedretti - Grid Variations in Japanese Architecture 75 House, where the grid gives modularity to the roofs of the units, where two contiguous units share a common roof, and generates a succession of private and public spaces with a fluidity of the space where people live. Home for Elderly People - Junya Ishigami In 2012 Yunja Ishigami started the project for a home for elderly people in Akita (Japan). The idea that drives the project is to reuse forty traditional houses from all over the Country using the old technique of hikya (transferring a house from one place to another without dismantling its structure). The aim is to give a more familiar environment to elderly people, also providing them the possibility to live in a space more similar to those they lived in when they were younger; as Ishigami stated, “it seems difficult to cre- ate modern architecture for disabled people using a mere extension of modern architecture methods” (Kerez and Ishigami 2015). The design process starts with defining the abacus of these forty houses, and in the second design phase, they kept only some features. The role of the grid in this project is clear: it becomes the tool to abstract the house from the original context and the peculiarity characteristics of each of them “in order, through their combination, to create a new archi- tecture in a new kind of village, in which some houses are Grid of Nishinoyama House (Graphic elaboration of the plan of converted into bedrooms alone, others into a dining room the Nishinoyama House, Kyoto, Kazuyo Sejima, 2010-2013). Ottavio Pedretti - Grid Variations in Japanese Architecture 77 or a gallery” (Ishigami 2019). The grid, in this case, takes the size of tatami mats and helps to assemble these houses harmoniously, but also creates an architecture permeable to the surroundings, and the open space between the struc- tures works not only as a filter but mainly as a common ground and “come up with a spontaneous way of creating differences between each space” (Kerez & Ishigami 2015). Conclusion Florian Idenburg, the founder of SO-IL, worked at SANAA from 2000 to 2007, and explained precisely the personal relations developed in the Japanese architecture scenario: “The relationship between master and apprentice generally remains respectful and the exchange occurs over time. A collective sense of responsibility toward the profession in- spires Japan’s architects to feed an ongoing stream of ideas, passing on knowledge, influence, and interest from one generation to the next” . This statement is also clearly evident in Ishigami, who worked at SANAA from 2000 to 2004, and Sejima, who worked with Toyo Ito from 1981 to 1986. Both of them learn from their Masters and continue developing concepts and theories from the experience. They are interested in how ar- chitecture is experienced and the connection to the natural elements, always with a clear notion of boundary and or- Graphic elaboration of the plan of the House for Elderly People, der in their mind. It is clear how the grid and its variations Junya Ishigami, 2012. Ottavio Pedretti - Grid Variations in Japanese Architecture 79 are a precise design tool share in the Japanese architectural that it is easy to identify, in a cascade system, from Toyo Ito culture. It is always subject to compositional principles and to Sejima, to Ishigami, a series of elements that we recall helps indicate the space’s dimensions. due to their influence, and how this can be refocused on a From the analysis and subsequent comparison of the proj- general level in contemporary Japanese architecture. ects by Sejima and Ishigami, it is sharp how, for example, the use of the grid can lead to similar distributive results Bibliography and how one can be the variation of the other, almost a co- Idenburg, Florian. 2009. Relations. The SANAA Studios py-paste process, but that leads to a profound formal differ- 2006–2008: Learning from Japan: Single Story Urbanism. ence in the use and categorisation of spaces. SO-IL website, October 21, 2009. http://so-il.org/projects/ Meanwhile, Sejima and Ishigami work with a precise grid relations. to achieve the precise goal and create space where to live. Ito, Toyo. 2014. Toyo Ito 2002-2004. Tokyo: Toto Publishing. Toyo Ito decides to work through the distortion of the Ito, Toyo. 1978. "The Reflection of the Sacred in the Pro- grid in order to break up the trough rule required by the fane World." First published in Japanese in Shinkenchiku, functional program of the museum. This difference does later translated by Jessie Turnbull in Toyo Ito, Forces of Na- not mean that the former two architects dismiss what they ture, 2012. Cited in Lawrence, Kim. 2016. "Examination of learned from experience, rather than, as Idenburg ex- Blurred Boundary and Avoidance of Modernist Grid in the plained, “SANAA’s almost encyclopedic knowledge of the Works of Toyo Ito." Architectural Research, Vol. 18, No. 3 entire Modernist oeuvre is rooted so deep that it has be- (September 2016): 93 come part of the office’s collective subconscious”; again the Ishigami, Junya. 2019. 2G 78. London: Koenig Books. statement of Sejima is even more robust “Generally, we do Kerez, Christin, and Junya Ishigami. 2015. Christian Kerez not refer”, architecture as a practice is so ingrained in their 2010-2015 Junya Ishigami 2005-2015. El Croquis 182. memory that it unconsciously recalls elements learned Lawrence, Kim. 2016. "Examination of Blurred Boundary during their careers. and Avoidance of Modernist Grid in the Works of Toyo In conclusion, it can be stated that the variations examined Ito." Architectural Research, Vol. 18, No. 3 (September 2016): in this paper can be extended on a theoretical level to the 91-102. entire architectural production of these three architects and Museum of Modern Art. 2016. Description of the exhibi- Ottavio Pedretti - Grid Variations in Japanese Architecture 81 tion curated and organized by "Pedro Gadanho, Phoebe Springstubb, A Japanese Constellation: Toyo Ito, SANAA, and Beyond". Accessed January 2023. https://www.moma. org/calendar/exhibitions/1615. Sejima, Kazuyo, and Ryue Nishizawa. 2000. SANAA 1995- 2000, El Croquis 99. Sejima, Kazuyo. 2003. "Q&A Columbia University, lecture 2003." Cited in Florian Idenburg, "Relations," The SANAA Studios 2006–2008: Learning from Japan: Single Story Ur- banism, SO-IL website, October 21, 2009. Accessed January 2023. http://so-il.org/projects/relations. Sejima, Kazuyo, and Ryue Nishizawa. 2004. "SANAA 1983- 2004." El Croquis 77[1]+99+121/122. Sejima, Kazuyo, and Ryue Nishizawa. 2015. SANAA 2011- 2015, Continuity systems, El Croquis 179/180. Gadanho, Pedro, and Phoebe Springstubb. 2016. Exhibi- tion curated and organised by "A Japanese Constellation: Toyo Ito, SANAA, and Beyond." Museum of Modern Art. https://www.moma.org/calendar/exhibitions/1615. Sara Barani - Las Vegas: The City of Honest Fakery 83 This paper explores the subject of copying in architecture and its evolving perception over time. It discusses how copying, imitation, and even imitation of methods and concepts were historically accepted and valued in architecture. Sara Barani However, in the modern era, there has been a shift towards emphasizing originality, copyright Las Vegas: The City of Honest Fakery protection, and avoiding plagiarism. The case A Theatricalization of Architecture and Art in the of Las Vegas is presented as a unique example Age of Copied Originals where the city embraces and celebrates archi- tectural copies worldwide. The buildings on the Las Vegas Strip, known for their replicas of fa- mous structures, create a spectacle and attract tourists. The paper examines the acceptance of Las Vegas as a copy, highlighting the con- cept of a “pair” formed by the original and its copy. The city’s acceptance of honest fakery and blending of spectacle and reality contrib- utes to its unique identity. Sara Barani - Las Vegas: The City of Honest Fakery 85 Copying in architecture has always been the focus of many debates, but how it is understood, interpreted, and, above all, accepted has undergone several changes. “Just like painting, architecture is a modern, and hence romantic, art form in which originality is crucial, copyright is sacrosanct, and plagiarism is taboo. Even imitation is a touchy issue” (Hulsman 2017, 20). In the book Copy Paste, the Dutch ar- chitecture critic Bernard Hulsman states how the aversion to copying in architecture is a recent development, espe- cially since the modern era, and how it is increasingly pres- ent as taboo. On the contrary, imitating past architecture has been a typical gesture for several centuries, mainly con- Sara Barani graduated with honours at Politecni- sidering the works of great architects and their significant co di Milano in the Master’s degree program in innovations to the discipline. The original outline of copy- Sustainable Architecture and Landscape De- right, set out in the "US 1790 Copyright Act", incentivized sign. In academia, she was a Research Fellow individual creation by protecting the creator’s sole right to for the “Atlas of Best Practices for the Design profit for 14 years but left room for long-term collective and Management of Large-scale Photovoltaic good (Madrazo 2017). In an essay, the American writer Installations” project. Currently, she is a PhD Louis Menand wrote: “I make it clear that the ultimate candidate with an Interdisciplinary PhD Grant beneficiary [… ] is the public. After the term of protection in Architectural, Urban and Interior Design, and expires, a work cannot be copyrighted again. It becomes a she is collaborating at the university as a teach- public good” (Menand 2014). ing assistant in design studios. She also works Today, the term is used much more broadly in architecture, with the organization teams of the international including style or form, which are easily identifiable and workshop “Landscape Of[f] Limits” and the in- documented, and more physically intractable sources such ternational conference “New Interactions in the as methods or concepts. These are much more difficult to Energy Landscape”. Sara Barani - Las Vegas: The City of Honest Fakery 87 claim as original expressions that can be copyrighted. Ev- often taken to excess, attempting to surprise visitors. In this idence of this tendency dates back to the year 1996 when sense, the buildings also turn out to be signs, marking the Hulsman was accused of defamation for writing an article rhythm of this long line disseminated with architecture in the daily newspaper NRC Handelsblad about the simi- from all places and of all times. Since the 1990s, Las Vegas larity (not plagiarism) between the more recent Erasmus has become a tourism machine, with the arrival of Disney Bridge in Rotterdam by Ben van Berkel and the Alamillo theme parks featuring castles and pirates, followed by re- Bridge in Seville by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. productions of, for example, Venetian canals, New York The main element Hulsman finds in common in the two skyscrapers, and the Parisian Eiffel Tower. Some buildings works is the sizeable diagonal pier of the two structures are even labelled as if they were original works of art, com- with a difference, that the Erasmus Bridge pier is bifurcat- plete with information on the date, artist, and location of ed and held in place by two thick cables. The affair ended the original. “Signs in Las Vegas use mixed media – words, with an agreement in which Van Berkel asked Hulsman to pictures, and sculptures – to persuade and inform” (Ventu- write a letter in the newspaper stating that he was unfamil- ri, Brown, Izenour 1977, 52). iar with the engineering discipline and that the Erasmus Emblematic of this is the Cesar Palace, whose structures Bridge was a “true original” (Hulsman 2017, 28). are placed sculptures from various eras, ranging from over- Conversely, how does the stated copy position itself in this sized Greek caryatids to full-scale replicas of Michelange- landscape? Take the example of the iconic Las Vegas Strip, lo’s Renaissance David to partial reconstructions of the Ba- a nearly 7-kilometre-long street located just outside the Las roque Trevi Fountain. This set of attractive elements takes Vegas city limits but still within the limits of its larger met- the form of an amusement park of sorts, attracting a vast ropolitan area, endowed with a high concentration of re- number of tourists. The architecture of the Strip tends to sorts and casinos, as well as other glittering entertainment be experienced by the public in a way similar to how they that make the city one of the most popular tourist destina- experience the great Master of Art and architecture. For ex- tions in the United States. ample, it is important to notice that in 2015, Las Vegas was The buildings with which Las Vegas Boulevard is rich are visited by forty-two million people, ten million more than famous for being copies, more or less faithful in scale and the real Paris. In the text, reworking the contributions of size, of contemporary architecture from around the world, the debate developed in the meetings of the Architecture Sara Barani - Las Vegas: The City of Honest Fakery 89 Colloquia in May and June 2012 as part of the activities of sion. The American city is developed as a significant fic- the Doctoral Program in Architectural and Urban Design tion-based system that can enchant tourists with stunning at the Politecnico di Milano, Pierluigi Salvadeo quotes: “We stage effects, a kind of large stage on which a large set is do not have to make much effort to convince ourselves that depicted, including all these architectural replicas, which we are in another place: in Las Vegas, we are in another site, serve as a background for a continuous flow of users who or rather, in many other places. Here, we witness a theat- are intrigued to find multiple places in one place. ricalization of architecture that is not only an ideal place In his book Air Guitar: Essays on Art & Democracy, art for spectacle but, at the same time, a spectacle of itself. The critic Dave Hickey writes about “fake honesty and honest simple neon signage of the 1960s placed on the facades of fakery”, trying to give an interpretation to the American the casinos has been replaced by the imaginative magnil- situation, saying: “[Friends who visit Las Vegas] prefer the oquence of mega hotels that simulate distant and exotic page of the landscape to the text of the neon. They seem spaces, other cities, and other worlds” (Salvadeo 2015, 52). to think it’s more ‘authentic.’ I, on the other hand, suspect As enunciated during the study conference on the occasion that ‘authenticity’ is all together elsewhere–that they are of the reopening of the Gran Teatro la Fenice in Venice, responding to nature’s ability to mimic the sincerity of a titled, Copiare in architettura: riflessioni su com’era e dov’era, painting, that the question of the sunset and The Strip is in the case of Las Vegas copies of famous architectures’ more a matter of one’s taste in duplicity. One either prefers constitute copies made without the intention to deceive, the honest fakery of the neon or the fake honesty of the instead to recall the original. The moment we recognize sunset–the undisguised artifice of culture or the cultural them as such, they form a pair (original + copy), of which construction of ‘authenticity’–the genuine rhinestone, fi- the original constitutes the condition for recognition. The nally, or the imitation pearl” (Hickey 1977). question then arises as to why Las Vegas, filled with these It becomes apparent how eliminating boundaries between replicas of buildings and sculptures, is somehow accepted authenticity, forgery, and honesty on the Las Vegas Strip is as a copy, particularly in this case, as a pair? (Arielli, Leg- perfectly acceptable, a uniquely American appreciation of renzi, Dobricic). honest fakery. The city itself can be defined as: This dual presence allows the user/visitor to approach the “A phenomenon of urban theatricality through which spec- work that does not actually reside there, creating an illu- tacle and reality are mixed, urban spaces and stage fiction Sara Barani - Las Vegas: The City of Honest Fakery 91 Las Vegas Strip: Graphic elaboration of the diagram of the Las Vegas Strip with 4 of the main copies (graphic re-elaboration by the author). Sara Barani - Las Vegas: The City of Honest Fakery 93 overlap, actor and spectator exchange their respective roles. ate of roads, signs, and mega-hotels. The rest does not exist Living space, scenography and city reconnect according to or, if there is, is invisible, dispersed in the suburban sprawl a new system of logical connections” (Salvadeo 2015, 56). (horizontal sprawl) of this yet another regional metropolis Not only architecturally but also artistically, Las Vegas is of the American Southwest” (Carosso 2005, 110). recognized and accepted as the centre of inauthenticity. The peculiarity of the city of Las Vegas lies in its unique- Like Pop Art, the replicas and reproductions of The Strip ness. It comprises a swirl of references to existing architec- often offer insights into popular cultural understandings ture and works of art, so-called declared copies, without that the original works cannot always provide. Warhol possessing any real intrinsic identity. However, its essence multiplied Elvis on canvas; Vegas multipled Elvis in person. as a declared copy is universally accepted; indeed, its appeal The two are very different situations through their respec- lies precisely in this peculiarity. This paper concludes with a tive media, yet notions of excess and desire underlie both question aimed at summarizing its content in a single sen- the icon Warhol mass produced and the detail to which El- tence, by Giovanna Franci, professor of Anglo-American vis’s impersonators in Las Vegas imitate the mega-celebrity Literature and Languages at the University of Bologna. She, for the masses. in her book Dreaming of Italy: Las Vegas and the Virtual It is clear how the city of Las Vegas, or rather the one best Grand Tour reports: “Couldn’t we say that the originality of known, is a collection of other places, consequently lacking Las Vegas… consists of its being an ensemble of copies, and an identity of its own. In an essay titled, “Somewhere Over what’s more, of copies of copies?” (Franci 2005). the Rainbow: Las Vegas e la tematizzazione dello spazio ur- bano in Nordamerica”, Andrea Carosso, a professor at the Bibliography University of Turin in the Department of Foreign Languag- Al, Stefan. 2017. The Strip: Las Vegas and the Architecture of es and Literatures and Modern Cultures with a special- the American Dream. Cambridge: MIT Press. ization in Anglo-American languages and literature, asks, Arielli, Emanuele, Paolo Legrenzi, and Sasa Dobricic. 2021. “what, then, is the actual city and what might be the land- "Copiare in architettura, riflessioni su com’era e dov’era." marks that usually allow a city to be identified as such (the Paper presented at "Convegno di studio in occasione della houses, squares, commercial spaces, public buildings)? The riapertura del Gran Teatro la Fenice," Università IUAV e answer is simple: here, the city is indeed that conglomer- Scuola di Studi Avanzati in Venezia Academia. Sara Barani - Las Vegas: The City of Honest Fakery 95 Carosso, Andrea. 2005. "Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Las Vegas e la tematizzazione dello spazio urbano in Nor- damerica." Ácoma, 11: 108-122. Franci, Giovanna. 2005. Dreaming of Italy: Las Vegas and the Virtual Grand Tour. Reno: University of Nevada Press. Hickey, Dave. 1997. Air Guitar: Essays on Art & Democracy. Los Angeles: Art Issues Press. Maas, Winy, Felix Salazar, Diana Ibanez López, and Adi- en Ravon. 2017. Copy Paste: The Badass Architectural Copy Guide. Rotterdam: nai010 publishers. Menand, Louis. "Crooner in Rights Spat: Are Copyright Laws Too Strict?" The New Yorker [online journal]. Octo- ber, 2014. Accessed <http://www.newyorker.com/maga- zine/2014/10/20/crooner-rights-spat>. Salvadeo, Pierluigi. 2015. Mettere in scena la città: il progetto urbano come metafora teatrale, in Pugliese, Raffaele, and Cristina Bergo. 2015. Colloqui di Architettura 1 - Sui Fon- damenti della Composizione. Sant'Arcangelo di Romagna: Maggioli. Venturi, Robert, Denise Scott Brown, and Steven Izenour. 1977. Learning from Las Vegas, Revised Edition: The For- gotten Symbolism of Architectural Form. Cambridge: MIT Press. Beatrice Basile - Uno, Nessuno e Centomila: a Reflection on the Replica 97 Through three case studies, this reflection at- tempts to investigate the theme of the replica and the role of reinterpretation. Mario Botta’s San Carlino on the Lake of Lugano opens the Beatrice Basile reflection as part of an exhibition; it had to car- ry a new reading of the architectural fact, tak- Uno, Nessuno e Centomila: a Reflection on the en out of its time and context; thus came the Replica choice of an unusual 1:1 maquette. Is the exact copy a mere replica, or is it a reinterpretation? Io non l’ho più questo bisogno, perché muojo ogni attimo, io, Emblematic is the second version of Mies van e rinasco nuovo e senza ricordi: der Rohe’s German Pavilion in Barcelona by de vivo e intero, non più in me, ma in ogni cosa fuori. Solà-Morales, Ramos and Cirici, who declared (Pirandello 2016, 205) that every replica is necessarily a reinterpreta- tion. Every reconstruction is a project itself; not I no longer have this need, because I die every moment, only ‘how it was’ but also ‘where it was’ was and I am reborn new and without memories: the subject of debate. The problem was not so alive and whole, no longer in me, but in everything outside. different from the reconstruction of San Mark’s (Translated by the author) Tower in Venice after its collapse in 1902. Beatrice Basile - Uno, Nessuno e Centomila: a Reflection on the Replica 99 A couple of years ago, informally speaking to Mario Botta and retracing the steps of his path, I was particularly sur- prised by the still-alive affection with which he told about the experience he undertook, twenty years ago, of the con- struction of the wooden reproduction of Borromini’s San Carlino alle Quattro Fontane, on the occasion of the four hundredth anniversary of the birth of the architect. Today, thinking about the theme of imitation and copy, that peculiar case comes to my mind, introducing a re- flection on the replica. How to bring the actual building into an exhibition, avoiding its only graphic representa- Beatrice Basile is a PhD candidate in AUID (Ar- tion? How to make the visitor live the experience of the chitectural, Urban, and Interior Design) at Po- architectural work? These questions set the architectural litecnico di Milano. After completing the Bach- survey and re-drawing of Borromini’s work in motion, re- elor’s in Architectural Design, she obtained producing an exact replica in another place, which would a Master’s in Architecture, Built Environment have raised many doubts about the work’s authenticity. As and Interiors from Politecnico di Milano. She part of a more comprehensive exhibition, the replica had collaborated with the Department of Architec- to carry a reinterpretation, a possible new reading of the ture and Urban Studies (DAStU) for research architectural fact taken out from its time and context. From projects and as a teaching assistant. She pub- this came the choice of reproducing a wooden maquette, lished Basile, Beatrice and Sergio Massironi. nothing anomalous being one of the most widespread and 2020. Il gesto sacro. Una conversazione con consolidated means of representation and dissemination Mario Botta. Milano: Electa S.p.A. and Basile, of the architectural work: “The model […] chases the final Beatrice. 