ALDO ROSSIITALIAN ARCHITECT

BY ISAAC SWANSON

ALDO ROSSI• Born May 3rd 1931 in Milan,

Italy.

• Died September 4th 1997 in Milan, Italy.

• Married Swiss Actress.

• Father of 2 children.

• Internationally Recognized.

ALDO ROSSI

• Theorist

• Writer

• Product Designer

• Artist and Painter

• Architect

EDUCATION

• EARLY EDUCATION – SOMASCAN RELIGIOUS ORDER (MILAN)

• COLLEGE – ALESSANDRO VOLTA COLLEGE (LECCO)

• UNIVERSITY – POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF MILAN (1949-1959)

PROFESSIONAL CAREER

• ARCHITECT – STUDIO IGNAZIO GARDELLA (1956), STUDIO MARCO ZANUSO (1963).

• INSTRUCTOR – ASSISTANT INSTRUCTOR – AREZZO SCHOOL OF URBAN PLANNING

(1963), ASSISTANT INSTRUCTOR - INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTURE IN VENICE (1963),

LECTURER – POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF MILAN (1965), CHAIR OF ARCHITECTURAL

DESIGN – ETH ZURICH (1971-75), INSTRUCTOR – COOPER UNION IN NEW YORK CITY,

INSTRUCTOR - CORNELL UNIVERSITY IN ITHACA NY, INSTITUTE FOR ARCHITECTURE

AND URBAN STUDIES WITH THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART.

• DESIGNER – UNIFOR (NOW MOLTENI FURNITURE) (1989), ALESSI (1986-88), PIRELLI.

ALDO ROSSI’S THEORY

A CITY MUST BE STUDIED AND VALUED AS SOMETHING CONSTRUCTED

OVER TIME, ARCHITECTURE HAS DEVELOPED CERTAIN CONTINUOUS FORMS

AND IDEAS; OF PARTICULAR INTEREST ARE URBAN ARTIFACTS THAT

WITHSTAND THE PASSAGE OF TIME. THE CITY REMEMBERS ITS PAST WITH A

COLLECTIVE MEMORY THAT WE USE THROUGH MONUMENTS TO GIVE

STRUCTURE TO THE CITY. AN ARCHITECT MUST RESPECT THE FABRIC OF

THE CITY RATHER THAN DISRUPT IT WITH SHOCKINGLY NEW

ARCHITECTURE.” – ALDO ROSSI

• ORIGINATED FROM ALDO ROSSI’S THEORIES. HE IS CONSIDERED TO BE

THE FATHER OF THE POSTMODERN NEORATIONALISM MOVEMENT.

Postmodern Neorationalism

• ALDO ROSSI’S CONCEPTUALIZED DESIGN WAS INFLUENCED BY 1920’S

ITALIAN MODERNISM, THE CLASSICIST INFLUENCES OF VIENNESE ARCHITECT

ADOLF LOOS, THE REFLECTIONS OF THE PAINTER GIRORGIO DE CHIRICO AND

IMPRESSIONS OF STALINIST ARCHITECTURE.

• IN SEEKING TO DEVELOP AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE CITY BEYOND SIMPLE

FUNCTIONALISM, ROSSI REVIVES THE IDEA OF TYPOLOGY AS A METHOD FOR

UNDERSTANDING BUILDINGS, AS WELL AS THE LARGER CITY. HE ALSO

WRITES OF THE IMPORTANCE OF MONUMENTS AS EXPRESSIONS OF THE

COLLECTIVE MEMORY OF THE CITY, AND THE IDEA OF PLACE AS AN

EXPRESSION OF BOTH PHYSICAL REALITY AND HISTORY.

PUBLISHED WRITINGS• CASABELLA-CONTINUITA – ITALIAN ARCHITECTURAL

MAGAZINE (1955-1964)

• SCRITTI SCELTI SULL’ARCHITETTURA E LA CITTA (SELECTED

WRITINGS ON ARCHITECTURE AND THE CITY (1956-1972)

• L’ARCHITETTURA DELLA CITTA (THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE

CITY) WHICH BECAME AN ARCHITECTURAL CLASSIC (1966)

• A SCIENTIFIC AUTOBIOGRAPHY (ALDO ROSSI’S

AUTOBIOGRAPHY) (1981)

CONCEPT AND DESIGN

• ROSSI’S ARCHITECTURAL WORK IS BASED OFF OF ORIGINAL

FORMS OF ARCHITECTURE IN NORTHERN ITALY. THIS WORK

IS BASED OFF OF 5 AREAS, CONE, CHIMNEY, BAPTISTERY,

THEATER, AND PASSAGEWAY.

