Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Into the Future
Though Italy became famous for its cutting-edge international fashion and design indus-
tries in the second half of the 20th century, the same can't be said for its architecture. One
of the few high points came in 1956, when architect Giò Ponti and engineer Pier Luigi
Nervi designed Milan's slender, international Pirelli Tower. Ponti was the highly influen-
tial founding editor of the international architecture and design magazine Domus, which
had begun publication in 1928; and Nervi was at the forefront of the development of rein-
forced concrete, an innovation that changed the face of modern architecture.
Later in the century, architects such as Carlo Scarpa, Aldo Rossi and Paolo Portoghesi
took Italian architecture in different directions. Scarpa was well known for his organic ar-
chitecture, particularly the Brion Tomb and Sanctuary at San Vito d'Altivole. Rossi was
awarded the Pritzker Prize in 1990, and was known for both his writing (eg The Architec-
ture of the City in 1966) and design work. Paolo Portoghesi is an architect, academic and
writer with a deep interest in classical architecture. His best-known Italian building is the
Central Mosque (1974) in Rome, famed for its luminously beautiful interior.
After a long period of decline, Italian architecture is back on the world stage, with ar-
chitects and firms such as Massimiliano Fuksas; King, Roselli & Ricci; Cino Zucchi;
Ian+; ABDR Architetti Associati; 5+1; Garofalo Miura; and Beniamino Servino designing
innovative buildings.
The current king of the scene is Renzo Piano, whose international projects include Lon-
don's scene-stealing Shard skyscraper and the Centre Culturel Tjibaou in Nouméa, New
Caledonia. At home, recent projects include his bold Museo delle Scienze (MUSE) in
Trento. Composed of a series of voids and volumes that seemingly float on water, its strik-
ing design echoes the area's dramatic mountain landscape. Further south in Rome, Piano's
2002 Auditorium Parco della Musica is considered one of his greatest achievements to
date.
Piano's heir apparent is Massimiliano Fuksas, whose projects are as whimsical as they
are visually arresting. Take, for instance, his brand new Nuovo Centro Congressi (New
Congress Center) in Rome's EUR, dubbed the 'Nuvola' (Cloud) for its 'floating', glass-
encased auditorium. Other Fuksas highlights include the futuristic Milan Trade Fair Build-
ing and the San Paolo Parish Church in Foligno.
High-profile foreign architects have also shaken things up. In Florence, Arata Isozaki
extended the Uffizi gallery. In Venice, David Chipperfield extended the Isola di San
Michele's cemetery, while Tadao Ando oversaw the city's acclaimed Punta della Dogana
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