2021; “Scavo e sovrapposizione”, in image of the work through a shortcut given by the ‘already Glossario del paesaggismo contemporaneo known’ and through a process that eliminates the difficul- edited by Francesco Repishti. Wroclaw: Ama- ties that the materials, the construction, the context and the zon Fulfillment. Beatrice Basile - Uno, Nessuno e Centomila: a Reflection on the Replica 101 functional use of the work itself have to face. The model torical city, “The process is abstract and conceptual, Mag- implements an approximation that aims at the final reading rittian in its subversion of all automatic thought processes, of the work: evidently only a formal and therefore partial in the deliberate effect of estrangement” (Rocca 1999, 31). In aspect […] provides a vision, a representation” (Basile and this case, the resulting object is thus definable a ‘copy’ only Massironi 2020, 59). for its dimensions, but its decontextualized reproduction is The novelty, or daring choice, however, was to opt for the precisely a reinterpretation. unusual 1:1 scale, shifting the reflection on a different plane; From this perspective, the exact copy, ‘as it was, where it in fact, this scale “in its real dimension placed the visitor in was’, is a mere replica, or is it a reinterpretation itself? The front of an image that was at the same time representation architectural discipline has developed over the centuries as and reality” (Basile and Massironi 2020, 59). Presenting the a slow evolution resulting from the process of imitation and project in Lotus International that year, Alessandro Rocca reinterpretation through progressive modification. declared in the title This is not a Model: the San Carlino of CopyPaste: The Badass Architectural Copy Guide (2017) by Lugano (Rocca 1999, 28): “The theme is specifically archi- The Why Factory launched the provocation, in contempo- tectural, but the techniques used for its construction are all rary terms, on the theme of plagiarism – entered the ar- drawn from the world of stage design and the preparation chitectural world only in the last decades. A paragraph of of exhibition, and make no attempt to ape those used in the book, Same Same But Different, becomes the incipit of architecture” (Rocca 1999, 30). Thus, the 1:1 scale brings new insights on the theme. Here we want to investigate the the visitor back to a work that becomes accessible architec- specific topic of the conscious, intentional copy. What kind ture, thanks to its dimensions; a replica that allows living of values does the copy carry? Does the reconstruction ‘as the experience of Borromini’s architecture, but at the same it was, where it was’ of a building no longer existing shift time, through a process of reinterpretation, reproducing the meaning compared to the construction of a copy of a a fragment, it placed the observer in front of the vertical still existing building but in a place other than the original? cross-section of the building. It is, therefore, proposed to Similarly, the emblem of the design of a second version the actual scale also the representation usually attributed to of a known architecture is certainly the reconstruction of drawing tools. The interior thus becomes an exterior, float- Mies van der Rohe’s German Pavilion in Barcelona, con- ing on the lake, alienating in its relationship with the his- ducted from 1983 to 1986 by the team composed of Igna- Beatrice Basile - Uno, Nessuno e Centomila: a Reflection on the Replica 103 San Carlino alle Quattro Fontane, Rome. San Carlino at Lugano: replica as displaced and reinterpreted copy (graphic re-elaboration by the author). Beatrice Basile - Uno, Nessuno e Centomila: a Reflection on the Replica 105 si de Solà-Morales, Fernando Ramos, and Cristian Cirici. architectural culture of the Modernism led to the problem The reconstruction was carried out as faithfully as possible, being approached with extreme care and delicacy. It is in- even though the philological operation revealed more com- teresting to note, starting from the words of the authors of plex than expected, given the incoherence of project repre- the replica, as not only ‘how it was’, but primarily ‘where it sentations that have occurred over the years. “As architects, was’ was a subject of debate. The designers in fact, defended we undertook the reconstruction of one of the paradigm the necessity – to offer access to this icon – that the build- buildings of the 20th century architecture. […] Our work, ing rose again exactly in the original place, far from being our undertaking, was a project. An atypical project […]. indifferent to the architectural object. The problem with the project was, of course, of a very spe- “There was a widely received idea, very much in line with cial kind. […] It proved necessary to reconstruct the entire the interpretation of Mies’ architecture in the fifties, that process, beginning with the successive versions of the pa- saw the Barcelona Pavilion as a prototype, a perfect, auton- vilion in the plans in the possession of the various centres omous special experiment capable of being considered as of documentation” (de Solà-Morales, Cirici, and Ramos an object. Given the terms of this logic, it was by no means 1993, 5, 26). strange that it made little or no difference for many people Many years earlier, with the growth of the iconic value whether it was rebuilt in Barcelona or Bologna, Frankfurt of the architecture by Mies van der Rohe and this specif- or Berlin. A more detailed, more rigorous knowledge of the ic work, the problem of its possible reconstruction was pavilion clearly revealed to us the building’s total relation- already presented by Oriol Bohigas, with the author’s in- ship with the site that Mies himself had chosen for it. The volvement (de Solà-Morales, Ramos and Cirici 1986, 44). relationship with the other buildings […], the topography However, a series of difficulties and doubts helped to post- were all aspects of the basic premises of the project, with- pone the operation until the beginning of the 80s, when out which the building was stripped of all its meaning” (de the possibility became more concrete. Although it would Solà-Morales, Cirici, and Ramos 1993, 28). have been a second version, it is natural to ask whether a The problem was not, in the end, so different from the de- possible reconstruction by the author himself could shift bate from which, decades ago, sprang the expression ‘as it the status of authenticity/copy of the new architecture. was, where it was’: the reconstruction of San Mark’s Tower The responsibility for restoring a true masterpiece of the in Venice after its collapse on 14th July 1902. Beatrice Basile - Uno, Nessuno e Centomila: a Reflection on the Replica 107 Mies van der Rohe’s pavilion in its original location, Barcelona. An example of a displaced reconstruction (here represented in Piazza San Marco, Venice). Building a replica: site-specific ar- chitecture or prototype? (graphic re-elaboration by the author). Beatrice Basile - Uno, Nessuno e Centomila: a Reflection on the Replica 109 The circumstances and the cultural context in which these instance, next to the Clock Tower or in ‘Piazzetta dei Leon- two examples are inserted are noticeably very different, yet cini’ – suggesting exciting insights on the possibility of an the concept of the replica and its relationship with the au- ‘as it was’, but not ‘where it was’. thenticity of the original remains the common factor. The Coming back to the case of the Barcelona Pavilion, its first case is the conscious dismantling of a pavilion born replica was considered necessary not for the consolidated to be a temporary work and become iconic in absentia, identity image of the place as much as because “the real through books and magazines; the second case is, instead, and concrete quality of the object designed by Mies van der the collapse of a historical building whose iconic nature Rohe requires to be contemplated in its real dimensions consolidated during the centuries, in close relationship and the concrete perception of its places and its colours” with the square of which it is a symbol with other funda- (de Solà-Morales, Ramos, and Cirici 1986, 46). Some crit- mental architectures that define, together, its identity. ics, in the name of the authenticity and uniqueness of the Even in Venice, however, they faced the issue not only of architectural work, would not have wanted a second ver- the form – do we have to give back to the city the replica, sion of the pavilion which could thus feed its iconic nature or is it a chance for a new interpretation of a contemporary through books; in Casabella, that year, the authors, aware bell tower? – but also of its localization. Otto Wagner, for of their responsibility, declared that “just as throughout of instance, was among the first to reflect on the necessity to history architecture was alimented by the recreation of the provide Venice with the architecture of its time. In this case, figures of the past, at this moment there does not seem to the problem was not the widespread belief that the build- be a definitive reason, which is not a kind of awe for the ing could be considered a prototype – which in turn shifts past so that this reconstruction should not be realized” (de the reflection on the relationship between its replicas – but Solà-Morales, Ramos and Cirici 1986, 46). the debate on a possible rewriting of one of the most iconic As anticipated, however, every reconstruction cannot but places in Italy. Many people, in fact, considered attractive be an actual project itself, which necessarily brings a lay- the new visual relationship between the square, St Mark’s er overlapped by the second designers, a reinterpretation Basilica, Doge’s Palace and Sansovino Library that the loss whose variation from the original can be more or less ex- of the tower revealed. It led to the realization of some mon- plicit and aware, as it is for the interpretations of a classical tages showing the bell tower in a different position – for music masterpiece we can enjoy today. It is very interest- Beatrice Basile - Uno, Nessuno e Centomila: a Reflection on the Replica 111 San Mark’s Tower original (and current) location in Piazza San Marco. Venice: the reconstruction dilemma: hypothesis of displacement - reconstruction ‘as it was’ but not ‘where it was’ (graphic re-elab- oration by the author). Beatrice Basile - Uno, Nessuno e Centomila: a Reflection on the Replica 113 ing, from this point of view, the reflection brought by the case, would the built work be the original despite belonging designers of the ‘new’ Barcelona Pavilion at the end of the to a second moment? Would it be possible that tomorrow publication, which tries to make a synthesis of the analyti- we will find ourselves discussing an ex-ante copy? cal phase of study of the original work and reports the pro- cess of redesign and reconstruction of the “nevertheless, Bibliography different, […] second version of the Pavilion”: “Final reflec- Basile, Beatrice and Sergio Massironi. 2020. Il gesto sacro. tion: in defence of a replica. […] We have no doubt that all Una conversazione con Mario Botta. Milano: Electa. those of us who played some part in this undertaking are Pirandello, Luigi. Uno, Nessuno e Centomila. 2016. Segrate: conscious of the distance that exists between the original Rizzoli. and its replica. […] because every replica is, indisputably, a Rocca, Alessandro. 1999. “This is not a Model: the San reinterpretation” (de Solà-Morales, Cirici, and Ramos 1993, Carlino of Lugano.” Lotus International 103: 28-39. 39). The magnitude of the revision process that the copy Rocca, Alessandro. 2022. Totem and taboo in architectural brings with it takes us back to the starting point of this re- imagination. Siracusa: LetteraVentidue. flection: surely Botta’s San Carlino, while remaining within Solà-Morales, Ignasi. 1986. “Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. the boundary of the copy thanks to its 1:1 scale, emphasizes Barcellona 1929-1986.” Domus 674 (July/August): 76-80. the reinterpretation, allowing the visitor to question the Solà-Morales, Ignasi, Fernando Ramos, and Cristian Cirici. original spatiality and the role of representation tools. With 1986. “La ricostruzione del Padiglione di Mies a Barcello- this peculiar case, we could perhaps introduce the concept na.” Casabella 526 (July/August): 44-55. of a post-produced replica, where the digital medium’s use Solà-Morales, Ignasi, Cristian Cirici, and Ferdinando Ra- made the whole process possible. mos. 1993. Mies van der Rohe: Barcelona Pavilion. Barcelo- To conclude, however, by looking towards the evolution of na: Editorial Gustavo Gili. these tools, we could bring to light a provocative or curious Maas, Winy, Felix Madrazo Salazar, Diana Ibáñez López, ‘what if ’. What if, in the future, the simplicity and the costs and Adrien Ravon. 2017. Copy Paste: The Badass Architec- of 3D printed models could allow us to verify the architec- tural Copy Guide. Rotterdam: nai010 publishers. tural work with a real-scale maquette, in situ, even before starting the construction of its permanent version? In this 114 Fuoco Amico / Syllabus 09 Imitation Parody Montage 115 PARODY Duccio Fantoni - The False Friends of Kazuo Shinohara 117 The false friend is a linguistics term that ad- dresses words in different languages with clear resemblances but diverse meanings. In archi- tectural theory, Kersten Geers introduced this category to define the potentiality of ambiguity in reusing architectural knowledge. The paper uses the idea of false friends to investigate the production of Architecture in contempo- Duccio Fantoni rary design practices concerning the work of Kazuo Shinohara. The research explores the The False Friends of Kazuo Shinohara: recent interest in Kazuo Shinohara’s figure and Attempts to Reinvent the Work of a Japanese the appropriation strategies that draw from the Master in Contemporary Architecture Japanese Master to develop new design tech- niques. Different approaches emerge through the comparison with the Chilean architect Smil- jan Radic, the Portuguese collective Fala Atelier, and the Swiss practitioner Pascal Flammer: the copy, the parody, and the emulation. Although the connections between these contemporary figures and Shinohara are largely explicit, the study proposes considering the three cases as fragments of shared design culture. Duccio Fantoni - The False Friends of Kazuo Shinohara 119 After the death of Kazuo Shinohara in 2006, interest in his work significantly increased outside Japan. In particular, the turning point was at the twelfth Venice Biennial, when a special Golden Lion was awarded in his memory. Since then, several publications have focused on his work and role in the background of Japanese post-war Architecture. Nevertheless, his influence on current architectural pro- duction is so significant that it cannot be ignored. Refer- ences to his architectural works are several and categorical. Such a profound process of imitation has generated results Duccio Fantoni is an architect and PhD can- relevant to the contemporary debate on architectural de- didate at Politecnico di Milano. After a period sign. The ubiquity of the references to Kazuo Shinohara in Japan and Colombia, in 2018, He received reveals the presence of a shared design culture that shapes his Master’s Degree in Architecture at Universi- the current architectural production. ty di Ferrara with 110 cum laude. In 2020, he Since this text focuses on a connection that is not only co-founded NOIA Practice, an Italian-Georgian evident but also openly declared, the category of the ‘false architectural firm; since then, his firm has been friend’ is necessary to explore in terms of how these de- awarded in architectural competitions at the in- sign techniques rely on the originals. The false friend is a ternational level. In 2021, He received the NIB linguistics term that addresses words in different languages award for the best architecture practice under with clear resemblances but diverse meanings. In archi- 35 in Italy. In October 2022, he participated in tectural theory, Kersten Geers introduced this category to the Tbilisi Architecture Biennale as the winner define the potentiality of ambiguity in reusing architectural of the physical project, with the project Land- knowledge. This methodological category includes design scape Threshold. His research currently inves- techniques such as copy, emulation, and parody. However, tigates Architecture as a form of resistance with it redirects the interest toward the cultural role of this oper- a focus on the endemic architecture of Italian ation rather than the figurative similarities. Yards in the city of Tbilisi. Duccio Fantoni - The False Friends of Kazuo Shinohara 121 ‘emulation’ in the case of Pascal Flammer. Finally, it con- Furthermore, it appears fundamental to notice an essential cludes with the definition of a shared design attitude based matter in the spread of the architecture of Shinohara: only a on ambiguity, tension, and precision that refers to the leg- few of the original works still stand; most of them exist only acy of Shinohara. through the photographs (carefully taken following the in- dication of the Japanese Master himself); the still standing Smiljan Radic : a Humble Copy ones are hard to visit. The personal experience of Christian The persistence of Smiljan Radic in working with fragili- Dehli (2015) is worth mentioning regarding the difficulty of ty in architecture is undoubtedly brave. After returning to reaching the few of Shinohara's works still existing. Santiago from Venice in the mid-nineties, his earliest works Therefore, the images represent fundamental means of express this attitude to arranging leftovers to obtain fragile comparing the authors through juxtaposing counterparts. buildings: “[...] the shelter is the last trunk into which any- The selected architects for the comparison openly admire one’s life or an entire civilisation is decanted” (Radic 2019). Shinohara as an inspiring figure and explicitly recall his During his career, the theme of the shelters represented a works in theirs. The study focuses primarily on these rela- prolific field of experimentation with the essential elements tionships and their effects on the design approaches. Since of architecture. Time after time, new projects transform or the aim is to reveal a cultural bond in different practices, replace previous ones in a constant process of adaptation the essence of this attempt resides in the implicit correla- and reparation. Every time, geometry and consistency ne- tions in the design techniques. gotiate the architectural character of these experiments. The selection of authors to compare with Shinohara follows Similarly, Shinohara developed his research, the so-called these criteria: none are Japanese architects, and each be- ‘four styles’, along with the production of private houses longs to different geographical and cultural contexts. The and small shelters. Also, in this case, fragility plays a crucial article follows this order: firstly, it will concern the influ- role in shaping the domestic space. For Shinohara, every ence of Shinohara’s work on Smiljan Radic and the use of project represents an opportunity for prototyping archi- ‘copy’ as a design strategy; secondly, the use of ‘parody’ in tectural narratives. Many of these attempts have vanished. the projects by Fala Atelier as a refined form of narrative; However, some of them have partially survived in the thirdly, the appropriation of Shinohara design method by works of others. In this controversial genealogy, the ‘Prism Duccio Fantoni - The False Friends of Kazuo Shinohara 123 House’ case, considered an exception among the styles, is particularly eloquent. Smiljan Radic proposes a direct con- nection with this project for his house in Llaima Volcano: “To interpret is to pretend to do something different with the same thing, which is of no interest to me. These two prefabricated prisms were, therefore, not an exercise in interpretation. This house is an exercise in repetition and replication. It is about doing something again, even though the gods might get angry and such attempts always fail” (Radic 2019). However, the idea of repetition needs to consider the archi- tectural approach of the Chilean architect. There is no pos- sibility of a perfect reproduction of the original. Even the prefabrication is a humble attempt to imitate the original. The original house’s interior comprises white planes held together by an oblique wooden element. The copy repro- duces this last element but in a different position. Different- ly from the original, it exposes the metal structure and the rough texture of the industrial panels that close the volume. It gives up the abstraction and absorbs the contingency as a sentimental factor. The case of the Prism House is par excellence, a false friend: the copy resembles the original and exploits its geometrical qualities. However, Radic inserts his copy in a system that changes its meaning. The Chilean Prism House is more pre- cisely a room; it reduces the original in scale with the exact Copy and Juxtaposition. Prism House vs Prism House (image by the author). Duccio Fantoni - The False Friends of Kazuo Shinohara 125 proportions and geometry. It negotiates with the sloped site through a rough wooden terrace platform, an echo of a Japanese temple. On the opposite side of the platform, a triangular-shaped hut stands. The sloped roof faces the terrace so the room can open toward the forest. Radic takes advantage of the ambiguity of Shinohara Prism House to produce a copy with enough differences to be considered a new original. Fala Atelier: Parody as a Homage Since its beginning in 2013, the Portuguese collective Fala Atelier has constantly increased the imaginary family of authors that have inspired their production. The only rule that drove their obsession with the works of others is the distance, geographically or temporarily. Therefore, they acquired the reputation of outsiders and heretics in the professional context of Porto. Among others, the fasci- nation for the works of Shinohara appears as an endemic component in their design process. The evidence of this connection is so constant and widespread that it would be hard to isolate only one specific comparison. The pres- ence of architectural elements or details derivated from the Japanese Master is a recurring pattern in their production. Therefore, it is essential to highlight how this relationship operates in the design process. It is paramount to describe the field of existence in which Parody and Juxtaposition. 059 vs White House (image by the author). Duccio Fantoni - The False Friends of Kazuo Shinohara 127 the architecture of the Portuguese collective emerges. The homage to the Japanese Master, adopting the same spatial preconditions of their projects are necessary to illustrate strategy. However, the pillars are never structural: they this relationship: the absence of a specific client, the prev- never touch the ceilings since they are conceived purely as alence of the refurbishment commission rather than new rhetorical features. Ironically, parody is both a homage to constructions, and the difficulties of turning the architect’s a master and an antidote against banality and poverty of role from a technician to an author. The differences in the means. The repetitiveness of the projects takes architectural cultural context in which Shinohara conceived his works elements almost to the paroxysm. Therefore, the narrative illustrate the peculiarities of this false friend. The direct overcomes the result of the single intervention. reference is instrumental for expressing an architectural The parody becomes an escapist’s strategy to connect archi- position, a narrative composed by a sequence of minor ep- tectural discourses beyond the project’s specificity. In this isodes: the symbolic use of columns to organise the space, sense, the fictional conversation with the Japanese Master the graphism of the facade motives, the unexpected posi- transfers any situation into the realm of architecture. The tion of ordinary elements, and the geometrical control. All architecture of Shinohara has a specific quality that gen- of this represents an acrobatic architectural exercise that erates spatiality from the tension between elements. The cannot afford the weight of nostalgia. composition that holds the parts together is as compelling Fala's project 059, for casa São Brás, is emblematic of this as precarious. These triggers, translated in the work of Fala approach. In the restoration of a historical building in Por- Atelier, turn into joyful devices that exceed the project’s to, the intervention organises every room around a squared limits. pillar. The central position of these vertical elements re- veals the tension with the irregularity of the plan and the Pascal Flammer: Constant Emulation presence of partition walls as a subordinate system. Sim- In November 2013, Pascal Flammer lectured about his rela- ilarly, Shinohara's White House project uses a column to tionship with the works of Shinohara in the series ‘Difficult emphasise the tension between the perimeter's square ge- Double’ at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne ometry and the interiors' spatial organisation. Interstingly, in 2015, organized by FORM, Laboratory for Architecture Shinohara produces a symbolic space at the intersection of as Form. The connection between the two architects is far the structure with ordinary domestic elements. Fala pays beyond admiration: it can be described as a constant at- Duccio Fantoni - The False Friends of Kazuo Shinohara 129 tempt to emulate the system of precise rules that the Jap- anese Master proposed in his works. Within this perspec- tive, every project is essentially the design of a perimeter of constraints that generate unexpected results. For Flammer, the precision of Shinohara becomes necessary to entangle the reading of every work. Nothing should be just what it seems to be. Paradoxically, geometry, structure, and detail lead only to misunderstanding, never clarity. The rigour generates a short circuit in the ordinary sense and logic of the composition. Like an Oulipian text, strict constraints produce unexpected and fascinating results. Similarly, the project’s description of Shinohara is extreme- ly geometrical in structure. The photographs are the main narrative form for the space’s intensity. The words describe the perimeter of the possibility of Architecture, in mathe- matical terms, its field of existence. The house in Balsthal is an emblematic example of how Flammer elaborates on themes and strategies from Shinohara. The project con- sists of a living room, with a floor 70 centimetres below the ground, a chalet-like construction suspended above and a hidden underground room. The configuration recalls the House of Earth in Nerima Ward, Tokyo: half of the house is a modest structure that contains a small volume of services, and the other half is an underground space connected with steep stairs. Since the perimeters of the two halves do not overlap, their relation- Emulation and Juxtaposition. Balsthal House vs House for a poet (image by the author). Duccio Fantoni - The False Friends of Kazuo Shinohara 131 ship is purely spatial and symbolic. Similarly, the Balsthal ‘architecture as an act of cultural resistance’. The misread- house’s different spaces follow this extended division. How- ing and misinterpretation become operations that activate ever, the living room between these two extremities refers the project. These strategies produce a narrative that over- to another project by Shinohara: the house for the poet comes the specificity of the site to establish surprising ar- Tanikawa Shuntarō. In this case, the house with functions chitectural discourses. Any false friend, as a copy, a parody occupies a quarter of the structure (Kerez 2021). The rest or an emulation, implies a hypothetical cultural bond and, is a high roof with a natural earth slope. Two glass facades therefore, a cultural project. In the case of the appropria- on opposite sides guarantee a sense of continuity with the tion of Shinohara’s work, the desire is to produce architec- forest on the outside. ture using banality and constraints as poetic expedients. The house in Balsthal represents a variation of the same theme. It is interesting how the necessity to keep the pe- Bibliography rimeter on the same level involves constant precise adjust- Dehli, Christian. 2015. “The Enigma of the Prism House: ments: a step down mediates with the height of the kitchen, The Quest for a Puzzling Work by Shinohara.” werk, bauen and the glazed door defines the ceiling level. The projects + wohnen, n.12. Accessed 12 Feb. 2023 produce altered and unsettling situations, starting with a https://www.wbw.ch/en/online/original-texts/2015-12-the- sequence of specified limits. For Flammer, the emulation of mysterious-prism-house.html Shinohara acts as a process that takes from defined causes Kerez, Christian. 2021. “Thoughts on Seven Houses I Have to unexpected consequences. Visited” In Kazuo Shinohara, Traversing the house and the city, edited by Seng Kuan, 21-22. Zurich: Lars Muller. Conclusion: The Cultural Bond Radic, Smiljan. 2019. Every So Often a Talking Dog Appears In conclusion, Shinohara’s ambiguity, tension, and preci- and Other Essay. London: Koening Books. sion maintain an unexpressed potential that nourishes the Radic, Smiljan. 2019.“Casa Prisma + Terrace Room.” El copies, parodies, and emulations. The use of false friends as Croquis 199: 353. a comparative tool reveals the field of action starting from Walker, Enrique. 