Complessità e contraddizioni nell'architettura

Why is it that the best theorists are architects who just can't seem to design the type of buildings they advocate?

Probably my favorite architectural theory book read to date. Very easy to understand the key points, and complete a useful system of analysis and framing. The "dialectical narrative" follows that architecture, as lineage, modernism included (in it's best sense), is complex and contradictory. Finis.

Exceeds even highest expectations. Begins like this (and barely relents): I like elements which are hybrid rather than "pure," compromising rather than "clean," distorted rather than "straightforward," ambiguous rather than "articulated," perverse as well as impersonal, boring as well as "interesting Leggi tutto

So so. Decent photographs but fairly banal text.

Ideas y planteamientos revolucionarios para la arquitectura racional y simplificista de la epoca que aún resultan aplicables. Me ha parecido interesante de leer pero tortuoso. Las interminables enumeraciónes de ejemplos, lo mal que escribe el pobre y la horrible traducción al español te hacen pasar Leggi tutto

Architects often speak in numinous abstractions. It's what's made guys like Kahn and Carlo Scarpa and Aldo Rossi and Alvar Aalto into saints. Though Venturi has many personal idiosyncrasies, he isn't quite so spiritual in his approach to his work. I appreciate his pragmatism in this small but sweepi Leggi tutto

Every architect or architectural student should read it he gives an outstanding historical review of many architectural ideas.... From the first few pages you will learn that complexity and contradiction in architecture is a good thing, less is abroad, more is good!

This 1966 work is a response to certain dogmas of modern architecture, especially those that simpler is always better and that form must follow from function. Following a primarily historical line of argument (there are many dozens of photographs of European cathedrals), Venturi makes the case that