2013. “A Conversation with Smiljan Rad- the quality of the original. In the richness of each singu- ic.” El Croquis 167: 9. lar case, coherence emerges as a shared understanding of Andrea Foppiani - Idyllic Landscapes in a (Digital) Box 133 ‘Biophilia’, or the deep human fascination for untouched nature and its vital processes, has historically influenced how fake natural fragments were reproduced within controlled environments. From the history of garden de- sign to contemporary exhibitions, the aim to recreate, display, or simply evoke shards of given ecosystems generated a genealogy of idyllic landscapes, where architectural fiction is Andrea Foppiani applied as a spatial and biological control tool. Looking at established international institutions Idyllic Landscapes in a (Digital) Box: setting their roots in the Italian cultural land- Towards a Dematerialization of Staged Nature in scape, hyper-controlled environments such as Architecture Exhibitions exhibition installations recently show a growing interest in the natural universe of the wild and unspoiled. The paper, through a comparison of recent case studies coming from Milano Expo, Biennale di Venezia, and Triennale di Milano, will explore a shift towards the intangible – triggered by happenings such as the Covid pandemic, and the advent of parallel digital realities, ulti- mately fed by AI – in the form assumed by staged nature. Andrea Foppiani - Idyllic Landscapes in a (Digital) Box 135 The growing popularity of various reproductions of idyl- lic and untouched fragments of nature can easily be rec- ognised as the enduring mark of a broader human biophilic attitude. This narrative – deeply embedded in how urban landscape and its conceptual opposite, wilderness, are stud- ied – currently portrays a new Arcadian myth as a reaction to widespread awareness about the ecological footprint of human settlements. Such a regained fascination for wild nature, structuring “by negation the very idea of the urban” (Protasoni 2022, 33), turns ideal imagery into a visual ref- erence: an alternative reality to be staged. Inside our cities, from museums to exhibition pavilions and public space, Andrea Foppiani (1996) is a Ph.D. candidate in this renewed interest for wilderness – or rather, for an ar- Architectural, Urban and Interior Design at the tificial re-invention – has strongly affected how curators, Department of Architecture and Urban Studies architects, planners, and a broader public imagine future of Politecnico di Milano, where he graduated urban scenarios. As Annalisa Metta states in her recent with honours in Sustainable Architecture and reflection on wilderness and its resonance on the contem- Landscape Design. His research field is the porary city: “In the iconography of contemporary architec- architecture of logistics platforms in Emilia-Ro- ture, everywhere in the world, cities are overflowing with magna, addressing ecology through landscape lush and flourishing vegetation everywhere, without dis- architecture. He co-organises the Landscape tinction between open public spaces and the interiors of of- Of[f] Limits International Workshop. He worked fices, museums or airports, outlining the features of an ever in architecture offices and presented at con- more widespread floristic imagination” (Metta 2022, 97). ferences at Università Cattolica and IASLA. Adding up to this, if, on one side, this idyllic push towards He wrote an architecture column for the Swiss nature is informing contemporary architecture and land- magazine "Il Corriere degli Italiani" and is a col- scape design with growing environmental awareness, it is laborator of "Il Giornale dell’Architettura". Andrea Foppiani - Idyllic Landscapes in a (Digital) Box 137 also quite impossible, after having scratched a seemingly built reality, dealing with techno-ecological performanc- spontaneous green surface, not to recognise how much es, and matters of maintenance and mitigation, or decide distance stands between a fictional reference to unspoiled to take a step back from the aesthetic result and consider ecosystems and the deeply artificial reality this “bio-tech- possible emerging ontological patterns behind the prolif- nical approach” (Protasoni 2022, 36) constructs. The global eration of this parodistic natural imagery. By doing so, it is climatic and environmental issues of the Anthropocene – possible to observe – through a few case studies showcasing recently combined with a post-pandemic rediscovery of different degrees of staged nature – a transition which grad- our need for contact with other forms of life – are the core ually dematerialises the reproduction. causes of this double push towards a paradox. On the one Within an extensive genealogy of staged natural fragments, hand, wild nature is identified as the first victim of human recent international exhibitions taking place around key activities, something to preserve ideally, while, on the oth- institutions, such as the World Expo, the Venice Biennale, er, nature has been reduced to a set of ideal conditions to be and the Triennale of Milano, assume a relevant role for the listed through scientific parameters, thus something to ar- take they provide on architectural representation and re- tificially recreate. Consequently, what emerges from these search on fictional nature. attempts of reproduction – whether physically realised or Across an increasing degree of abstraction, the design of parametrically simulated – can be better understood as a these exhibitions explores the relationship between staged ‘parody’ of the wild pre-urban condition, which is the orig- nature and architecture – or space ‘tout court’ – beyond the inal object of the ‘imitation’. limits of what is permanently built up. What emerges from This parody, though, cannot be simply classified as a ridic- this parodistic take on ephemeral natural-looking artefacts ulous or grotesque repetition; instead, fake nature and the – placed at the centre of machine-controlled environments way it is recreated or represented can be studied through – is the aim of the entire reconstruction: interacting with the category of what philosopher Giorgio Agamben calls human senses in different spatial conditions and through “serious parody” (Agamben 2007, 37), hinting at a kind of various stages of fiction. Using specific spatial and figura- parody able to gain a critical role, becoming a tool to un- tive tools, the architectural frame hosting fake nature can cover hidden relations. Starting from this assumption, we reproduce processes, engage biotic actors, and trigger dif- can either address the issue of staged nature by looking at ferent senses. Comparing these factors, we can establish Andrea Foppiani - Idyllic Landscapes in a (Digital) Box 139 different degrees of separation from reality: different stages has a thickness which includes vertical connections; walk- of the ‘natural parody’. The following recollection will con- ways allow horizontal movements alongside the edge. This sider a few relevant case study exhibition designs selected geometrically exact spatial machine works utilising de- from the Sixteenth International Architecture Biennale of tachment from the actual context, disorienting and reori- 2018, the twenty-second and twenty-third International enting human senses with the core objective of providing Exhibitions of Triennale held in 2019 and 2022, starting a physical experience of contact with pristine nature. What with the Milano Expo of 2015. stands behind this simulation is an ephemeral operation of imitation and displacement capable, through mechan- Stage 1: The Open-air Room ical ground articulation and freshly planted specimens of The World Expo was held in Milano in 2015 with the slo- foreign vegetation, to manipulate the visitor’s senses (sight gan “Feeding the Planet: Energy for Life”. Across its pa- and, more significantly, touch and smell). If it would appear vilions, extensive storytelling was dedicated to food and difficult to define such a climatic, biological, and architec- its production chain, fragments of which were replicated tural construct anywhere close to an ‘original’, this fiction, and showcased. Nature-related narrative, playing a crucial by altering critical environmental factors, remarkably suc- role throughout the exhibition, was primarily addressed ceeded – aided by artificially nebulised fog – in generating through its fragility bearing the weight of human activities. an effective micro-climate, able to withstand the hot Mila- Within this context, the Austrian Pavilion, designed by ar- nese summer. chitect and researcher Klaus Loenhart, suggested a slight conceptual shift. Under the title "Breath Austria", present- Stage 2: The Shoebox ing air as a primary source of life, this architectural device Entering the world of the Venice Biennale and looking at is designed to surround and only partially encase a piece some of the latest international architecture exhibitions, it of land, mimicking a fragment of the uncontaminated is possible to observe similar acts of displacement and fic- alpine forest by the plastic use of topography and vegeta- tional reproduction of nature and its cycles. Following the tion. The visitor is invited to enter this enclosed perimeter, thread of the open-air room and adding to it a further layer follow a gradual ascent, and reach an open courtyard at a of artificial control, "Grassland Repair", curated by Barac- higher level above the ground. The rectangular enclosure co+Wright Architects with artist Linda Tegg, was hosted Andrea Foppiani - Idyllic Landscapes in a (Digital) Box 141 inside the Australian Pavilion during the 2018 Venice Bi- ennale. Within the closed envelope of this shoebox-like container, the exhibition introduced and staged a delicate fragment of south-eastern Australian grassland. Under a high white ceiling equipped with artificial lighting, ground pixels occupy the centre of a plain room. On top of this artificial micro-topography grows a green herbal ensemble. If compared to the fake Austrian forest of Expo 2015, this synthetic fragment of virginal nature is reduced to its ‘exis- tenzminimum’: tufts of grass and just enough ground and light to support it, completely enclosed in an aseptic envi- ronment, requiring daily care from expert gardeners. The aim of this decontextualised hybrid fiction – the soil came directly from the Australian continent, while the plants were grown in Ligurian nurseries – is not one of mere amusement or publicity but is connected to communicat- ing the fragility of the fiction itself. This staged fragment of an endangered ecosystem bounds its existence to the only scope of being seen or touched at most. “Repair is a critical strategy of architectural culture” (Biennale 2018); its aim is not to recall the existence of an Edenic landscape per se, but to raise awareness about the role that architecture, accord- ing to the curators, can have in taking care of the landscape in which it is grounded. These artificial grasslands, filtered and protected by their architectural container, could not exist in the previously described conditions. The parodistic Staged nature in an open-air room (image by the author). Andrea Foppiani - Idyllic Landscapes in a (Digital) Box 143 staging reveals the incapability of nature to sustain itself. As a further example of this narrative stands “Resurrect- ing the sublime”: Christina Agapakis, Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg and Sissel Tolaas’s attempt to resuscitate extinct vegetation species through a digital and genetical recon- struction of their scent and looks, exhibited within “Broken Nature”, the Twenty-second Triennale di Milano Interna- tional Exhibition held in 2019 (and again during the Seven- teenth International Architecture Biennale of 2021). Inside a set of glazed capsules, such an ambitious high-tech effort leads visitors to an even more dematerialised experience, choosing to target another, more primordial, sense. Here, imagination plays a crucial role in facing a more and more rarefied relationship with reality. Stage 3: The Digital Dream A third degree of separation of fictional nature from reality is reached when any connection with the physical dimen- sion of space is lost. The world of digital representation is the immaterial place where this artificial replica is per- formed: an imagery revolving around a parodistic coexis- tence between idyllic natural sceneries and architectural el- ements. These dreamy and impossible settings, such as the ones collected by Adam Štěch for the exhibition “Casa Im- maginaria: Living in a Dream” – part of the Twenty-third Triennale di Milano International Exhibition of 2022 – take Staged nature in a shoebox (image by the author). Andrea Foppiani - Idyllic Landscapes in a (Digital) Box 145 shape from 3D-modelled architectures and interiors mixed with made up virginal landscapes. The experience of the exhibition is reduced to a mere visual perception. Like scrolling through social media – actually used for the par- allel diffusion of these visuals – the contents are presented as a sequence of standalone backlit images. “Allowing the mind to wander around unknown realities or architectural and design visions” (Triennale 2022) pa- rodically implies a sheer detachment from reality itself: the object of the imitation is nowhere to be found, and the out- come resembles a pastiche of fascinating elements, lacking a real and sometimes even realistic spatial definition. Such a virtual exercise claims, on the one hand, to broaden the possible applications of architectural design while, on the other, turning completely away from any actual space, let alone any natural one. These ‘dreamscapes’ – pastel domestic set-ups in jungles, caves, or on islands – alongside digitally staged natural en- sembles, portray a parodistic version of architecture. Ar- chitecture’s unique capability, from landscape to interiors, to generate inhabitable space as an alternative to a pristine natural condition is questioned here. Why should the copy be physical if idyllic nature does not exist as an original? And what about the architectural frame from which to ob- serve such a staged fiction? Staged nature in a digital dream (image by the author). Andrea Foppiani - Idyllic Landscapes in a (Digital) Box 147 Conclusion Bibliography Challenging the dualistic vision which sees nature and Agamben, Giorgio. 2007. Profanations. New York: Zone humankind as two separate entities is the only possible Books. outcome of such a physical dissolution of any separation Biennale Architettura. 2018. “Australia. Repair”. Accessed between the two. 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Gods Protasoni, Sara. 2022. “Foreste e Arcipelaghi: Nuove figure pulled the sun across the sky, and sea monsters crashed territoriali degli insediamenti umani” In Erbario. Guida del waves across ships. Then our objective scientific eye catego- Selvatico a Milano, edited by Jacopo Leveratto, Alessandro rised nature, developing classes and species, and all fell into Rocca, 32-41. Sesto San Giovanni: Mimesis. line” (Young 2019, 13). From real to ephemeral and then Rocca, Alessandro. 2022. Totem and Taboo in Architectural from ephemeral to digital, the replica shifted its dimension Imagination. Siracusa: LetteraVentidue. from tangible to intangible. “At a time when our collective Triennale. 2022. “Czech Republic. Casa Immaginaria: Liv- history is digital” (Young 2019, 9), the gradual reduction of ing in a Dream”. Accessed February 1, 2023. https://trien- fiction’s physical complexity – in favour of a virtual one – nale.org/en/events/repubblica-ceca-casa-immaginaria. bears witness to our desire to escape reality, searching for Young, Liam. 2019. “Neo-Machine. Architecture with- new idylls. Digital nature assumes a new role of comple- out People” In Machine Landscapes. Architectures of the mentarity to the digital architecture of parametric model- Post-Anthropocene, edited by Liam Young, 6-13. Hoboken: ling – a new counterpart to it – according to another binary John Wiley & Sons. logic: the one inevitably embedded in computing. Margherita Marri - One Imitation and Three Parodies of the Barcelona Pavilion 149 The text discusses the Barcelona Pavilion de- Margherita Marri signed by Mies van der Rohe and Lily Reich for 1929 Barcelona International Exhibition. It (Mies)understanding: One Imitation and Three explores the pavilion’s evolution from a histor- Parodies of the Barcelona Pavilion ical artefact to a post-produced architectural material. Various projects, including those by OMA, Andrés Jaque, and Anna & Eugeni Bach, are examined for their manipulations and interpretations of the pavilion. These projects represent a form of serious parody and serve as spatial manifestos, utilizing the pavilion as a site of invention and design. By embracing the Agambian concept of serious parody, those projects will be dissected to address imitation and parody as prolific design strategies. Margherita Marri - One Imitation and Three Parodies of the Barcelona Pavilion 151 Much has been written about the ‘Pavilion’ designed for the 1929 Barcelona International Exhibition by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Lily Reich, but even more has been Margherita Marri (1993) is a PhD candidate in designed through it. Its aura “survived like a ‘ghost’” (Co- Architectural, Urban and Interior Design at the lomina, 2014) in black and white photos, and only in 1986 Department of Architecture and Urban Studies did it materialise into an architectural artefact after its re- of Politecnico di Milano, where he graduated in construction. When it returns to having a physical consis- 2018 with honours with a thesis titled ‘Logis- tency of its own, it begins to be manipulated and used, not tics Landscape Unveiling Protocols’. Together so much from a historiographical perspective but rather as with Captcha architecture, she has been part a post-produced architectural material. In this sense, the of the lecture series ‘Don18 from Microsoft to Barcelona Pavilion itself, and the operations on it, can be Microdosing’ at ETH-Zurich, and she curated read as an illustrative case of that post-production tenden- for Milano Arch Week 2019 in the context of cy eradicating “the traditional distinction between produc- the XXII Triennale Milano Broken Nature, the ex- tion and consumption” (Rocca 2022, 61), in which the ma- hibition Machines of Loving Grace. Her doctoral nipulated material “is no longer primary” (Rocca 2022, 61). research, in continuity with the previous works, Spanning from its first redrafting, operated by OMA (Rem investigates the intersection of leisure architec- Koolhaas) for the ‘XVII Triennale’ (Bellini, Teyssot 1986) ture, automation and politics. She was award- to some of the most recent contemporary interventions by ed in 2022 with a special mention at Premio Andrés Jaque (Office for Political Innovation) and Spanish Architettura Italiana, promoted by Maxxi and architects Anna & Eugeni Bach, this article examines how Triennale Milano. She is among the Program confronting the Barcelona Pavilion has generated interest- Heads of Possibility of an Island, an AA visiting ing attitudes and design invention techniques. Considering school. Her work has been exhibited at Venice that “there is no project in existence that can escape the ac- Architecture Biennale, Triennale Milano, and cusation of being the parody of a previous project” (Rocca Centro per l'Arte Contemporanea Luigi Pecci. 2022, 104), the three projects mentioned here, strikingly ex- Her articles have been published in Domus, emplify that “serious parody” (Rocca 2022) attitude pushed Strelka Mag, and Era Mag. Margherita Marri - One Imitation and Three Parodies of the Barcelona Pavilion 153 by Koolhaas to the next level. Far from grotesque tributes or reveries, Koolhaas nullifies any interference of time and history in the project by explicitly stating how Mies must be understood as a ready-made material to be used. As he declared years later in A+T ’s pages, “I do not respect Mies, I love Mies. I have studied Mies, excavated Mies, reassem- bled Mies. I have even cleaned Mies because I do not revere Mies, I’m at odds with his admirers” (Koolhaas 2008). In the project presented by OMA, the Barcelona Pavilion is intended as a matrix to arrange and equip intangible elements, such as projections, sounds, and vapours. The equipped surface, tested in the stripes for the Parc de la Villette competition, is transferred to the pavilion’s surface, turning it into a state of paranoia and setting the base for a three-dimensional collage. The Miesian exhibition space here became home and gymnasium and pursued the goal of unravelling “the hedonistic forces of the modern” (Bell- ini and Teyssot 1986) by bending its vertical partitions like muscular fibres. The intricate planimetric pattern of symbols and annota- tions is perhaps most interesting when read non-abstract- ed from the site-specific context that determined it: the curved floor of the building designed by Giovanni Muzio. If read from this perspective, the “serious parody”(Rocca, 2022) operated by OMA manipulates Mies planimetry as “liquid modernity”(Bauman, 2000). In retrofitting it to the Parody 1 of Barcelona Pavilion by OMA (graphic re-elaboration by the author). Margherita Marri - One Imitation and Three Parodies of the Barcelona Pavilion 155 curve of the Palazzo Dell’Arte, the relation with the given context is pushed to the paradox. The operation is a sort of double parody and simultaneously a reinforcement of Koolhaas’s interpretation of Miesian production, “It is a mistake to read Mies as a master of the freestanding or the autonomous. Mies without context is like a fish out of wa- ter” (Koolhaas, 2008). Albeit in the pages of the catalogue, OMA declares at the basis of the operation the clear unveil- ing of something hidden in the pages of modernity, the ul- timate result seems instead to turn toward an acceleration that complicates and saturates by making the ambiguous its final horizon. If the ghost has reappeared, the shadows still surround it. The serious parody proposed by Andrés Jaque’s (Office For Political Innovation) interpretation of the Pavilion is quite different, in which one can more properly identify an un- veiling operation. The Spanish architect, invited in 2019 by the recent initiative promoted by Fundaciò Mies Van Der Rohe, uses the Miesian masterpiece as a tool to turn the gaze of architectural culture toward a political horizon (as the name of the practice itself declares). In fact, the inter- vention entitled "Phantom: Mies as Rendered Society" fo- cuses on the hidden space of the pavilion, its basement and the ghosts it contains. After carefully reading how the same has been the element that most had to negotiate with the grounding (literally) Parody 2 of Barcelona Pavilion by Office of Political Innovation (graphic re-elaboration by the author). Margherita Marri - One Imitation and Three Parodies of the Barcelona Pavilion 157 of the pavilion in its 1986 reconstruction, Jaque concen- trates the design effort on staging the labour of care and maintenance of the architecture itself. The parodistic exer- cise here, through the display of the fragments of the sub- stituted materials, reveals the passage of the material and real life of the same, showing its living experience not as theoretical but as actual. By suggesting an idea of design that holds in its horizon not so much the purity or abstract- ness of a model but contact with everyday reality, Jaques turns the thought of architectural design in the direction of research and understanding of the logic that supports and produces it. However, remaining deeply anchored in disciplinary boundaries in this “Bricoleur”(Scalbert 2011, 69-88) attitude, he glimpses a possible way of thinking and doing architecture in which the project becomes a tool and method of research. Opposite, and the reverse is the last parodistic severe op- eration that this article will consider. Again invited by the Fundaciò Mies van der Rohe, the Barcelona-based duo Anna & Eugeni Bach acts with a sort of iconoclastic atti- tude. ‘Mies Missing Materiality’ is the title of the interven- tion through which the two architects operate a material erasure of the pavilion, literally turning it into a 1:1 scale physical model. By wrapping it with a white film, the ar- chitects declare their intent to underline the “role of the white surface as an image of modernity and the importance Parody 3 of Barcelona Pavilion by Anna & Eugeni Bach (graphic re-elaboration by the author). Margherita Marri - One Imitation and Three Parodies of the Barcelona Pavilion 159 of materiality in the perception of space” (Bach and Bach but rather through a gesture of mimesis and renunciation. 2019). In contrast, looking at the numerous photographic Erasing to unveil seems to be the design tool this parody documentation, the erasure process ends up causing an leaves us with. interesting misunderstanding. If the two architects intend to celebrate the materiality as constitutive of space, the Bibliography project actually reveals to us a certain autonomy of geom- Bach, Anna, and Eugeni Bach. 2019. Mies Missing Material- etries and forms. The pavilion becomes a virtual machine ity. Barcelona: Fundació Mies van der Rohe. in which the surrounding context emerges. By renouncing Bauman, Zygmunt. 2011. Modernità liquida. Bari-Roma: its formality rather than its form, it immediately drops our Laterza. eye on the contoured landscape, making the background Beil, Kim. 2015. "The Myth of Black and White Modernism: the protagonist of the space. The photographs of the film’s Color Photographs and the Politics of Retrojective Look- setting up seem the least interesting part of the operation. ing." Visual Resources 31, no. 3-4: 127-153. As in the erasure of Isgrò’s texts, the images that depict the Bellini, Mario, and Georges Teyssot. 1986. The Domestic Pavillion entirely wrapped up bring us into an ambiguous, Project: Man’s Home - Archetypes and Prototypes. Milano: extremely clear space, hyper-specific and generic. This dis- Electa. embodied space is no longer the Mies’ Pavilion but another Colomina, Beatriz. 2014. Manifesto Architecture: The Ghost possible architecture. of Mies. Berlin: Sternberg Press. Looking at the three manipulations performed on the Evans, R. 1990. "Mies Van Der Rohe’s Paradoxical Symme- Miessian masterpiece one can conclude how on the one tries." AA Files 19. hand the physical reproduction of his architecture in a 1:1 Koolhaas, Rem. 2008. "Miestakes, New Materiality." A+T model opened up new possibilities and on the other hand 23. how confronting a model rather than a context can gener- Rocca, Alessandro. 2022. Totem and Taboo in Architectural ate interesting design tools. In the last case in particular, the Imagination. Siracusa: LetteraVentidue. parodic use of the gesture of removal leaves us with the idea Scalbert, Irénée. 2011. "The Architect as Bricoleur." Candide that the architectural artefact can make the environment Journal for Architectural Knowledge 04. not so much through the iconicity of its formal features Yiling Fu - Parody: Sugar-Coated Bullets 161 Parody is an inventive technique in architec- ture that involves imitating the ways of others in a comical or grotesque manner, turning se- rious elements into ridiculous ones. Despite its seemingly unstructured and comical nature, Yiling Fu parody has its own anti-conventional organisa- tion and composition system. This method has Parody: Sugar-Coated Bullets a robust, expressive effect and can attract wide attention and discussion, making it a powerful tool for creating a radical view. Humour and absurdity are its protective layers, helping it break through the complex and ever-changing world, attracting attention and spreading rapid- ly. Parody’s significance lies in its existence as an architectural medium that allows creators to express profound views and critically examine the development of architecture, the discipline, and society. It is a potent weapon for awaken- ing new consciousness. Yiling Fu - Parody: Sugar-Coated Bullets 163 Elsa Morante consults a dictionary and finds the follow- ing definition: “Imitation of someone else’s verse in which what is serious in the other becomes ridiculous, comic, or grotesque” (Morante 1957, 317). Moreover, parody in archi- tecture concerning the two sides of architectural humour was presented at the roundtable at the Festival d’Histoire de l’Art (2016). Firstly, parody of architecture by external parties: works of architecture were ridiculed and criticised, usually in the form of caricatures against architecture. Sec- ondly, the use of parody by the architecture community it- self: parody as a tool for architects. Among these, the wide- spread use of parody in postmodern architecture is usually studied and discussed in terms of imitation, irony, humour, and satire (Hutcheon 1986, 179-207; Petit 2013). “In a cer- tain sense, there is no project in existence that can escape the accusation of being the parody of a previous project” (Rocca 2022, 104). The reconceptualisation of parody as an invention tech- Yiling Fu is a Ph.D. candidate at Politecnico di nique for the architectural discipline is essential to de- Milano and a recipient of the "Chinese National veloping the discipline. Academic fields of architectural Scholarship for Graduate Students Studying history, which have traditionally focused more on the pro- Abroad 2022", in collaboration with Politecnico duction of buildings, architects, and patrons, the study of di Milano. She completed her Master’s degree parody can focus more on the performances of the users in Interior Architecture focusing on adaptive re- and the broader social and life-level impacts that occur use from the Rhode Island School of Design in after a building is built (Rosso 2020, 1). Furthermore, mis- the United States. Her research interests lie in understandings of parody have led architects to hesitate to the field of adaptive reuse of urban architecture. Yiling Fu - Parody: Sugar-Coated Bullets 165 publicly acknowledge, discuss, and further investigate it. Linda Hutcheon argues it is because of “a historically limit- ed definition of parody as ridiculing imitation” (Hutcheon 1986, 206). Parody’s confrontational and critical qualities will make it contribute critically to the development of the architectural discipline if people use it properly. This paper reconstructs the understanding of parody re- garding its rigour, originality, and use as an architectural medium. Parody: An Imitation with Originality and Rigour To understand the rigorous logic and methodology of par- ody, Propp has noted how any research on humour cannot be done other than inductively by studying facts (Hutch- eon 1986, 206). Examining the work of architects such as Venturi, Scott Brown, Tigerman, Isozaki, Portoghesi, Stern, and Superstudio, it becomes clear that they all share an un- derstanding of architecture as an intellectual and theoreti- cal endeavour (Emmanuel 2013, 460-461). Parody is used in distinctive ways within their architectural thinking and practice. The operation of the parody has its own logic and model, although it is often the opposite of what is traditionally un- derstood, as in Portoghesi’s use of a church’s interior struc- tural column capitals as the exterior form of a house. One of the commonalities in their use of parody is the preser- Parody is a sugar-coated bullet, seeking fairness and freedom. Yiling Fu - Parody: Sugar-Coated Bullets 167 vation of formal elements into which new and incongruous (Emmanuel 2013). Parody questions and undermines the contents are introduced. This “serious parody,” as Agamben object being imitated. For instance, Rem Koolhaas’ Villa calls it, involves preserving recognisable architectural ele- dall’Ava is an explicit parody of Villa Savoye and a manipu- ments while introducing “unexpected and often ironic or lative rewriting of Le Corbusier’s five points of architecture humorous content” (Agamben 2015, 39). Portoghesi’s Casa (Rocca 2022, 104). To a certain extent, parody is about de- Baldi, for example, repeats the formal elements of Michel- stroying and deconstructing the parodied object to build angelo’s Cappella Sforza in a house (Hutcheon 1986, 189), the creator’s expression. while Robert Stern’s McGarry/Appignani Bedroom trans- Parody’s originality lies in its ability to reinterpret and sub- ports the public discourse of the classical idiom into a pri- vert the original object. The humour and irony of parody vate space (Hutcheon 1986, 201). Superstudio’s Salvataggi may corrode the immediate message of architecture, but it di Centri Storici Italiani proposes to tilt all the buildings also opens up new possibilities for architectural expression. in the historic centre of Pisa, except for the Leaning Tower Parody’s ability to question the status quo and challenge es- (Mastrigli 2016, 330), to create the feeling of living in a lean- tablished architectural norms can be seen as a form of cri- ing world for a few hours, which is a prime example of how tique and a means to push the boundaries of the discipline. humour can be used to subvert expectations and create a unique architectural experience. Significance: Parody as an Architectural Media Alessandro Rocca denotes, “The parody: the hidden but The fragility of the building itself, which will eventually be almost always present humour that corrodes the immedi- destroyed after it is built (Szacka 2014, 458), requires other ate message of architecture” (Rocca 2022, back cover). It is forms of media to perpetuate it more profoundly. Bernard a free interpretation of the imitated object and, therefore, Tschumi’s postcard-size advertisements for architecture necessarily leads to a change and reconstruction of the ob- is a “called attention to architecture’s paradoxical double ject itself. Portoghesi’s early Casa Baldi, mentioned earlier, grounding in the timeless, abstract sphere of thought and is clearly no longer a simple imitation of an architectural the ephemeral, sensual physical world” (Emmanuel 2013, column but has taken on an identity of its own. Peter Eisen- 8). Parody can be a bullet because it is a method of critique man sees imitation in parody as a form of self-reflexive im- or innovation and an architectural media of transmission. itation and an attempt to achieve architectural surpassing Parody is that material entity between the architect (the Yiling Fu - Parody: Sugar-Coated Bullets 169 communicator) and the architect, the general public (the wrongs, repair disasters and avoid destruction inevitably recipient). It loads, expands, extends, and transmits a par- leads to more definite evils, irreparable disasters, and inevi- ticular symbol (a particular message or meaning). Some- table destruction. Mankind now has nothing but the power times, it is the building itself, sometimes, it is an architec- to destroy” (Mastrigli 2016, 322-345). tural image, sometimes, it is an architectural text. Steinberg emphasises that “Humour is a very good trap. As an architectural media, humour, irony, and absurdity are Laughter disarms and opens the way for instinct” (Schnei- its protective layers, helping it to break through the com- der 1967, 83). Protected by humour and amusement, their plex and changing world where hotspots and forgetting profound ideas could spread to those who could decipher instantly to happen, attracting eyeballs and rapid spread. them. “As humour is a culturally and historically deter- As mentioned in Laughing at Architecture, Loos’s text, “he mined experience” (Rosso 2020, 10), it requires the appro- very often exaggerated his most crucial points in such a way priate reserves to be genuinely understood and interpreted. that it can only trigger smiles” (Rosso 2020, 109). Laughter Those who can decode it will eventually understand the is often a cover for more profound core ideas to be better core of its message. communicated and longer remembered. The parody ap- As media for architectural criticism and critical thinking, pears to have become the mode of those fighting margin- a humorous and absurd way conveys radical ideas to pro- alisation by a dominant ideology. Like contemporary ar- mote a transformation of thinking and awakening con- chitects are trying to combat the hegemony of modernism sciousness. “The architectural project was both a creative in our century, “humour employed as a weapon to express and critical activity” (Emmanuel 2013). Charles Jencks also dissent” (Hutcheon 1986, 206). It is the edge’s bullet, and admits art of humorous drawings and diagrams (common humour is his protective coating. Superstudio’s Salvataggio expressions for parody) “as instruments of architectural expresses the absurdity of the rescue proposals of the six critique, matching writing in authority and significance” Italian historical centres. It has led to their penetration and (Rosso 2020, 209). Saul Steinberg developed his "Graph widespread dissemination, and without these ridiculous Paper Architecture" (Steinberg 1950, 75-90) between 1950 parodies as protection, it might have been challenging to and 1954. His interesting architectural images convey that disseminate their authentic expressions: “Humanity saves he “deride the façades of corporate modernism”; they ap- to destroy and destroys to save; every attempt to right peared in a special issue of ‘The Architectural Review [AR]’, Yiling Fu - Parody: Sugar-Coated Bullets 171 titled Man Made America, that was sharply critical of US consciousness beneath the surface of things (Hutcheon post-war urban development (Steinberg 1950, 371-375). 1986, 206). As an architectural communication media, the object cho- Irony has been used as an aesthetic tool to foster dialogue sen by parody is chosen because the message it contains is between different social groups, as seen in the works of helpful to the creator, seemingly as a formal pastiche paro- Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown (Hutcheon 1986, dy but essentially drawing on the underlying message that 206). The humour and irony of parody can promote dia- the object contains and conveys. As parody has a strong logue between different social groups and facilitate interac- expression effect, it helps to establish dialogue and inter- tion and understanding of architecture among the general action. Parody is a medium that uses an object’s message public. Satirical and humorous architectural cartoons can processed to convey its intended meaning. Historical mem- shape a new narrative around architecture and architects, ory is crucial in selecting objects for parody, as it provides as seen in the case of Gaudi, where they have helped society a foundation for conveying a particular message. In various at large to interact with his architecture, shaping a new nar- forms of art, postmodernist parody uses historical mem- rative of him as an extravagant genius and a technical and ory to select objects to parody (Hutcheon 1986, 204). For structural visionary (Rosso 2020, 105). example, Superstudio’s Salvataggio di Centri Storici Italiani implies the main topic of historical cities and heritage pro- Conclusion tection through the six ancient cities they chose to parody. Parody may be ironic, humourous, or ridiculous, but si- Humour and irony are critical elements of parody that multaneously, it is intentional, methodical, logical, and can capture reality more vividly and palpably than tradi- deliberately done by its creator. Parody’s self-reflexive im- tional forms of criticism (Emmanuel 2013). Furthermore, itation aims to exploit questions or defeat the content of “Humour undoubtedly bears the potential to captivate a the ideas conveyed by the object, and the freedom of inter- general readership much larger than the restricted circle pretation in the process of imitation ensure that parody is of experts” (Emmanuel 2013). Parody’s self-reflexive nature not simply a copy and paste, but a conscious expression of allows it to incorporate the past into its structure, providing uniqueness and originality. Parody acts as an architectural a unique perspective on the present and past. It often makes media, using its superficial humour as a sugar-coated bul- it more explicit and instructive in pointing to the deeper let to protect it from conveying the most critical thoughts, Yiling Fu - Parody: Sugar-Coated Bullets 173 and consistently hits the core of the problem like a bullet, ronto: University of Toronto Press. contributing to the awakening of consciousness and the de- Rocca, Alessandro. 2022. Totem and Taboo in Architectural velopment of the architectural discipline while increasing Imagination. Siracusa: LetteraVentidue. the dialogue and interaction of architecture within differ- Rosso, Michela. 2020. Laughing at Architecture: Architectur- ent social groups. Recall Steinberg’s dictum: “Of course, al Histories of Humour, Satire and Wit. London: Blooms- parody is not an attack: you cannot parody anything you bury Visual Arts. Kindle. can’t love” (Hughes 1978). Parody is not about destroying Schneider, Pierre. 1967. “Steinberg at the Louvre.” Art in a building, an architect, or an architectural idea but about America 55(4). moving the discipline of architecture in an unbiased and Steinberg, Saul. 1950.“Recapitulation.” The Architectural Re- healthy direction. view. 108 (648): 371–75. special issue Man Made America. Steinberg, Saul. 1950. “The City.” Flair 1 (8): 75–90. Bibliography Szacka, Léa-Catherine. 2014.“Irony; or, the Self-Critical Agamben, Giorgio. 2015. Profanations. New York: Zone Opacity of Postmodern Architecture.” The Journal of Archi- Books. tecture 19 (3): 457-464. Dougill, Wesley. 1937. “Progress at pelvis bay. [‘Osbert lan- Robert, Hughes.1978. “The Fantastic World of Steinberg.” caster’] (Book review).” Town Planning Review 17(3): 227. Time Magazine 111 (17). Hutcheon, Linda. 1986.“The Politics of Postmodernism: Parody and History.” Cultural Critique 5: 179-207. Lipstadt, Hélène. 1983.“Polemic and Parody in the Battle for British Modernism.” Oxford Art Journal 5 (2): 22-30. Mastrigli, Gabriele. 2016. Superstudio, Works 1966-1978. Macerata: Quodlibet. Petit, Emmanuel. 2013. Irony, or, the Self-Critical Opacity of Postmodern Architecture. New Haven: Yale University Press. Propp, Vladimir J. 2009. On the Comic and Laughter. To- Thomas Cabai - Of Parody and the Common Ground 175 This paper examines the concept of parody in architecture and its relationship to the shifting common ground. It challenges existing inter- pretations of parody and proposes a stricter definition for a more focused analysis. Parody is seen as the conscious or unconscious re- use of existing elements in a new context, but Thomas Cabai its effectiveness relies on clear communication and a shared understanding of references. The Of Parody and the Common Ground digital revolution and information overload have diminished the common ground, making paro- dy more challenging. Two architectural projects, Arata Isozaki’s Tsubasa Building Center (1983) and Bruther’s New Generation Research Cen- ter (2015), illustrate how the common ground shapes the interpretation of parody. The paper argues for a nuanced understanding of par- ody as a creative technique and emphasizes the need to navigate the complexities of con- temporary architecture in light of the changing common ground. Thomas Cabai - Of Parody and the Common Ground 177 The concept of parody has increasingly been employed as a broad term to describe the prevailing conditions in ar- chitectural projects over the past decades. In S, M, L, XL Rem Koolhaas (1997) asserts that parody is becoming “the norm” in architecture. Italian philosopher Giorgio Agam- ben suggests that in the 20th century, “parody goes from being a literary genre to the very structure of the linguistic medium in which literature expresses itself ” (Rocca 2017), and so on. While these viewpoints are lucid and insightful, they possess limited scope and tend to weaken the term’s connotation by giving it an all-encompassing implication. Instead, a more focused interpretation of parody can serve Thomas Cabai is an Italian architect and PhD as a valuable analytical tool, particularly in examining spe- candidate in Architectural Urban and Interior cific and punctual aspects within the collective phenome- Design (AUID) at the Department of Architecture non of architecture, that the term has brilliantly served to and Urban Studies (DAStU) at Politecnico di Mi- interpret with its broader meaning. By aligning the concept lano, where he is also a teaching assistant in of parody with that of “common ground”—referring to the landscape design studio of the Landscape shared cultural knowledge and references—this paper aims Architecture masters course. His main research to propose a stricter definition of parody in architecture. interest lies in the relationship between ecology We can argue, as Agamben writes, that every project is a and architecture within anthropic territories. He parody if, for parody, we intend the conscious or uncon- is part of the National Biodiversity Future Center. scious reuse of existent elements into a new framework. Currently, he is working on an EU-fund project To bring more nuances to this concept, it might be ben- that deals with on-field experimentation on phy- eficial to incorporate the viewpoint of the parody's recip- toremediation, mycoremediation and ecological ient—the viewer—and thereby, the necessity of effective restoration, collaborating with a multidisciplinary communication of the parody's mechanism. This refine- team of scholars and practitioners across Italy. Thomas Cabai - Of Parody and the Common Ground 179 ment makes the term less all-encompassing, more discern- his previous movies plays a key role in adding amusement ing, and perhaps, more purposeful. for the public and depth to the film. The first is a reinter- Of course, a layer describing the effectiveness of parody pretation, an imitation, or even a copy of an element (in would make it a complex matter as, other than the analysis this case, a stylistic element) in which the explicitness of of the architectural language, it would demand to include the reference is irrelevant; the second is a parody, with an the perspective of the visitor, the viewer and the user to apparent reference, perfectly fitting the whole composition. measure its success. It would require considering the com- With parody, Tarantino breaks from the illusion of the rep- mon ground, the shared knowledge, in which the designer resentation and explicitly references the actor’s most iconic operates, as without a common ground, the reference may movies, such as, ‘Grease’ or ‘Saturday Night Fever’. not be understood, dooming the parody to being ineffec- The jury’s reaction during one of the first presentations of tive. the film was of incredible excitement, of febrile enthusiasm A clear example comes from cinema; movies of directors about this virtuosity: “I don’t believe you made John Tra- such as Quentin Tarantino are a clear case of continuous volta dance!”. However, at the same time, for the amateurs assembly and disassembly of fragments borrowed from of cinema history, for the few who did not watch ‘Grease’ or movie history (movie from a movie), reinterpreted in a dif- ‘Saturday Night Fever’, that dance scene was simply a dance ferent context. It may fit the broader definition of parody, scene with its own value in the movie, instrumental to the but the parodistic element within his same assembly and inner composition, but without this exquisite parodistic disassembly method varies widely. It is a function of the layer. This specific parody could reach the jury because it level of explicitness that the reference has to the original. drew from shared knowledge, from a common ground. An example: the zoom-in shots inspired by Sergio Leone This relation between the parody and the common ground (as a self-taught director, he used to call them ‘Leone shots’) seems central. If it is missing, parody is a parody only for are not a parody, or at least are less of a parody than, for those who formulate it or, if we are optimistic, for a small instance, John Travolta’s dancing scene in Pulp Fiction. In circle of experts who share the author’s knowledge. the first case, the relation with Leone’s technique is much What represents the common ground in architecture has more hidden because it is much less relevant and not meant undoubtedly changed with the invention of reproduction to be explicit. Conversely, John Travolta’s relationship with techniques that allowed the diffusion of images. It impact- Thomas Cabai - Of Parody and the Common Ground 181 ed architecture’s local, contextual character, bringing it to online platforms prioritize quantity over quality in project an abstract, ubiquitous dimension. Suddenly, the com- publication, resulting in a levelling of the reference land- mon ground expanded and encompassed more significant scape and, consequently, the common ground. geographic regions until the culmination phase, fueled by The chronological factor is always fundamental in analyz- the digital media: an extreme increment in diffusion that ing the change of common ground, particularly within the prompts another fundamental shift: the marginalization of context of a seemingly linear and progressive transforma- the expert and the flattening of the information hierarchy. tion. Alessandro Baricco constructs a genealogy of that The intensity of information exposure seems to have be- radical change of common ground, of that shift of para- come so overwhelming that every mediation and common digm that happened with the digital revolution. For him, ground seems more problematic to imagine. Alessandro the “time zero”, the start, was 1978, which soon brought to Baricco (2016), in The Game, analyzes how the very struc- the ‘classic age’ of diffusion of personal computers and the ture embedded in the everyday practice of the digital world early internet (the 80s and 90s), followed by the ‘coloni- implies a society that cannot contemplate the priests, the zation era’ (early 2000s), until, finally, reaching the ‘game’ mediators and the experts. Furthermore, with their loss, a era, characterized by the diffusion of social media. To ex- horizontal, non-hierarchical information system is formed, plore the relationship between project, parody, and com- where the common ground is fragmented, where the com- mon ground, I will use this framework of cultural shifts to mon ground is, perhaps, smaller. conduce a comparative analysis between two architectural When Koolhaas wrote that “Parody is the norm”, the inter- projects that represent the opposing ends of this spectrum: net was just at its dawn. The burst that it produced dramat- the early stages of the digital revolution and its peak. The ically impacted the mediatic world, so, as of today, parody projects in question are Arata Isozaki’s Tsubasa Building appears extremely rare as the common ground has shrunk. Center (1983) and Bruther’s New Generation Research This phenomenon applies to both amateurs and experts, Center (2015). including architects. A prime illustration is evident in the Arata Isozaki’s project was completed at the dawn of the prevalent practice of quickly and selectively scouring on- digital revolution, at the start of the classic age. He was line sources for references, replacing the slower and more commissioned to design a central set of facilities for the re- deliberate process involving traditional magazines. Most cently built Tsukuba Science City in Japan. His project is a Thomas Cabai - Of Parody and the Common Ground 183 composition of explicit references to existing architecture, a in the Mundane category, as its inherent architectural na- rearrangement of elements that all have a double connota- ture prevents it from divorcing itself from the “mundane”, tion: they serve a specific purpose for the project (function- contextual, implications ingrained within the making of al, morphological) while inducing a reflection on the medi- architecture. um itself, on architecture in general and on the references This project is also relevant to the discussion because it used for the design. An example is the Central Plaza, which shows the critical importance of common ground in ar- used the exact same drawing of the floor of Michelangelo’s chitectural parody. The common ground, in fact, was so Capitoline Plaza in Rome, with some distortions that reveal evident that the project endured extreme scrutiny and the awareness, the critical stance, and the parody behind criticism for the precise, explicit, stylistic use of referenc- this decision: while Michelangelo’s Plaza is on top of a hill, es. The parodistic character was perfectly understood, even after climbing a staircase, Isozaki’s plaza is sunken, reached though it has not been described as a parody, not even by by descending; Michelangelo’s Plaza is convex, Isozaki’s is the author himself. It was understood and so criticized, and concave; the first has white lines and black surfaces, the sec- this led Isozaki himself to write a defensive essay named Of ond the opposite: black lines and white surfaces. City, Nation and Style, where he addressed the criticisms This architectural reflection mirrors a profound concept he faced, stating, “Since the design was made public, I explored within the Conceptual art movement, as encap- have frequently been criticized, directly and indirectly, for sulated by Joseph Kosuth's famous quote “Art exists for art”, having mistakenly referred the Capitoline Piazza” (Isozaki emphasizing the introspective nature of art and its interro- 1983), highlighting the immense pressure he encountered gation through itself. Kosuth further categorized Concep- from critics. tual art into two groups: Mundane and Analytic Concep- On the other spectrum of the digital era, an interesting ex- tual art. The former encompasses an approach that, while ample of parody is represented by the projects designed by reflecting on art, maintains a connection with reality and the French architecture office Bruther. It is a case where the the tangible, refusing to disregard concrete and contextual parodistic trait is less accessible to the public, but it is very elements. Analytic Conceptual art, instead, explores and clear to the experts. challenges primarily the philosophical and linguistic as- The most evident parodistic elements of the project are ap- pects of art. One could say that architecture parody belongs parent when looking at the floorplan, a representational de- Thomas Cabai - Of Parody and the Common Ground 185 Parody, a game of quotations: Tsubasa Building Center and Capitoline Plaza (graphic re-elaboration by the author). Thomas Cabai - Of Parody and the Common Ground 187 vice detached from the built project that demands research tional approach of references to projects, focusing instead to be found and knowledge to be interpreted. These condi- on practice and its tools. If the parody structured itself on tions are hardly met by an amateur but are indeed expected projects, it would have run the risk of being completely in- from an expert. By looking at the floorplans and sections, it effective, or it would have needed to select the most iconic is evident that the project has been thought primarily with- references to have a secure reach. On one side, Bruther’s in these two representational tools. Moreover, the graphi- parody of practice avoids the problem of a diluted common cal signs of the drawings appear to prioritize the aesthetic ground, on the other, it signifies exclusion, self-reference, appeal and compositional aspects of the visuals over the and academism. While for experts, it represents an exqui- representation of spatial elements. Of course, the two are site amusement, for amateurs, it remains inaccessible and always correlated, but in this case, the attention seems to be therefore needs to contain a layer of expressive qualities quite unbalanced towards the first. This could be viewed as independent from that of parody. This observation un- a parody of practice. derscores a significant point: for a democratic and inclu- The most evident parodistic elements of the project are sive audience, architectural projects based on the parody clear, especially when looking at the floorplan, a tool that of practice should integrate "mundane" qualities, focusing is not present in the building that demands research to find on contextual problems, and the articulation of the object, and requires knowledge to interpret. An amateur hardly in addition to introspective reflections. As Joseph Kosuth meets these conditions but is undoubtedly expected from wrote, dealing with the real, the problems of the context, an expert. the expression of the object, other than the sophisticated, Moreover, the graphical signs of the drawings seem to serve abstracted reflection on itself. more the purpose of the graphical beauty of the drawing In conclusion, if we use a more restricting and demanding than of the representation of space. The two have always definition of parody, we can obtain an analytical tool which been correlated – the beauty of representation and the is helpful to reflect on specific projects and their implica- beauty of space – and are directly connected, but here, the tions. When using this definition of parody as an invention proportion seems quite unbalanced towards representa- technique, architects must know that the common ground’s tion. It can be considered a parody of the practice of archi- role in its effectiveness and outcome is crucial. While paro- tecture. This type of parody is done by avoiding the conven- dy of reference proved potent and influential in the era just Thomas Cabai - Of Parody and the Common Ground 189 preceding the digital revolution—manifesting notably in the strong parodistic essence of many postmodern build- ings—it now lies upon a precarious ground. Nevertheless, parody retains its potential as an inventive technique, albeit with caution. Contemporary practices reveal that employing parody of practice is not devoid of internal conflicts and implications. Acknowledging the intricate balance between innovation and the risk of un- intended consequences is essential in leveraging parody as a tool for architectural creation in our evolving digital landscape. Bibliography Baricco, Alessandro. 2016. The Game. Torino: Einaudi. Eco, Umberto. 2014. Storia della civiltà Europea. A cura di Umberto Eco. Milano: Novecento Publishing. Isozaki, Arata. 1983. Of City, Nation and Style. Tokyo: Shinkenchiku. Jencks, A. Charles. 1991. The Language of Post-Modern Ar- chitecture. London: Academy. Koolhaas, Rem, and Bruce Mau. 1997. S, m, l, xl. New York: The Monacelli Press. Rocca, Alessandro. 2017. Totem and Taboo in Architectural Imagination. Siracusa: LetteraVentidue. 190 Fuoco Amico / Syllabus 09 Imitation Parody Montage 191 MONTAGE Yuwei Ren - The Phony Truth: from Montage to Parody 193 Parody and montage, two distinctive design techniques, serve as expressive tools for ar- chitects, enabling self-expression and narrative construction. This paper explores the intricate Yuwei Ren connection between parody and montage, determining their combined potential to gen- The Phony Truth: from Montage to Parody erate innovative design approaches for the contemporary era. The implications of these techniques for architectural practice are exam- ined through detailed case study analysis and discussion of their application in design proj- ects. The evolution of architecture with chang- ing media and technology also influences the imitation, definition, methodology, and typology of parody. This reflects an increasing need for self-expression among architects and the con- tinuous reinvention of architectural narratives in the face of rapid technological advancements. Yuwei Ren - The Phony Truth: from Montage to Parody 195 As a distinctive creative and artistic genre rooted in ancient Greek poetics, parody, metaphor, symbolism, and humour occupy an essential place in artistic practice. The rise of consumerist society in the West, the collapse of rational values, the age of mechanical reproduction and ‘pastiche’, and the rise of popular culture in the twentieth century led to a self-reflection of art and design theory and the devel- opment of parody, mainly in the form of a collage of exist- ing works, in the wave of post-modern architecture (Linda Hutcheon 1986). The pastiche enables montage to have an intangible con- nection with parody. Usually, a collage of real or unreal Yuwei Ren is a Ph.D. candidate in the 38th cy- images is considered irrational and absurd. It usually ex- cle of Architectural, Urban and Interior Design at presses avant-garde concepts such as the realistic and the Politecnico di Milano. She studied at the Royal fictional, the historical and the modern, the flat and the College of Art in the United Kingdom, where spatial. Nevertheless, montage is not merely a patchwork she received her Master’s degree in Interior combination of different things in the same dimension. It Design. Yuwei has a broad range of research differs from parody, opening up further possibilities for interests, focusing on behaviours, storytelling, pre-conceptual and strategic design steps (Eisenstein, Bois, and curatorial studies. Currently, Yuwei is ex- and Glenny 1989). Even the adverse claims of many about ploring the fields of architectural ethnography the revolutionary results of post-modern architecture do and urban public spaces. She is intrigued by not change the importance of parody as a design technique; the complex relationships between architec- thus, parody and montage need to evolve as design skills, ture, culture, and public life. Her work is driven which have become well-known over the last century. by a desire to understand better how space Montage could become a new strategy for parody, which and design can influence, and be influenced may raise curiosity and invent new. by, human behaviour and societal norms. Yuwei Ren - The Phony Truth: from Montage to Parody 197 Parallels: Collage and Narrative One of the similitudes between parody and montage is the ‘pastiche’ (collage) and exploitation of existing. Both com- bine and splice elements of historical difference from the past and reposition them in the context, changing their meaning and function to serve the theme and intent of the new work. The post-modern architects’ exploration of meaning and the continuation of the classics weakens the absurdity of parody, assembling it as a “serious paro- dy” (Agamben 2015), while retaining its collage character. Robert Venturi (1967) advocates, “using convention un- conventionally” by “organising familiar things in an unfa- miliar way”, in order to “change their contexts”, and thus “gain a fresh effect”. For instance, Kazuo Shinohara’s House in Tateshina Project is similar to his previous works as its exterior form is inspired from traditional Japanese archi- tecture. At the same time, the interior is cut in a diagonal geometric form and inserted into a sloping context. This unconventionality is reflected in the collage of interiors, exteriors and environments. Another distinctive characteristic of montage and parody is the narrative nature. Although linguistic in origin, nar- rativity is a symbolic reproduction of the experience and not only of the movement and event itself. The experiential is a mediated action of the individual human conscious- ness in the world towards the world (Fludernik 2009). .Montage Lies: Parody Jokes (image by the author) Yuwei Ren - The Phony Truth: from Montage to Parody 199 This manifesto allows the narrative to exist in other artistic Divergences: Expression and Subjectivity genres in non-verbal forms, such as theatre, painting and The narratives of montage and parody are also different as film, exemplifying itself as a story that is not told. Thus, the they convey diverse emphases on the story. The narrative of montage technique has a recognised narrative. Generally, montage in architecture is mostly subliminal or euphemis- the montage technique is primarily expressed in architec- tic, with no explicit humour or parody. The primary agent tural design as a patchwork and adaptive reuse of the old of expression is the event, spatial sequence, and perception. and the new, which allows traces of life, history and human As Norberg-Schulz states in Existence Space and Architec- activities to become part of the building and tell different ture, “Architecture provides a place for perception and is spatial themes. a generator of events” (Brenner, Norberg-Schulz, and Hall Although the narrative qualities of parody were less anal- 1972). Bernard Tschumi, in The Manhattan Transcripts, ysed in the field of architecture, most concepts of narratol- uses a montage technique to deconstruct architectural de- ogy contain metaphor (Harry E Shaw 1995). Parody, whose sign in three ways: space, movement, and event; he assert- components were highlighted by Robert Venturi in Learn- ed: “through the sequence of events, the user is made aware ing from Las Vegas, was initially utilised as a post-modern of the reality of the environment” (Tschumi 1994). architectural expression to imitate past and historical in- Furthermore, Steven Holl's use of montage is similar to Ei- heritance of established architectural forms: symbolism senstein's interpretation of the ‘Acropolis’, in which it is not and polysemic reinforce the designer's ability to create a only a patchwork of visual space but also adds other sen- metaphor. ‘Symbolism’ and ‘meaningful’ enhance the de- sory elements to the space. Influenced by Merleau-Ponty, signer's expression and storytelling complexity (Levin and he advocates direct contact, experience, and perception of Jencks 1978). architecture, working more with the human senses (Holl A well-known example is Le Corbusier's La Chapelle de 2000). For architecture design, he rejects the particular in- Ronchamp, whose appearance gives the users different as- tention given to space by parody, as he believes intention sociations, such as a boat, a hat, or a hand, and some even should come from the space itself, not metaphors and sym- interpret it as the embrace of the Virgin to the Son. The bols, which are not the meaning of place that the user can associations and imagery of these stories come from the directly experience, but rather ‘stories’ that are forced on imagination of familiar shapes. them. Yuwei Ren - The Phony Truth: from Montage to Parody 201 Parody also has a strong sense of subjectivity and expres- In the 21st century, architecture design has entered an era sive tension. Since it is searching for difference and inno- that emphasises user experience and personal expression. vation based on imitating the classics, parody architecture Montage can play a role in the conceptual expression and commonly carries the strong personality of the architect. design strategy steps to plan events and sequence space. The final formation of expression reinforces the indication On the other hand, parody is a thoughtful expression of of individuality and thought. Moreover, the Superstudio innovation in terms of contrast in the final form. In other took a radical strategy to critique modernism in various words, the montage’s conceptual and spatial techniques can social, cultural and political contexts. be used in the design process to enhance the contrast re- In The Twelve Ideal Cities, they exaggerated the heroic quired for parody. Rem Koolhaas’ Villa Dall’Ava is a sample urban design of modernism with a series of collages that of the combination of both design techniques. express a solid anti-utopian ideology. The subjectivity of Venturi’s idea to “use convention unconventionally” applies montage is then weakened, and Superstudio’s work in- to modern architecture, which has also become a conven- fluenced Tschumi's acknowledgement between film and tion. Koolhaas’ parody of Villa Dall’Ava is evident in its ex- architecture, the latter adding the element of event to po- ternal appearance, paying homage to the five principles of litical, social, and cultural expression. The montage leaves modern architecture and the classic appearance of the Villa no necessary connection between architectural form and Savoye (Jones 2018). However, Koolhaas has unconvention- architectural activity, placing more emphasis on the expe- ally arranged the sequence of interior spaces to produce a rience of the Event and the state of movement of the object subtle experience, retaining his iconic montage of spatial within the space, which undermines the expression of the sequences and moving events. subject and shifts toward subliminal influence. Firstly, the overall layout creates a sense of contrast by plac- ing the heaviest pool on the rooftop in an unconventional Montage + Parody——In Different Processes (at least at that time) sequence of spaces while creating a The subtle bond between montage and parody is similar to ‘floating’ sense of the ground floor elevation. Furthermore, the "Montage Lies"; each sentence is an existing truth but the central ramp of the Villa Dall'Ava guides users into changes its order and arrangement, making it a self-expres- the living room on the first floor. The functional space is sion with an opposite meaning. dispersed, creating a centrifugal relationship. The building Yuwei Ren - The Phony Truth: from Montage to Parody 203 has four entrances, with stairs and ramps scattered to serve different users, each potentially using it in a unique way, such as: • The father will generally enter the studio from inside the garage, up into the living room, and finally into the bedroom. • The daughter may enter through the forest of columns be- neath the grey box and enter the bedroom via the revolving staircase. • The housekeeper may only enter through the door by the grassy slope. The villa’s interior presents a sense of infinite continuity of space, with the contraction and opening of passages creat- ing a rhythm that guides the user's movement from pub- lic to private spaces, transporting the user's visual senses through an ‘Acropolis’ narrative. The Villa Dall’Ava also demonstrated a parody of the Villa Savoy in its supporting structure. Koolhaas used modern mechanical elements but tried to bring them alive. Where- as Le Corbusier used a neatly arranged network of columns to support the first floor, Koolhaas also used a structure of thin pillars, but arranged unevenly at the entrance. More- over, he replaced pilotis with suspension, allowing the parents' room to flow over the glass structure, creating a dramatic sense of visual imbalance. Koolhaas has, therefore, used his expertise in montage to reorganise the spatial sequence, user behaviour and mate- Routes for different characters (image by the author). Yuwei Ren - The Phony Truth: from Montage to Parody 205 rials in this design, resulting in parodic humour and mis- chievousness. Conclusion Le Corbusier’s replacement of human perspectives with photography marked a shift in architectural design, where media became a crucial connector between architectural space and human behaviour (Colomina 1996). A century after the 1920s, digital technology emerged as a new me- dium for montage and parody, redefining New Media and updating architectural design techniques and communica- tion media. In the digital era, the montage+parody design strategy has expanded possibilities, particularly with the advent of immersive technologies like AR and VR. While these technologies have faced criticism for their inability to replicate real-world experiences fully, they also offer unique opportunities for users to explore ‘impossible spac- es’, making such experiences more accessible. Artificial intelligence, exemplified by text-generating ChatGPT and image-generating Midjourney, reshapes the design process. These AI tools can form a closed loop in design, with text guiding concept generation and feedback enabling further refinement. Architecture as a medium for communicating information has, therefore, become a multidisciplinary field that con- ducts more means of serving the combination of montage Contrast between pillars (image by the author). Yuwei Ren - The Phony Truth: from Montage to Parody 207 and parody. Today, it is possible to create a collage of design concepts through AI, followed by immersive technology to enhance the sense of order in montage and the expression of personality in parody, innovating the spatial experience through interaction and play. LV's former design director Virgil Abloh, who once was an architect, claimed "Three Percent Approach": by editing only three per cent of the original, a new invention would appear (Abloh 2017). Maybe simple, clever, and personalised designs would be required in today’s multidisciplinary age rather than a com- plex and bulky one. Virgil Abloh did a parody of interdisci- plinarity when he built the LV show with the architectural formation and materials of the Barcelona Pavilion, thus enabling him to turn a typically ‘functionalist’ form into a space decoration and storytelling. Therefore, the changing spirit of the time has brought architects not only techno- logical changes but also changes in the meaning of design techniques, just as parody was not revealed until after the 20th century. Bibliography Abloh, Virgil. 2017. “‘Insert Complicated Title Here’[Video].” Harvard GSD. Accessed on January 31, 2023 https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=qie5VITX6eQ. Agamben, Giorgio. 2007. Profanations. New York: Zone Books. Runway by Virgil Abloh and The Barcelona Pavilion by Mies van der Rohe (graphic re-elaboration by the author). Yuwei Ren - The Phony Truth: from Montage to Parody 209 Colomina, Beatriz. 1996. “Privacy and Publicity: Modern Architecture as Mass Media.” Journal of Design History 10. Brenner, Art, Christian Norberg-Schulz, and Edward T. Hall. 1972. “Existence, Space and Architecture.” Leonardo 5 (4). https://doi.org/10.2307/1572613. Eisenstein, Sergei M., Yve-Alain Bois, and Michael Glenny. 1989. “Montage and Architecture.” Assemblage 10. Fludernik, Monika. 2009. An Introduction to Narratology. Abingdon: Routledge. Holl, Steven. 2000. Parallax. Basel: Birkhäuser. Hutcheon, Linda. 1986. “The Politics of Postmodernism: Parody and History.” Cultural Critique 5: 179–86. Jones, Rennie. 2018. “AD Classics: Villa Dall’Ava / OMA.” Archdaily. October 3, 2018. Levin, Robert, and Charles A. Jencks. 1978. “The Language of Post-Modern Architecture.” The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism 37 (2). Shaw, Harry E. 1995. “Loose Narrators: Display, Engage- ment, and the Search for a Place in History in Realist Fic- tion.” Narrative 3 No.2: 95–116. Tschumi, Bernard. 1981. The Manhattan Transcripts. Lon- don: Academy Editions. Venturi, Robert. 1967. "Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture." Journal of the Society of Architectural Histo- rians. 26. Qianqian Yang - Montage in Contemporary Architectural Design 211 This paper analyses practical examples of the use of montage in contemporary architecture. It summarises the impact of new technologies and digital tools on the use of montage in archi- tectural design. The analysis shows that the in- stability of contemporary society requires a new strategic design approach focusing on failed traditions or conditions of reality. It works on transforming failed functions and discovering Qianqian Yang possible needs that can reverse the architec- tural situation and implant it in relevant contexts. Montage in Contemporary Architectural Design Semantic montage, therefore, focuses more on the social aspect of architecture, resisting the wide gap between form and plan, between social context and artistic means, and explor- ing possible connections from all sides and not only from a form or established function. This study generates new design approaches based on montage thinking that can expand the perspectives and methods of contempo- rary architectural design, providing fresh ideas for current practice and helping to promote the systematic study of contemporary theory. Qianqian Yang - Montage in Contemporary Architectural Design 213 Contemporary cities are complex and dynamic, com- posed of intersecting elements and experiences. Architec- ture shapes cities by creating functional and aesthetically pleasing spaces reflecting context and cultural values. It Yang Qianqian is a Ph.D. candidate in the AUID is a physical manifestation of the built environment and a programme at Politecnico di Milano. Her PhD cultural and social artefact. Traditional architectural design research is on architecture in the age of so- approaches no longer address the challenges posed by con- cial media. She graduated with a thesis which temporary cities, such as instability and increased demands focuses on the sustainable development of for sustainability, accessibility, and cultural expression. coastal rural architecture and received her mas- Montage techniques in architectural design have become ter’s degrees in architecture in China in 2022. relevant to address these challenges and create innovative She has published two papers (Effects of the architecture. Location of Heating Sources on Indoor Air The use of montage in architectural design is a rich and Quality in Rural Buildings of Qingdao (China) in complex subject that has undergone significant transfor- Winter as Determined by Experimental Monitor- mation. Sergei Eisenstein (1938, 111-115) first associated ar- ing and Field measurement and questionnaire chitecture with montage, representing architectural space survey on indoor environment in typical coastal as a succession of fragments in a montage from decompo- villages of Qingdao during the heating period, sition to reorganisation, like a series of ‘shots’. The revival of were published in Case Studies in Thermal En- montage and collage as architectural aesthetic strategies oc- gineering) was included in SCI. She participat- curred in the late 1970s and early 1980s, following a decline ed in the 19th International Conference of Asia after the World War II. The re-evaluation of montage as an Institute of Urban Environment in Kitakyushu in aesthetic tool sparked this resurgence and the concept of 2020. She has won the First prize of the 4th the ‘collage city’ in architectural design. Bernard Tschumi China New Rural Housing Design Competition (1981) was the first to associate architectural space with in 2020 and the Excellence Award of 2020 time. Beatriz Colomina (1994) advanced the examination architectural design exhibition in developing of montage in architecture, investigating its significance at countries. Qianqian Yang - Montage in Contemporary Architectural Design 215 the junction of architecture, media, and cultural produc- of new technologies and digital tools on the use of montage tion. in architectural design. Further exploration is required for Rem Koolhaas (1994) delved into the concept of montage a better understanding of montage’s full potential in archi- as an instrument for architectural representation. Jona- tectural design. than Hill (2003) put forward a new theory of montage that departs from the shock effect dear to the avant-garde and Dynamics seeks to engage the participation of ‘creative users’ in fill- With the development of technology, architects have tried ing the gaps of architecture. Jane Rendell (2006) explored to put buildings in motion so that the still person can also montage as a subject of critical inquiry and a textual device experience visual and auditory changes. The Bund Finance for her ‘site-specific writings’, ranging from essays to text- Centre of Shanghai is a collaboration between Foster + based installations. The versatility of this principle still un- Partners and Heatherwick Studio. It features a three-sto- derlies its enduring popularity at present. In recent years, rey façade comprising 675 individual magnesium-alloy David Buck and Carla Molinari (2022, 523-538) proposed columns ranging from 2 to 16 metres long and moving a method of reading and representing design features independently. The three layers of metal tubes on the through sound and visuals based on montage. façade, surrounding the outermost layer of the building, Hence, studies on the utilisation of montage in architectur- each of which can be freely rotated and closed by a switch. al design can be categorised into four main areas: The magic is that as the tubes rotate, they make a melodic 1. The utilisation of montage to compose and unite architec- sound like an organ. As the layers rotate and overlap, the tural spaces. exterior of the building is visually transformed, and the in- 2. The impact of montage on the sensory experience of ar- terior creates a different atmosphere. At four times of the chitecture. day, the curtain rotates in time with the music, making the 3. The use of montage in forming the architecture. building look like a dancing house. 4. The significance of montage in architecture's cultural and Architecture must have a linguistic structure if it is seen theoretical context. as a linguistic expression. This structure is the symbolic Despite the numerous works about montage in architec- processing of a series of perceptions people feel, perceive, ture, research gaps are present in the study of the impact remember, and infer. Human beings have created a wealth Qianqian Yang - Montage in Contemporary Architectural Design 217 of architectural symbols through many construction ac- tivities. These symbols record the practical and technical information of the individual building but also present the social and cultural information of the time they are used. They are the essential clues for cognition and understand- ing of the language of architecture. Thus, in a modern so- ciety where information is rapidly disseminated and highly translated, the skin has become the most direct way of ex- pressing information in architecture, and the complexity of information has led to multiple meanings for architectural expression. Architecture expresses itself and participates in social events as a landscape. When The Bund Finance Centre is presented on the Bund with its three-storey metal tasselled skin, this moving building and its architects add more meaning to the semantics of the building and even the city. The building is functionally uncomplicated, with a focus on exhibitions and cultural events, so the focus of the building, or the expression of the architectural language, is more on the skin of the building. Architectural Wonders in the Digital Realm Belgian photographer Filip Dujardin is a Master of Archi- tectural montage. With a background in professional archi- tectural photography, he uses SketchUp and Photoshop to create virtual buildings in the digital realm. At first glance, Fig. 1. Dynamic elevation analysis of the Bund Finance Centre in Shanghai from a fixed perspective (graphic re-elaboration by Dujardin’s photographs of buildings seem almost ordinary, the author). Qianqian Yang - Montage in Contemporary Architectural Design 219 though highly modern, only revealing their structural im- plausibility upon close examination. He ignores the laws of physics, defying gravity and material to create exquisite architectural compositions. A writer uses words to create a fictional world, but Filip Dujardin uses his camera, computer, and creativity to bring a surreal landscape to life. In his first photographic work, "Fictions", he experimented with the limits and bound- aries of architectural constructions using digital assem- blage methods. It continues to intrigue the viewer almost a decade on, looking just as striking and captivating now as it did then. To bring his vision to life, Dujardin photo- graphed various buildings in and around Ghent, Belgium, and then used digital techniques to create collages depict- ing a strange world where nothing is what it seems. Some of the images show impossible structures and implausible designs. Perhaps more intriguing, others trick the viewer initially, only to reveal their fictional nature seconds lat- er. Urban buildings and houses appear alongside natural elements and industrial details. Missing elements, incon- gruous details, or absurd constructions infuse the images with an out-of-this-world atmosphere, making them truly unforgettable. Cutting, pasting, and reassembling are the prime focus of Dujardin’s work, both in his photomontages and sculp- tures. He shatters, distorts, and dissects the materials before Fig. 2. Filip Dujardin, Untitled, from the series "Fictions" graphic re-elaboration by the author). Qianqian Yang - Montage in Contemporary Architectural Design 221 reconstructing and reassembling them. This idea of adapta- tion and stratification is present in his photomontages and sculptures. In 2012, Dujardin translated his photographic work into public installations and private places. His works are in different collections: the Metropolitan Museum of Art, MoMA in New York and San Francisco, The Chazen Museum of Art in Madison, and Musée de la Photographie in Charleroi. Artificial Intelligence in Building Design At the beginning of 2021, OpenAI released the much-an- ticipated DALL-E system. A year later, the latest system, DALL-E 2, produces more realistic and accurate images at four times the resolution. Here, AI is beginning to be able to follow text input prompts to create. Some of the more cutting-edge AI painting models are available: Sta- ble Diffusion, Disco Diffusion, Midjourney, DALL-E 2, and Novel AI. Take DALL-E 2, for example; firstly, it can create prototypes, realistic images and artworks based on textual descriptions. This includes creating anthropomorphic ver- sions of animals and objects, logically combining unrelated concepts, rendering text, and applying transformations to existing images. It can also combine concepts, attributes, and styles. Secondly, DALL-E 2 can extend images in the original canvas to create expansive new works. Thirdly, DALL-E 2 allows realistic editing of existing images based The architectural design of DALL-E 2 (graphic re-elaboration by the author). Qianqian Yang - Montage in Contemporary Architectural Design 223 on natural language captions. It can add and remove ele- generate new designs based on the styles and patterns it ments while considering shadows, reflections and textures. learned from existing architectural examples. In addition, DALL-E 2 can take a photograph and create However, it is also important to note that this process dif- different variations in the spirit of the original. It uses a pro- fers from traditional architectural design, which typically cess called ‘diffusion’, which starts with a pattern of random involves a more comprehensive and iterative process of points and gradually changes the pattern to fit the image as conceptualising, designing, and testing a building. The it identifies aspects of the image. AI-generated images are limited by the data they were Artificial Intelligence (AI) can generate architectural trained on and may not account for functional, cultural, images based on keywords by combining different ap- and environmental factors critical in real-world architec- proaches, which can be considered a montage. One of tural design. Thus, it is better to view AI-generated images these approaches involves creating a montage of various as a tool for inspiration and idea generation rather than a puzzle combinations, such as textures, shapes, and forms, complete solution for architectural design. to generate an architectural design that matches the input There is still much work to be done in this field and many keywords. The AI algorithms use a database of pre-existing open research questions to be explored. For example, there architectural designs, styles, and elements to create an im- is a need to understand better how AI algorithms can be age that combines these elements, tailored to the keywords used to create aesthetically pleasing and functional designs provided. AI algorithms can rearrange, modify, and com- and to identify the best techniques for integrating AI into bine these elements to generate new designs. This approach traditional architectural design processes. Furthermore, is called generative or computational design, where the AI there is a need for more research into the ethics of AI in algorithm generates various design options based on pa- architectural design, considering the implications of using rameters and constraints. AI in creating the built environment. Despite these chal- Another approach is to train AI models using existing ar- lenges, the use of montage in AI architectural design can chitectural designs, allowing the AI to create new designs transform the field of architecture, providing architects and based on what it has learned. This type of AI architecture designers with new tools and techniques for creating inno- design is often called ‘architectural style transfer’ or ‘neu- vative, expressive, and functional designs. By exploring the ral architecture’. The AI uses deep learning techniques to potential of AI to enhance architectural design, researchers Qianqian Yang - Montage in Contemporary Architectural Design 225 can help shape the future of the built environment, creating can communicate design concepts to stakeholders and pro- new and exciting opportunities for architects and designers vide designers with real-time feedback. In short, the appli- to push the boundaries of what is possible in architecture. cation of AI in montage has opened up new opportunities for architects to communicate their designs and better un- Conclusion derstand their potential impact on the built environment. Integrating new technologies and digital tools, particu- Digital tools have made the montage process faster, more larly AI has profoundly impacted montage application in accurate and more accessible to architects, allowing them contemporary architectural design. The digital revolution to create and present their designs more professionally and has allowed architects to experiment with new forms of effectively. In sum, the impact of new technologies and dig- representation, pushing the boundaries of traditional tech- ital tools on montage applications in contemporary archi- niques. With the advent of 3D modelling software and ad- tectural design has been significant and transformative. It vanced visualisation tools, architects can now manipulate has opened new possibilities for architectural design and and combine different images and elements in a previously representation. impossible way. This situation has led to a new generation of more creative and expressive architects who can create Bibliography both functional and aesthetically pleasing buildings. Buck, David and Carla Molinari. 2022. "A Picturesque ver- AI algorithms have enabled architects to quickly generate tical montage: auditory and visual sequences at Rousham and analyse architectural montages, which was previously garden." Landscape Research 47(5) 523–538. time-consuming and manual. This has allowed architects Baltzer, Nanni, and Martino Stierli. 2017. Before Publication: to explore and experiment with different design options Montage in Art, Architecture, and Book Design. A Reader. more efficiently and has allowed for a more nuanced rep- Zürich: Park Books. resentation of design concepts. AI algorithms can also help Bundgaard, Charlotte. 2017. "Constructing dialogues: On to optimise designs for various parameters, such as energy architectural potentials of montage, Offsite Architecture." efficiency, which can be critical for sustainable building de- Routledge, 37-54. sign. Additionally, AI tools have enabled architects to cre- Buckley, Craig. 2019. Graphic Assembly: Montage, media, ate interactive and dynamic architectural montages, which and experimental architecture in the 1960s. University of Qianqian Yang - Montage in Contemporary Architectural Design 227 Minnesota Press. and the senses. West Sussex: Wiley-Academy. Colomina, Beatriz. 1996. Privacy and publicity: modern ar- Rocca, Alessandro. 2022. Totem and Taboo in Architectural chitecture as mass media. Cambridge: MIT Press. Imagination. LetteraVentidue. Deriu, Davide. 2007. "Montage and modern architecture: Rendell, Jane. 2006. Art and architecture: a place between. Giedion's implicit manifesto." Architectural Theory Review London: IB Tauris. 12(1): 36-59. Stierli, Martino. 2018. Montage and the metropolis: Architec- Dahl, Per-Johan. 2016. "Exploring design potentials in po- ture, modernity, and the representation of space. New Hav- rous urban space: Split vision urbanism HK through Mon- en: Yale University Press. tage". Proceedings, Beyoundism: The Landscape of Land- Tschumi, Bernard. 1981. "Violence of architecture."Art Fo- scape Urbanism. rum. Vol. 20. No. 5. Eisenstein, Sergei M., Yve-Alain Bois, and Michael Glenny. 1989. "Montage and architecture." Assemblage 10: 111-131. Frampton, Kenneth. 2001. Studies in tectonic culture: the poetics of construction in nineteenth and twentieth century architecture. Cambridge: Mit Press. Galofaro, Luca. 2017. "On the idea of montage as form of architecture production." Proceedings, Vol. 1. No. 9: 870. Hill, Jonathan. 2003. Actions of Architecture: architects and creative users. London: Routledge. Koolhaas, Rem. 2014. Delirious New York: a retroactive manifesto for Manhattan. New York: The Monacelli Press. Lefebvre, Henri, and Donald Nicholson-Smith. 1991. The Production of Space. Blackwell Publishers. Oxford.Vol. 142. Özten, Ülku. 2019. "Montage and Experience Architecture." Online Journal of Art & Design 7(4). Pallasmaa, Juhani. 2012. The eyes of the skin: architecture Đorđe Bulajić - Recycling Beauty and the Beauty of Recycling 229 The subject of this investigation is two distinct projects in which a common critical method can be identified – recycling. The first project is the ‘Recycling Beauty’ exhibition, designed by Rem Koolhaas/OMA and curated by Salvatore Settis, Anna Anguissola, and Denise La Moni- ca. It represents the third chapter in Fondazione Prada’s comprehensive study on the contem- poraneity of ancient art, exploring the paradoxi- Đorđe Bulajić cal and delicate relationship between fragments from the past and the cultural diversity of the Recycling Beauty and the Beauty of Recycling: contemporary world. On the other hand, this Comparative Analysis of the Colossus of research encounters the latest design project Constantine and the Tin Can Castle arising from the enduring collaboration between Kosmos Architects and Château Chapiteau - the Tin Can Castle, known as the Château Chapiteau Refugee House. This paper primarily aims to investigate the recycling conceptions in two cases thoroughly and, afterwards, by employing the methodology of comparative analysis, examine their shared characteristics, differences, and specificities concerning con- temporary architecture discourse. Đorđe Bulajić - Recycling Beauty and the Beauty of Recycling 231 This article focuses on invention techniques, particular- ly montage, which has become a surprisingly powerful meta-technique, clearly present in all artistic practices, including architecture. Encompassing concepts like frag- mentation, post-production, recycling and similar, it sym- bolises the ideological foundation of the rapidly growing, hyper-capitalistic society, as highlighted in the seminal works of Mario Carpo, Nicolas Bourriaud, and others. Ðorđe Bulajić (1995) is an architect engaged The subject of this investigation is two clearly distinct proj- in teaching, research, architectural design, and ects in which a common critical method can be identified – cinematography. He is a PhD candidate in Ar- recycling. The first one is the exhibition "Recycling Beauty", chitectural, Urban, and Interior Design in the designed by Rem Koolhaas/OMA and curated by Salvatore Department of Architecture and Urban Studies Settis and Anna Anguissola with Denise La Monica. It rep- at Politecnico di Milano. He is also a teaching resents the third chapter of the Fondazione Prada’s com- assistant at the University of Belgrade, Facul- prehensive study on the contemporaneity of ancient art - a ty of Architecture, where he graduated (RIBA paradoxical, exceedingly fragile relationship between the Part II) in 2019 with an internationally awarded fragments from the past and the cultural diversity of the project. From 2019 to 2022, his research was contemporary world. Each exhibition artefact is slightly funded by the Serbian Ministry of Education, altered, accentuating the concept of transformation and Science, and Technological Development (MP- discovering the beauty in the recycling process instead of NTR), and currently, he holds a 3-year open in the physical object itself. subject scholarship from the Italian Ministry Conversely, Tin Can Castle – Château Chapiteau Refugee for Universities and Research (MUR). His de- House is the latest design project of the long-term collab- sign-driven research investigates intersections oration between Kosmos Architects and Château Chapi- between contemporary architecture and media. teau. This highly experimental, nomadic lifestyle commu- He has exhibited and published his work both nity inhabits twelve hectares of co-living space among the nationally and internationally. Đorđe Bulajić - Recycling Beauty and the Beauty of Recycling 233 Georgian hills and forests. An immensely eclectic structure ed in the seminar "Architecture in Transition": architecture assembled from the materials collected within a two-kilo- is considered everything architects produce. Therefore, this metre radius of the construction site suggests another read- research’s first subject is the "Recycling Beauty" exhibition, ing of recycling as a design methodology in contemporary curated by Salvatore Settis and Anna Anguissola with De- architecture. nise La Monica and designed by Rem Koolhaas/OMA. This article will primarily thoroughly investigate the recy- Even though this spatial intellectual polemic is a fruitful cling conceptions in two cases and, afterwards, by using the exchange of captivating topics, due to the scope of the re- methodology of comparative analysis, examine their com- search, it will focus on one specific experience within the mon characteristics, differences, and specificities concern- exhibition. It will build a case around the process of recon- ing the discourse of contemporary architecture. However, structing the Colossus of Constantine, one of the most im- this research will not solely focus on the architecture of portant works of late ancient Roman sculpture, exhibited in these projects, instead, it will carefully consider the eco- Cisterna’s two rooms. nomic, sociological, and cultural context of these works, The exhibition venue – Fondazione Prada, also designed aiming to truly understand the specific environments and by Rem Koolhaas (OMA) in 2014, initiates a similar dis- circumstances under which they were first conceptual- cussion as the exhibition topic. A former 1910 gin distillery ised and then built. Finally, as a design-driven research, it located in the industrial complex on the southern border of will propose a research diagram in a Warburgian manner, Milan has been carefully reconceived by the OMA, high- which serves as both internal verification and the portrayal lighting the uneasy and highly complex relationship be- of the complex research process. Furthermore, it will also tween the existing and new structures. Multilayer collage present several thought-provoking images aiming to en- of different materials, from raw concrete and plywood to hance the text and construct the dramatic what-if scenarios extensive reflective surfaces and the gold-painted façade of of these projects. "Haunted House", shapes the spatial environment in which multiple heterogeneous experiences widely affect the spec- Unwrapping the "Recycling Beauty": The Case of the tator’s perception. In that kind of setting, spatial concepts Colossus of Constantine like reuse and recycling come as artificial normal, stimulat- This research follows the proposition repeatedly highlight- ing the mutual benefits between art and architecture. Đorđe Bulajić - Recycling Beauty and the Beauty of Recycling 235 Research diagram: different cultural references connected to the reconstruction process of the Colossus of Constantine and exhibition Recycling Beauty (graphic re-elaboration by the author). Đorđe Bulajić - Recycling Beauty and the Beauty of Recycling 237 The "Recycling Beauty" exhibition inhabits two out of sev- with projects of mixed scales from immensely small to ex- en spaces of Fondazione Prada. The first one, the Podium, tra-large, as stated in their public portfolio: “from a door is the square-plan open space: a “landscape of low-rise handle to a city plan; and from art installations and pavil- plinths made of acrylic allows for the pieces on display to ions to big public, residential, cultural and infrastructural be perceived as an ensemble, while the cubicle-like struc- buildings” (Kosmos Architects, 2023). Their specific spatial tures encourage a closer examination with the presence of sensibility and extensively explorative approach to the pro- office chairs” (Settis & Anguissola 2022). duction of contemporary architecture derives from their The second one, the Cisterna, is a three-room sequential constant teaching and research activities, as the partners of space with a two-level observation possibility which facil- Kosmos Architects lead architecture studios at HEAD (Ge- itates discontinuous perception and enables the spectator neva University of Arts and Design) and TU Wien (Vienna to see the 11-meter-high reconstruction of the Colossus of University of Technology). Constantine directly in the face – “a unique historical expe- Recycling as a design methodology can be easily identified rience” (Koolhaas 2022, 3). This complex, ambitious project in several projects of this practice. In 2021, the office built results from a collaboration between the Musei Capitolini, three extraordinary projects for Château Chapiteau, which, Fondazione Prada, and Factum Foundation, with scientific each in its own way, demonstrate the contemporaneity of supervision directed by Claudio Parisi Presicce, the Capi- their architectural thought and profound understanding of toline Superintendent of Cultural Heritage (Settis and An- the broken state of the planet we are living on. An extreme- guissola 2022, 2). ly amusing ‘House on Legs’ with three roofs, three levels and three different atmospheres, colourful and lightweight The Beauty of Recycling: The Case of the Tin Can Castle tents, that have become a significant symbol of the whole by Kosmos Architects space, and remarkably intelligent Temple-Barn, an archi- Originating from the margins of Europe and highly diverse tecture solely made from a bucket of white paint, small academic backgrounds, Kosmos Architects is an emerging canopy-wings and cutting a circle at each end of the façade, international architecture office that is actively collaborat- represent the adequate foundation for the Château Chapi- ing ultimately virtually, bringing together partners based teau Refugee House. Completed in January 2023, ‘Tin Can’ in Zurich, Graz, New York, and Moscow. The office deals Castle, Refugee House or just a spaceship, as called by the Đorđe Bulajić - Recycling Beauty and the Beauty of Recycling 239 Research diagram: different cultural references that construct a specific discourse around the recycling method employed in the work of Kosmos Architects (graphic re-elaboration by the author). Đorđe Bulajić - Recycling Beauty and the Beauty of Recycling 241 habitants of Château Chapiteau, is an immensely eclectic tecture” (Rocca 2022, 8); the critical recycling method was structure assembled from the materials collected within a roughly the same. As Salvatore Settis writes in the exhibi- two-kilometre radius of the construction site. Standing on tion catalogue, “the reuse of the past entails the coexistence the reused tires found nearby, which are the foundations of different temporalities, in which historical distance and of the structure, this project is developed as a rapidly con- narrative and emotional simultaneity are continually inter- structed housing module able to spread and grow, aiming twined […] recycling is able to generate meaning, by aggre- to provide temporary shelter to as many refugees as pos- gating segments of the different inter-textual or inter-ob- sible. jectual network, which contains its components but does A few exciting points can be highlighted in a comparative not coincide with any of them; thus it speaks not to the analysis of the two applications of recycling as a critical past, but to the future” (Settis 2022, 60). While Koolhaas’ design methodology. The first one arises from the tem- approach can be defined as nostalgic but utterly projective poral category and portrays architects’ general approach – positioning somewhere in between past and future, the to recycling. If we look back at another exhibition that critical approach of Kosmos Architects could be described Rem Koolhaas entirely curated, the fourteenth Venice Ar- as unambiguously present, which brings us to the second chitecture Biennale titled "Fundamentals", which had an issue of this comparison – the purpose. ambitious idea to “condense and close the century of mo- On one side, we have a generously beautiful purpose – dernity” (Rocca 2022, 8). A similar approach to recycling temporarily sheltering refugees, mainly those fleeing from can be identified, especially in the exhibition "Elements of Mariupol and other cities in Ukraine and Russia. It por- Architecture". After several International architecture exhi- trays the genuinely modest but very contemporary view of bitions that celebrated the contemporaneity of architecture, the current world and the design culture. It can be easily some of which were successful and some less so, Koolhaas compared to the exceptional work of Pritzker Prize winners appeared and turned back to history, but with, at first from 2021, Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal, whose glance, a plausible hypothesis that the exhibition speculates outstandingly successful practice is fundamentally based the future of the architectural discipline. It was about the on pre-existing values when designing new buildings and future of our discipline rather than “the end of his career, transforming existing ones. of his mythology, the end of everything, the end of archi- On the contrary, a different perspective emerges. While Đorđe Bulajić - Recycling Beauty and the Beauty of Recycling 243 Project ‘Tin Can’ Castle by Kosmos Architects exhibited at the Reconstructed statue of the Colossus of Constantine in the Podium in Fondazione Prada, Milan. The Beauty of Recycling Château Chapiteau a coliving space among the Georgian hills Exhibition, 2023 (Photomontage). and forests (Photomontage). Đorđe Bulajić - Recycling Beauty and the Beauty of Recycling 245 the reconstruction process behind this gigantic statue is the destruction, recovery, and use of materials, architec- awe-inspiring, allowing for the first-ever coherent reading tures, objects, and iconographies for personal or political of the Colossus of Constantine rather than discontinuous purposes, which is also common in our own world” (Settis perception through different fragments, careful analysis and Anguissola 2022, 2). Nevertheless, it adequately sets the of this project reveals an inherent paradox. Do the stat- stage for this analysis’ third and final point – context. ue’s immense size and the eight-month production pro- Cultural, spatial, and temporal, but also social and eco- cess, which, according to the Factum Foundation website, nomic, context is an inseparable part of the project, as included a vast team of experts under the supervision of clearly indicated in the fourth edition of San Rocco mag- Claudio Parisi Presicce, the Capitoline Superintendent of azine titled "Fuck Concepts! Context!” In the case of the Cultural Heritage, truly advocate an idea of reuse and re- Tin Can Castle, the recycling method is deeply embedded cycling? In contrast, it seems that instead of emphasising in its abstract, conceptual layer and its visible, material, the beauty hidden in the recycling process, this project un- and structural aspects. The castle’s message and meaning questionably indicates precisely the opposite. It reveals an remain largely unaffected by the environment in which it unsatisfactory late capitalistic idea of overproduction and is situated. In contrast, detached from the Cisterna’s artistic fetishism of plaster, resin, and polystyrene, even diverting background and the ideological context of the exhibition, the visitor’s attention from the original fragments of the the Colossus of Constantine becomes a kitschy monstros- Constantine - right hand and right foot, which are usually ity, accentuating its own gargantuan dimensions and over- displayed in the courtyard of the Palazzo dei Conservatori emphasised artificiality. in Piazza del Campidoglio in Rome. The complete insen- sitivity to the highly significant topic of recycling shown Conclusion in this procedure vehemently denies the statement written As indicated, the recycling method is more than present in the exhibition’s preface: “Running through the exhibi- and utterly crucial in contemporary design culture. Based tion’s narrative is a variety of themes: the reuse of works on the critical action of collecting and curating, the pro- and materials […] the transition of meanings and dialogue posed method represents the “basic methodology for archi- between culture; but also the historical and contemporary tectural design” (Rocca 2022, 8). However, as seen from this importance of recycling due to a shortage of resources, and research, the method itself is the subject of sometimes con- Đorđe Bulajić - Recycling Beauty and the Beauty of Recycling 247 Full scale research diagram (graphic re-elaboration by the author). Đorđe Bulajić - Recycling Beauty and the Beauty of Recycling 249 flicting interpretations, which derive from various aspects and Anna Anguissola with Denise La Monica. Milan: Fon- of the project and the environments that constitute them. If dazione Prada. the montage procedure behind the reconstructed Colossus Koolhaas, Rem. 2022. Elements of Architecture. Cologne: of the Constantine implies the very title of the exhibition Taschen Books. – "Recycling Beauty", the utterly radical approach to recy- Kosmos Architects. ‘Kosmos Architects Portfolio.’ Ac- cling identified in the work of Kosmos Architects, which cessed 9 February 2023. https://k-s-m-s.com. results in the rapid building of affordable contemporary Rocca, Alessandro. 2022. Totem and Taboo in Architectural spaces with modest but genuine materials, should be titled Imagination. Siracusa: LetteraVentidue. as the "Beauty of Recycling". Lastly, this research proposes a Settis, Salvatore. 2022. ‘Short Circuits. When (Art) History series of photo-manipulated images - photomontages, aim- Collapses.’ In Recycling Beauty, edited by Salvatore Settis ing to provoke and visually elaborate the discussed points with Anna Anguissola. Milan: Fondazione Prada. of this analysis and enhance the written text. Settis, Salvatore, with Anna Anguissola. 2022. Recycling Beauty. Milan: Fondazione Prada. Bibliography Bourriaud, Nicolas. 2002. Postproduction. Berlin: Sternberg Press. Carpo, Mario. 2011. The Alphabet and the Algorithm. Cam- bridge: The MIT Press. Factum Foundation for Digital Technology in Preser- vation. 2022. "Re-Creating the Colossus of Constantine in collaboration with Fondazione Prada and the Musei Capitolini 2022." Accessed 6 February 2023. https://www. factumfoundation.org/pag/1890/re-creating-the-colos- sus-of-constantine. Koolhaas, Rem. 2022. "The Exhibition." In the leaflet of the exhibition "Recycling Beauty" curated by Salvatore Settis Nicolò Chierichetti - Doing Maquettes as Metadesign 251 This paper explores the role of physical models, specifically “dioramas,” in contemporary archi- tectural practice amidst the dominance of dig- ital tools like CAD software and 3D modelling. The paper argues for a shift in perception of maquettes from mere representational devic- es to instruments of instruction and research, forming the basis for a concept termed “Re- Nicolò Chierichetti search-by-Model-Design” or Metadesign. The origins and interpretations of Metadesign are Doing Maquettes as Metadesign: discussed, emphasizing its potential for gen- An ex-ante Research Approach that Instructs erating numerous project possibilities. The pa- Architecture per delves into the significance of the physical model as a palpable system of investigation, challenging the limitations of digital representa- tions. Additionally, the study highlights the val- ue of unfinished models and models of unbuilt architecture in architectural discourse. Models are seen as tools that offer real experiences in the design process, contributing to the continu- um between project conception, development, and realization. Nicolò Chierichetti - Doing Maquettes as Metadesign 253 Architects nowadays have many devices at their disposal to support the design and research process in the contem- porary panorama. Although the advancement of techno- logical assets in the last decades has led to CAD software, Renderings, and 3D modelling tools in the daily agenda, all these resources risked (Betül and Nihan 2013, 416) tending to enhance the domain of representation despite the act of research-by-design. Within the ‘analogic’ tools that design has at its disposal – the physical model can be presented as a counter-example in this discourse, where such a ‘diorama’ is one of the most potent devices owning a propaedeutic role in architecture design. This article aims to leave be- hind the mere representation role, we commonly attribute to the maquette on most occasions, and suggest an inter- Nicolò Chierichetti is an architect and Ph.D. pretation of the “Act of Doing Maquettes” as an operation Candidate in Architectural Urban Interior Design of Metadesign. In this sense, we forget the models’ visual at the Department of Architecture and Urban dimension and ascribe them responsibility for instructing Studies (DAStU) of Politecnico di Milano. He architecture, constituting the design process itself – a sort also conducts tutorship in design studios. His of Research-by-Model-Design. Therefore, it is crucial to main research interests are related to the role of understand the origins and interpretation borrowed from urban design in the transformations of contem- Metadesign. Such a notion is based on an approach to the porary European cities. He is currently involved organization and management of design production, fu- full-time on a PNRR co-funded research proj- eled by theoretical assumptions rooted in the experiments ect on the Challenges of Sustainable Mobility, carried out starting from the mid-1970s, and which saw a rethinking the Milan Ring Road System for the significant contribution and revival of interest at the end of Ecologic Transition through a Research-by-De- the 1990s (De Paolis 2013, 146). One of the interpretations sign approach on Intermodal Exchange Hubs. Nicolò Chierichetti - Doing Maquettes as Metadesign 255 of the theme, coined by Andries Van Onck in 1964, refers to duction of the physical model not as an ex-post construc- understanding the meta-project as a “project that generates tion – where ineluctably, the focal point ends up being the as many possible projects as possible” (Deserti 2003, 18). restitution of the architectural project through a tangible The dawn of the theme, initially declined in its tradition solution (Betül and Nihan 2013, 421) – for instance, as a bet- to industrial design, essentially starts from a typological ter architect-client or competition picturing – but rather as definition as a direct result of a requirement of the indus- an ex-ante solution, in which the model operates as a per- trialization market due to the need for easy adaptability meable and palpable system of investigation and research. and possible variation (Deserti 2003, 72). In the last decade, In this sense, the model can be considered not only as a this typological openness has changed interpretation. It is, tool of observation that we can relate to in its spatial dy- instead, translated as a tool for progression and the very namics – it is not just descriptive as even a text or a static centre of the research phase on the project, which can be image may be – but it deals with the anatomy of design in a conceived as an operational tool of the process itself, an in- broader sense. The design tool is thus being used in the ser- trinsic methodology rather than an efficiency device for a vice of architecture, not vice-versa (Mucelli 2020, 97). An “blueprint generation system” (Deserti 2003, 20). opportunity for this was the result of Peter Eisenman’s 1976 The term ‘model’ etymology suggests various definitions, exhibition of “Idea as Model” (Morris 2006, 23), which was from constituting an archetype to being considered an ob- solely dedicated to the notion of the model, an occasion for ject of inspiration. Here, I approach the concept of model, questioning the representational models and, at the same which prefigures itself as a device that instructs architec- time, the potential for exploring models as a way of being a ture – but not in its most general sense as an idea of perfec- tool for conceptual thinking. tion or a prototype reference, as could have been the “‘pa- A possible critique from the ‘technological architect’ may radeigma’ used by Greek architecture as a model to follow include advancing an analogy with the digital tridimen- in the creation of the building” (Mucelli 2020, 93). sional solution to analyze and produce architecture more efficiently. Such a mediator, though, still produces a bi-di- The Misunderstanding: not (just) a Tool of Represen- mensional image that does not acknowledge complete tation spatial restitution similarly. The domain of efficiency and The focus on such an approach aims at considering the pro- production distracts architects from understanding such Nicolò Chierichetti - Doing Maquettes as Metadesign 257 complex spatial relations and the design process characters. with images and photos that in dealing with architecture, “In the process of building the model, many conceptual we tend not to analyze and read the language anymore, how problems of the project come to light, new questions are it works, its spatial relations, but we are more focused on asked about spatial relationships, proportions, perspec- the imaginary. (The model) “crosses the threshold of imita- tives, and even the construction process. With three-di- tion to rather enter a speculative dimension. [...] If, in fact, mensional printers, this physical relationship is broken. digital drawing risks exposing you to an incurable fracture […] The printer translates digital information directly into with the ideational process, gaining a sort of dangerous au- a mechanical reproduction process” (Elser and Schaml tonomy.” (Mucelli and Gulinello 2019, 93) 2012). Mucelli argues (2020, 96-97) how contemporary ar- chitecture tends more and more to favour two-dimension- Forget Built Architecture to Reveal the Process ality, interpreting the space of the project as a photographic In this attempt to emphasize the role of the making of the surface – following the same critical thinking of Beatriz maquette in the architectural design agenda, two extreme Colomina in debating how “modern architects-built mod- positions may be helpful to put the process of ‘building’: els and tirelessly travelled through them with the photo- the physical model at the centre of the debate by consider- graphic lens until they isolated crystalline images in which ing unfinished models, on one side, and models of unbuilt the architecture was similar to a paper model” (Colomina architectures, on the other. 2006, 19-48). In Yona Friedman, on the first side, Sardo argues how Close evidence of this has occurred during the drafting of “models for his projects are often characterized by their this article, within one of the PhD courses offered to the unfinished nature, for their capacity to represent a process students of the doctoral program in Architectural, Urban rather than a defined form” (Sardo 2021, 64). His models and Interior Design. When a conceptual study model of the perfectly capture this logic of the process and the possibil- renowned project ‘Celosia’ by MVRDV architects was pre- ity of a complex system of experimentation and variations sented, many students were able to recognize its architec- on the model for seeking new forms and definitions. “The ture, once deprived by the defining visual elements of the utmost attention was placed on the construction of mod- façade. It may not be the most sophisticated example, but els: they should be capable not only of depicting the formal it is simply evidence of how, nowadays, we are so obsessed characteristics of the project, but also manage to prefigure Nicolò Chierichetti - Doing Maquettes as Metadesign 259 the perceptual approach in building the spaces” (Sardo 2021, 65). In the same way, Jacques Herzog considers the “model-making leftovers” (Herzog and Vischer 2004), the so-called study models, as part of the process, thus equally, if not more – necessary and valid as part of the architec- tural research through the model itself – constituting the intrinsic value of such exploration. The model is, therefore, not only a finished product, concluding an experience, but an object capable of generating and renewing a debate of architectural thought (Mucelli and Gulinello 2019) and a powerful device to think architecture, for which the model constitutes the “formal result of its own autonomous logic” (Bologna 2020). On the other hand, considering models of unbuilt archi- tecture allows us to concentrate on reading and finding the meanings in the model itself rather than in something else. Such an attempt, explains Beatriz Corredor, has been made in the Madrid exhibition "Arquitecturas Ausentes", where all the included buildings either never constructed, right away demolished, or transformed into something else. Corredor claims that architecture can indeed be discussed in its original form, while it is only on paper, and that it can influence the development of a collective of thought, even without existing. An example from this showcase is the Endless House by Compositional diagram + Image montage. MVRDV, ‘Celosia’ Frederick Kiesler, where the architect returns the countless project (image by the author). Nicolò Chierichetti - Doing Maquettes as Metadesign 261 solutions proposed during the year as a matter of variations for yourself ” (Comi 2008, 7) in such an iterative process. and research on the experimental attempt. As claimed by The focus on the sole model, moreover, is also the teaching Kiesler, “Endless House is not a constructed object, but an attempt we proposed to the students of the Master course idea. As such, the task of reproducing it seemed to be both in Interior and Spatial Design with Prof. Michele De Luc- unapproachable and unnecessary” (Ballesteros n.d.) with chi, where the proposal of the final project had to be de- the attempt to study the syntax of the architecture by using termined by the model itself, rather than through other the model as a tool. bidimensional or external devices. With the critical contribution of the avant-gardes (Di Gia- Going Beyond and Didactic of the Model como 2018, 7), it has assumed that degree of self-referenti- Emilio Tuñon (2018) shares the same opinion in conceiving ality, which is the basis of the value conferred on it by con- the model as a sort of pre-work, a truly unique and indis- temporary architectural theory and practice, for which it pensable opportunity to work on the space, as well as Luigi fully reveals itself as a valuable device for investigating the Moretti (Tuñon 2018, 95) in appreciating the maquette for heteronomous character of architecture which, in referring its capability to allow the definition of a sequence of spaces to other than itself, confirms its identity and autonomy. and their succession. The model, therefore, almost assumes its own referential The words model, modulation, modem, and mode come autonomy. from the same linguistic root, ‘modus’, which initially means “measure” (Flusser 1993). This interpretation of the Conclusion term is highly relevant when, for instance, we make our Despite the new tools we have at our disposal, the mod- students adopt the tool of the model within the teaching el-making process still plays a vital role in contemporary experience of architecture and urban design studios, where design and research practice, being able to interrelate with the act of making the model is a valuable exercise to really the creative process of the architect, enduring its role as take the measures and “use it as an object to think with” ‘“crystallization of a thought” and “anticipation of the con- (Léglise 2014, 2). Through this, we are offered a methodol- structive reality”’ (Croset 1987, 48-49) – and being perceiv- ogy where “if things are not perfectly focused, we can try able by the architect as three-dimensional through the use to make them explicit just to clarify them in the first place of the senses as an act of “control of the form through the Nicolò Chierichetti - Doing Maquettes as Metadesign 263 senses” (Croset 1987). It is the example of Herzog & De Meuron that initiates thinking the architecture directly from the model (Bologna 2020), David Chipperfield work- ing with real-size scale models (Mucelli and Gulinello 2019, 97), and again other renowned firms like MVRDV, OMA, or Frank Gehry as the most known example across non-ex- perts after the appearance in an episode of the TV series “The Simpson” (The Seven-Beer Snitch 2005) where the ideation of a new architecture comes from an inadvertent decomposition of a paper model. The maquette, then, is a projection of architecture to be considered in its late sense: not merely as a representative projection of a finished design but as a “real experience on the research and design process” (Daguerre 2020), which constitutes a sort of continuum between project idea, proj- ect development, and implementation. The interpretations proposed on the theme of ‘making the model’ reveal dif- ferent considerations of this tool as an autonomous object, as part of a design idea, as an entity of the process itself, and finally, as well as a space – both a physical and mental space, where the model is contained as a work in itself and as a representation of something that has not yet happened, and that is happening. Making models as Making Architecture [montage]. Frank Gehry, Walt Disney Concert Hall (graphic re-elaboration by the author). Nicolò Chierichetti - Doing Maquettes as Metadesign 265 Bibliography De Paolis, R. 2013. "Materiali per il progetto." In Geometria, Ballesteros, Antonio. n.d. “Endless House.” In Absent Archi- Spazio, Colore. Ricerche per la rappresentazione e il proget- tectures of the 20th Century, by Movilidad y Agenda Urbana to, by M Rossi, 146. Sant'Arcangelo di Romagna: Maggioli Ministerio de Transportes. Editore. Betül, Orbey, and Gürel Nihan. 2013. “Digital Design Tools Deserti, Alessandro. 2003. Metaprogetto. Riflessioni teoriche versus Architectural Representation and Design Approach. ed esperienze didattiche. Milano: Edizioni Poli.Design. A reading off architectural press.” eCAADe 31 - Computa- Di Giacomo, Alessandra. 2018. Modelli di Architettura. tion and Performance. 416. Scarti del progetto – pezzi da museo. Roma: NeP edizioni. Bologna, Alberto. 2020. "La ricerca della forma e dello Elser, Oliver and Peter Carholla Schaml. 2012. "Review of spazio attraverso la maquette." Espazium [online journal]. Architetture Modello, by Lepik, A." Domus. Domusweb. Accessed February 9, 2023. www.espazium.ch/it/attualita/ Flusser, Vilem. 1993. Model. Models are traps for capturing la-ricerca-della-forma-e-dello-spazio-attraverso-la-ma- the world. Vol. 1. quette. Herzog, Jacques, and T Vischer, interview by Laurenz Colomina, Beatriz. 2006. “Media as a modern Architec- Foundation. 2004. "An Exibition, Exhibition Catalogue ture.” In Thomas Demand, Serpentine Gallery, 19-48. Mu- Herzog & de Meuron." Vademecum. Herzog & de Meuron. nich: London e Schirmer/Mosel Verlag. No. 250. Basilea. Comi, Claudio. 2008. La pratica del modello – riflessioni Léglise, F. 2014. "Edito." L’Architecture d’Aujourd’hui 404: 2. e tecniche per il modello di Architettura. Sant'Arcangelo di Morris, Mark. 2006. Architecture and the Miniature. Chich- Romagna: Maggioli Editore. ester: Wiley Academy. Corredor, Beatriz. n.d. "Absent Architectures of the 20th Mucelli, Ezio and Francesco Gulinello. 2019. Modello. Century." By Movilidad y Agenda Urbana Ministerio de Costruire lo spazio. LetteraVentidue. Transportes, 2. Mucelli, Ezio. 2020. “Simulacra of emptiness. The model as Croset, Pierre-Alain. 1987. "Microcosmi dell'Architetto." habitable space.” Agathon – International Journal of Archi- Rassegna 32 (4). tecture, Art and Design (7): 93. Daguerre, M. 2020. "Modelli: man-made o digitale?" Espa- Sardo, Nicolò. 2021. "Solid Utopias. Views and Models in zium [online journal] (6). Urban Experimentation in the 1960s." Diségno 9: 59-70. Nicolò Chierichetti - Doing Maquettes as Metadesign 267 2005. “The Seven-Beer Snitch.” The Simpson [TV]. Vol. Ep. 349. TV. Prod. Fox Broadcasting company. April 3. Tuñon, Emilio. 2016. "Una conversación con Manuel y Francisco Aires Mateus | A conversation with Manuel and Francisco Aires Mateus." El Croquis 186. Maddalena Laddaga - The Catalogue as a Research Methodology 269 This paper argues the role of the catalogue as a research tool in architecture. Therefore, the investigation starts with the work of Durand: a collection of drawings of different buildings through copies, imitations and representations. Furthermore, the catalogue research investi- gates typology research projects and defines design methods. The research published by Gianfranco Caniggia proposed a more sys- Maddalena Laddaga tematic approach to architectural and urban morphology catalogues. The relevance of such The Catalogue as a Research Methodology an approach is based on understanding archi- tectural typologies considering the system of relations and the criteria to select and collect drawings. The more contemporary case of Associative design by Prof. Trummer is based on emergent systems that repeat over time because they can respond to different social and environmental factors. How can the meth- odological approach of architectural catalogues drive and outline the research in architecture? The question is addressed through the three mentioned research methodologies. Maddalena Laddaga - The Catalogue as a Research Methodology 271 In the academic context, the catalogue approach applied in architectural research and design frequently becomes a pedagogical method for architectural courses from the past to the contemporary age. The paper investigates different researchers and approaches in cataloguing involved in both domains: architectural teaching and research. Without a historical approach, Durand, Caniggia, and Trummer are unusually compared despite the different points of view on the research topics; these three original cataloguing ap- proaches are also used methodologically in teaching and research. The cataloguing tool is identified mainly in Du- rand and Caniggia’s works, not usually attributed to Trum- Maddalena Laddaga graduated in architecture mer’s, although he digitally used it for his research process. at the Politecnico di Bari. She has developed How cataloguing based on collection drawings is suitable research projects in India and worked in archi- to analyse and define some evidence for a research-by-de- tectural firms between Rome and Berlin. Since sign process? Could digital or analogical catalogues in ar- 2020, Maddalena has been co-director of chitectural research share the same principles? This article CoDesignLab, with projects exhibited at Venice investigates through research case studies focusing on ar- Biennale 2021 (Italian Pavilion) and published chitectural catalogues as a driver for generating architec- widely. She was an associate researcher of the tural typologies and research methods. On the one hand, African Off-grid housing project at the Universi- the catalogue is usually a collection of selected drawings. ty of Westminster in London and an associate On the other hand, the cataloguing act can be an analysing lecturer at Central Saint Martins – UAL, Lon- device, with specific methods and parameters settled. don. Maddalena is currently a Ph.D. candidate The catalogue is part of methodological research in ar- at DAStU- Politecnico di Milano, Department of chitecture to collect, organise and show objects. Firstly, Architecture and Urban Studies. the catalogue starts with a criteria selection: defining the Maddalena Laddaga - The Catalogue as a Research Methodology 273 parameters, accepted variables, and research boundaries collecting accurate drawings: plans, sections and elevations that outline the framework. The second phase includes ob- are selected, arranged and juxtaposed for architectural ele- ject selection: processing by defined catalogue parameters. ments like staircases, galleries, and courtyards. The book’s Third, the collection phase: assembling the catalogue, could first volume has two sections: "Elements of Buildings" and be based on a drawing collection in architectural research. "Combination of the Elements of Buildings". The book’s The last phase is the architectural representation of the pedagogical program is to offer a formal system for design- catalogue, the graphically design solution to present the ing new buildings for students. The publication can be con- research. sidered a manual of architectural composition. Durand’s method can be fixed in three stages as defined by Attilio Cataloguing and Collecting Drawings Petruccioli: (1) the study of the architectural elements, (2) This article starts with two books by Jean-Nicolas-Louis the assembly of these elements into systems, and (3) the ad- Durand (1760-1834). The first one, Recueil et parallèle des aptation of a formal scheme to a designed use (Petruccioli édifices de tout genre anciens et moderns, as explained in 1997, 8). Thus, Durand’s approach is articulated in copy- the title, is a collection of existing buildings selected by ing and imitating buildings by programs to design new the author and repurposed with the process of copy and buildings adopting a closed formal system; history is not reproduction (Durand 1801). The result is many beautiful essential in Durand’s method. Furthermore, the definition plates where he collected the drawings of theatres, muse- of rules in architectural design: the grid and the axis for a ums, libraries, etc. The goal was to identify specific build- geometrical composition, beyond the building programs. ings by programmatic categories. The second one, written Antoine Picon describes the durable impact of Durand’s for students, The Précis des leçons d’architecture données à research in his essay. He argues: “Not only did Durand’s l'École Polytechnique, is a publication for an introductory work survive the decline in the teaching of architecture at course in architecture for future engineers. The word Type the École Polytechnique and the demise of the École des is never used in his two books; his theoretical approach Beaux-Arts, today, after nearly two centuries, it still seems was defining a building design method. He used the word to retain its power to disturb. So durable an impact is in- ‘genre’ and classified buildings according to their programs. triguing” (Picon 2000, 1-8). In the eyes of Picon, Durand’s The catalogue becomes a tool for teaching architecture and work is still valuable through the centuries. Maddalena Laddaga - The Catalogue as a Research Methodology 275 Cataloguing as a Method for Typology Research dwellings. In addition, he introduced the topic of systemic The typology in architecture is a large and complex topic; variation (variante sistemica) in the development housing because of that, the paper focuses on the relationship with system. catalogue methodology. A valid example is the work of Gi- anfranco Caniggia, the research published in Architectural Cataloguing and Imitation Composition and Building Typology proposed a systematic Quatremère de Quincy is often quoted in typology discus- approach (Caniggia and Maffei 2001). For Caniggia, as for sions. The publication of Le Dictionnaire Historique d'Ar- Durand, the publication highlights the pedagogical meth- chitecture in 1832, is the master starter point (de Quincy odology; the book comes from Caniggia’s ten years of ar- and Chrysostôme 1832). The type is a conceptual meaning; chitectural design course of "Composizione architettonica" the theory of imitation governed his work and research. at the University of Florence and one chapter is dedicat- The catalogue is the dictionary’s research system, and the ed to their didactic program. Besides the volume Lettura dictionary as manifesto is a collection of drawings based dell’edilizia di base, he analysed and classified similar mor- on repetition and imitation, expressed with the concept phological configurations of the medieval Italian cities of of mode as a reproduction of objects. For Quatremère de Genoa, Florence, and Rome (Caniggia and Maffei 1984). Quincy, as explained by Samir Younés, “The model, under- Furthermore, a large number of analysis drawings in the stood in the sense of practical execution, is an object that publication are housing. Firstly, he begins the catalogue by should be repeated as it is; contrariwise, the ‘type’ is an ob- replicating specific and selected dwelling drawings with ject after which each artist can conceive works that bear no plans and elevations. Secondly, he set up a comparative resemblance to each other. All is precise and given when it analysis with a grid system to compare the proportions and comes to the model, while all is more or less vague when it dimensions of the selected building in plans and façades. comes to the type” ( Younés 1999, 255). He analysed similar morphological configurations with Furthermore, Sylvia Levin, in her PhD thesis on Quatre- many references to row houses and apartment houses. mère de Quincy, argues that the Type is the idea of an object Thirdly, he summarises in clear diagrams to classify some with its model and its application. The dictionary is struc- specific concepts: the hierarchy in the relationship between tured as a collection of drawings that is an instrument to houses and roads and the evolution system in the analysed explain his theoretical principles. “Quatremere’s system of Maddalena Laddaga - The Catalogue as a Research Methodology 277 architectural typology, however, effected one final change when it became the central element in the generation of a new theory of architectural imitation” (Lavin 1990, 102). Cataloguing in the Associative Design Approach Although the case of ‘Associative design’ is opposite from the precedent mentioned research for both the approach and results, even though it is a pedagogical method as for the other cases. Professor Peter Trummer was the head of the Associative Design Program at the Berlage Institute in Rotterdam from 2004 to 2010. The didactic method was tested with students in the urbanisation frame with com- putational techniques to define disciplinary knowledge. In his program, the computational principles are ruled by a theoretical frame, starting from the environment and con- text; the collecting data became constraints in the design method to inform the computational process. Contrary to typological research, Peter Trummer expounds the idea of ‘population thinking’, from type base method to a population-based approach. He explains the concept of population thinking with the idea of multiplicity in a context. Population thinking, from biology, is a design approach of variations that informs a group of objects or a group of components or buildings. Taking inspiration from biology, Trummer argues: “A species concept is used Durand and Caniggia: grid proportion system (image by the to designate a class or a family of similar objects” (Trum- author). Maddalena Laddaga - The Catalogue as a Research Methodology 279 mer 2011, 179-197). Trummer uses a concept of architectur- al objects: “Associative design means that you design the geometrical logic of the object, and therefore, all its conse- quential variations” (Sigler 2006, 30-31). He describes the process of assembling it: “We can say that the process of differentiation occurs between the constraints of the archi- tectural primitives and the external forces that affect the negotiation between them”. Through parametric design, the research defines multiple variations based on the same geometry; frequently, the multiple variation system results are shown in a catalogue. Thus, the process is fascinating; it is controlled and articulated by a catalogue method with a collection of drawing possible solutions. Trummer defines: “Parametric design techniques define geometrical or archi- tectural primitives as the object that are variable by their metrical or dimensional parameter”. The catalogue can also be a valuable tool for showing, collecting and selecting re- sults using a parametric design process. Conclusion Through the discussed experiences, the catalogue is labelled as a research tool and a pedagogical method. On the one hand, the catalogue is based on drawings, and sometimes drawings are imitation activities, a copy and reproduction of the architectural buildings in a circular process of a nev- Durand, Caniggia, and ‘Associative design research program’: er-ending architectural design system, as for Durand and housing drawings (image by the author). Maddalena Laddaga - The Catalogue as a Research Methodology 281 Quatremère de Quincy. On the other hand, it is used to collect and fix numerous variable solutions or to explain a complex and articulated process, as in Peter Trummer’s case. The research instrument could show relevant analysis in morphologic dwelling development as in Caniggia and Maffei’s research. In addition, such an analytical approach is graphically organised in a grid, matrix and diagram to compare similarities and differences. The method is ad- opted in many and very different ways in the architectural domain while surpassing the historical point of view and the historical application of the catalogue. This method in architecture can be composed of a set of functional, typo- logical, or variation criteria. The multiple approaches and application methods still define the tool as a versatile drive for architectural investigation. Bibliography Caniggia, Gianfranco, and Maffei, Gian Luigi. 2001. Archi- tectural Composition and Building Typology: Interpreting Basic Building. Firenze: Alinea. Caniggia, Gianfranco, and Maffei, Gian Luigi. 2008. Lettu- ra dell'edilizia di base. Firenze: Alinea. Caniggia, Gianfranco, and Maffei, Gian Luigi. 1984. Il pro- getto nell’edilizia di base. Venezia: Marsilio. Carpo, Mario. 2011. The Alphabet and the Algorithm. Cam- Caniggia and ‘Associative design research program’ diagrams bridge: MIT Press. (image by the author). Maddalena Laddaga - The Catalogue as a Research Methodology 283 Cristi , Cristobal Stock. Youtube channel . 2017. “Associative plan les notions historiques, descriptives, archéologiques, bi- design”. Berlage Institute, Netherlands. Accessed June 14, ographiques, théoriques, didac-tiques et pratiques de cet art. 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvoFtgPkNfw. France: Librairie d'Adrien Le Clere. Durand, Jean-Nicolas-Louis. 1801. Recueil et parallèle des Sigler, Jennifer, and van Toorn, Roemer. 2006. "Associativ- édifices de tout genre anciens et modernes. Paris. ity." In Hunch: Beyond Mapping: Projecting the City. Delft: Durand, Jean-Nicolas-Louis. 1802-1805. Précis des leçons Berlage Institute. d'architecture données à l'École Polytech-nique, 2 vols. Paris. Trummer, Peter. 2011. "Associative Design: From Type to Lee, Christopher C.M. 2011. "Type" The city as a Project. Ac- Population." In Computational Design Thinking: Computa- cessed July 07, 2023. http://thecityasaproject.org/2011/08/ tion Design Thinking, edited by Achim Menges and Sean type/. Ahlquist, no. 178. London: Wiley. Lavin, Sylvia. 1990. "Quatremère de Quincy and the Inven- Younés, Samir. 1999. The True, the Fictive, and the Real: tion of a Modern Language of Architecture." PhD diss., Co- The Historical Dictionary of Architecture of Quatremère de lumbia University. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1992. Quincy. London: Andreas Papadakis. Moneo, Rafael. 1978. "On Typology." Oppositions, no. 13: 23-45. Petruccioli, Attilio. 1998. "Typological Process and Design Theory." Proceedings: International Symposium. Held at M.I.T., Cambridge on March 1995. United States: Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture at Harvard University. Picon, Antoine. 2000. "From 'Poetry of Art' to Method: The Theory of Jean-Nicolas-Louis Durand." In Précis of the Lec- tures on Architecture: With Graphic Portion of the Lectures on Architecture, by Jean-Nicolas-Louis Durand. 1-8. United States: Getty Research Institute. Quatremère de Quincy, Antoine Chrysostôme. 1832. Dic- tionnaire historique d'architecture, comprenant dans son Silvia Di Mauro - Research by Design: an Interactive System 285 The paper reflects on the characteristics of research by design in architecture, particularly the role of theory and design in research devel- opment. Following an overview of the leading models of approaches derived from previous literature, this article suggests its principles and purposes; the paper proposes the analysis of Silvia Di Mauro an emblematic case study, ‘A Field of Walls’ by Dogma, to break down and analyse the roles of Research by Design: an Interactive System theory and design in the various stages of re- search development. Beginning with observa- tions conducted referring to the abstract phase division proposed by Roggema, the paper identifies the main fruitful interactions between research and project, from whose mutual influ- ence the methodological quality and clarity of research objectives emerge. The synthesis of three phases of interaction emphasises how, in its development processes, research by design is permeated and stimulated by the principles of interdependence and exchange. Silvia Di Mauro - Research by Design: an Interactive System 287 The establishment of research by design as a shared ap- proach in academia has intensified the need to study and under-stand the role of the design act and the critical de- sign mindset in producing architectural research. In the broad context of architectural scholarly production, re- search by design is configured as a precise research strategy in which the project is considered to become the primary vehicle for creating new perspectives, knowledge, insight, and understanding (Verbeke 2016). Beginning with the structural differences between scientif- ic research, which is analytical and objective, and research by design, which is non-cumulative, exploratory, and sub- jective in methodologies (Roggema 2016), the impossibility of harnessing this research methodology into a regular pro- cess, as is the science case, immediately emerges. The essential condition that multiplies scientific approach- es and products lies precisely in the critical interpretive approach resulting from the project. It also emerges by analysing the EAAE Charter on architectural research, Silvia Di Mauro is a Ph.D. candidate at Politecni- in which no methodology is provided. However, guiding co di Milano from 2022. She attained a bache- criteria are identified to interpret the general principles of lor’s degree in Architectural Design in 2018 and originality, significance, and rigour through the discipline’s a master’s degree cum laude in Architecture tools: “Design is the fundamental way of thinking and pro- Built Environment Interiors in 2021, both at Po- cess of knowledge production” (EAAE 2022). litecnico di Milano. Her main field of research Several models of approaches to architectural research have explores the spatial potentialities of architectural been proposed in academia to understand the complexi- design in recycling projects of minor heritage. Silvia Di Mauro - Research by Design: an Interactive System 289 ty of this investigation method, which refers primarily to truth) is researched, while the projection is concerned with the purpose of the research. One of the most influential is how things could be (the ideal). In the final stage of the Christopher Frayling’s (1993) triad of research: Into, For, research, the synthesis is concerned with how things will and Through, in which the third one includes the idea of be (the real)” (Roggema 2016), also identifying the rela- research guided by the project connected more to the realm tionships between project and research during the phases; of practice, where research remains in most cases tacit. “during the pre-phase research and design are coupled, Furthermore, Jeremy Till’s model, outlined in a paper for during the design phase they are interwoven and in the the RIBA Research Committee, integrates Frayling’s ap- post-design phase they are decoupled” (Rocca 2021). proach by proposing a thematic division of the scope of However, more than in its relational logic, the role of design research into categories: architectural process, architectural can be interpreted in an interactive logic with research, as products, and architectural performance. The stages de- an instrument of intrusion, opening, and interruption of scribe the processes and temporal phases of architectural theoretical practices, capable of moving research forward production, in which each step is contingent on the other. through iterative loops (Till 2008). The system makes it possible to identify precise fields of inquiry in which academia and profession can find com- Case Study: A Field of Walls mon ground through exchanging practical and theoretical The article reflects on the research-by-design method by knowledge. analysing a case study through a decomposition of the roles In 2016, Rob Roggema conducted an in-depth investiga- of research and design in the various stages of research, tion into the role of design in research and the potential dissecting their interactions. The analysis follows the of opening research through design, defining a step-by- methodology of subdividing previously cited into pre-de- step methodology for carrying out research by design. sign, design, and post-design phases. These categories are The project proposed an abstract and relational approach, understood here as abstract and with dashed edges. The identified as the research heart. The three phases are called purpose of the investigation is not to propose a research pre-design, design, and post-design, and consist of a cog- methodology or to confirm this structure as accurate but to nitive phase, design making, and a communication phase, try to get into the depths of the complexity of the topic by “During the analysis, the way things currently are (the interpreting the interactions between research and design Silvia Di Mauro - Research by Design: an Interactive System 291 through the roles they play in the different stages of the re- from a theoretical point of view by proposing a reading of search process. The reference case study is A Field of Walls previous scholarly contributions, the research builds its by Dogma Studio, a research carried out to contribute to context. The critical design act in the pre-design phase can the Piranesi variation exhibition in response to the theme be identified in moving the theoretical foundations con- "Common Ground" for the 13th International Architecture structed through research to the situation of the design Exhibition in Venice, directed by David Chipperfield. context. The commons, understood as the basic principles It is necessary to place the project in its context to under- for production, which emerge in different forms in indi- stand the research aims. The theme of common ground is vidual design action, are used as an interpretive tool of the intended by the curator with the intention “to create a dia- context. The wall, which embodies the essential elements of logue around the discipline of architecture” and again, “the the structure of the city designed by Piranesi, is identified biennial theme encourages the exploration of shared ideas as a principle that, in its relational nature, builds the struc- and affinities within the profession, the common ground ture of the city, as opposed to the role of the street in the that we must determine is that between the profession and contemporary city. the society, it wished to represent: overcoming an individu- From the beginning of the approach to the topic, the de- alist conception of architectural production to develop the sign act is used as a cognitive tool and a verification of the discipline through dialogue (Chipperfield 2012). research content. Although we can establish the need for Using the classification proposed by Jeremy Till, A Field a research phase before the project, excluding a review of Walls can be considered research on the architectural following the design verification is impossible. We could process (Till 2008), in which, through the project, the role identify the relationship between research and design in of architectural production to express common values is the pre-design phase as dialectical, based on comparing investigated and recognised in the ability of the project to and verifying knowledge through interpretation. embody a principium individuationis, such as projects as The design phase composes the heart of research by design Le Corbusier’s Maison Dom-Ino and the Mies van der Ro- and is also the most hermetic to analyse. During the de- he’s Skin and Bones architecture (Aureli 2012). sign phase, research takes on the character of the theory. In A Field of Walls, the pre-design cognitive phase consists Aureli fixes the role of architecture and form in society, of framing the general question of the meaning of common filling the project with political values. Against all forms Silvia Di Mauro - Research by Design: an Interactive System 293 of post-Fordist production, he argues for freeing the pro- duction process and the architectural product from the authorship of a single. Stressing the sense of Common, he recognises the capacity of the form to embody a common value of the public role of architecture in society. The pro- ject at this stage assumes the dual role of object of study and means of carrying out the study (Roggerma 2016). The project is configured as a purifying operation to “produce a generic architectural language whose common datum is its architectural objecthood itself ” (Aureli 2012) in which the wall is the only element to compose the architecture, freeing itself from use, spatial typologies and further archi- tectural elements. It is a synthesis between interpretation and theory, but in the final balance between the parts, it is impossible to split the role of stimulation of the advance- ment of one in the other, as it is closely related to the cre- ative process of the design act. In fact, starting from the context-generating principle, the project extremes the role of the wall as an element of relationship by superimposing a system of fifteen new monolithic walls of a single material that intersect the context by defining infinite relationships with the topography, existing buildings, and open space. While the project represents a particular application, that is, in a given context of the subject under investigation, the theory identifies its principles, which, as Aldo Rossi says, “as fundamentals have no history, they are fixed and un- Fig. 1. Diagram: The common (image by the author). Silvia Di Mauro - Research by Design: an Interactive System 295 changing but continuously different can be the concrete solutions, the answers that architects give to concrete ques- tions” (Rossi 1978, 327). The interaction between design and research results is unclear. Research and design find, at the end of the research process, their independence as communication tools through their media, text, and draw- ing (understood as a means of representation: architectural drawing, diagrams, models, photorealistic representations, etc.). Their close interdependence remains, but from the communication perspective, they take their independent form that depends on the communication context. The re- search finds the form of written theoretical contribution, in the case analysed the essay, whose role is to address the academic community, exposing with scientific rigour the totality of the research path, separating the theoretical principles which permeated the project in the previous stages, from the form, bringing out the architect’s techni- cal, artistic, and humanistic knowledge that intensify the design process. As discussed, the radical nature of the field- of-wall project makes its theoretical implication evident in the form, which is why the project’s complex communica- tion tools, which include drawing and text, express the cen- trality ofdesign even in the independence between the two parts. The more the overall communication of the research is effective in its media, the more the research process inter- sects research and design. Fig. 2. Diagram: Interaction (image by the author). Silvia Di Mauro - Research by Design: an Interactive System 297 Conclusion ments, etc. Despite the variety of scientific products that the architec- During the concluding phase of the research, in the inter- tural discipline allows and that reflect the complexity of the action between text and design as independent elements, architectural product and its processes, in the methodol- the research and the project clarify their sometimes am- ogy by design, a synthesis of creativity and knowledge is biguous and unstable linkage, also allowing the opening devel-oped to establish innovative and alternative practices of further fields of inquiry derived from open conclusions (Valente and Andreola 2017). or interpretation of the content and offering themselves as To summarise the observations abstractly and incomplete further re-search tools improving the knowledge loops. In in the singularity of the parts, one could use the exchanges their mutual influence, the interactions produce different between research and project to identify fruitful interac- results closely related to the author. The three identified in- tions of development in the different steps, in which both teractions also turn out to be understood as part of a more research and project concur and from whose mutual influ- extensive system. By Design means guiding those interac- ence emerges the quality of the methodology and the clarity tions with a transformative aim and bringing them to build of the objectives: "knowledge vs interpretation", "theory vs the very core of the research: a vision of and for the future. project", "text vs drawing". In the interaction step between Openness to the exchange and mutual influencing of causes "knowledge vs interpretation", the theoretical and design is the lifeblood of research. Through the exchange, research planes meet through the framing of a point of view that de- by design can find a concrete impact in the advancement line-ates the edges of both theoretical and design research, of the discipline; its role turns out to be pivotal, “You make transferring from the cognitive plane to the applicative architecture in theory, you produce thought about archi- plane, be-coming a key to the interpretation of the project tecture. This is how one continues to make architecture” theme, thus testing its effectiveness as an interpretive tool. (Valente and Andreola 2017, 176). Research frames its conceptual contribution to the disci- pline in the interaction between theory and design. It can refer to all categories of research that place the project as Bibliography the centre of the investigation, whether it advances in de- Aureli, Pier Vittorio. 2016. “Learning from architecture.” In sign methods and tools, development of construction ele- Prototypes and Paradigms. 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