• “HIS BUILDINGS SEEM TO BE DRAWN FROM A MEMORY

THAT EXISTS OUTSIDE OF TIME, A MEDITATION ON HISTORY

AND THE ESSENCE OF ARCHITECTURE.” - UNKNOWN

ART AND DESIGN

ALDO ROSSI ALSO DESIGNED FUNCTIONAL FURNITURE AND OBJECTS.

ART AND DESIGN

Drawing of Hotel il Palazzo (1987)

Drawing of Quartier Schützenstrasse (1994)

Abstract plan/drawing of San Cataldo Cemetery (1971)Sketch of Ca'di Cozzi (1996)

ART AND DESIGN

AWARDS• 1971 – WON DESIGN COMPETITION FOR SAN CATALDO

CEMETERY.

• 1979 – BECAME MEMBER OF ACADEMY OF SAINT LUKE.

• 1984 – WON DESIGN COMPETITION TO RENOVATE TEATRO CARLO FELICE IN GENOA.

• 1987 – WON INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION AT PARC DE LA VILLETTE IN PARIS, FRANCE.

• 1987 – WON INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION FOR THE DEUTSCHES HISTORISCHES MUSEUM IN BERLIN, GERMANY.

• 1990 – AWARDED THE PRESTIGIOUS PRITZKER PRIZE FOR ARCHITECTURE.

• 1991 - AWARDED THE THOMAS JEFFERSON MEDAL IN ARCHITECTURE FROM THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS.

AWARDS

• 1991- AWARDED THE "CAMPIONE D'ITALIA" NEL MONDO PRIZE.

• HE WAS NOMINATED HONOURARY MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ARTS AND LETTERS OF NEW YORK.

• 1996 - RECEIVED THE CULTURA PRIZE FOR THE ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN SECTOR. 

• 1996 – HONORARY MEMBER OF AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ARTS AND LETTERS.

• 1997 – POSTHUMOUSLY RECEIVED THE TORRE GUINIGI PRIZE FOR HIS CONTRIBUTION TO URBAN STUDIES.

• 1997 – POSTHUMOUSLY RECEIVED THE SEASIDE PRIZE OF THE SEASIDE INSTITUTE.

FAMOUS ARCHITECTURAL WORKS

SAN CATALDO CEMETERY IN MODENA, ITALY (1971-84)

TEATRO DEL MONDO (1979) VENICE, ITALY

This 250 seat  floating Teatro del Mondo was designed by Aldo Rossi for the 1979 Venice Biennale.

CENTRO DIREZIONALE FONTIVEGGE (1982) PERUGIA, ITALY

CITY HALL OF BORGORICCO (1983) BORGORICCO, ITALY

LA VILLETTE SUD (1986-91) PARIS, FRANCE

BLOCK 10 KOCHSTRAẞE (1987) WEST BERLIN, GERMANY

TEATRO CARLO FELICE OPERA HOUSE (1991) GENOA, ITALY

ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDING FOR DISNEY (1991) ORLANDO, FLORIDA

Aldo Rossi’s only building designed and built in the United States.

QUARTIER SCHÜTZENSTRASSE (1994-98) BERLIN, GERMANY

BONNEFANTENMUSEUM(1995) MAASTRICHT, NETHERLANDS

CA'DI COZZI (1996) VERONA, ITALY

CA'DI COZZI WAS THE LAST ARCHITECTURAL PROJECT OF ALDO ROSSI, A NEIGHBORHOOD OF SHOPS, OFFICES AND APARTMENTS IN THE OUTSKIRTS OF VERONA, ITALY.

AS IN MOST OF HIS PROJECTS, ROSSI USED LOCAL MATERIALS FOR BUILDING, CIRCULAR AND TRIANGULAR CEILINGS, RECESSED WINDOWS, CORNICES, COLUMNS AND PORTICOS OF WAYS.

REFERENCES

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldo_Rossi

http://architect.architecture.sk/aldo-rossi-architect/aldo-rossi-architect.php

http://www.designboom.com/eng/exhibition/rossi1.html

http://www.cca.qc.ca/en/collection/541-aldo-rossi-archive

http://www.pritzkerprize.com/1990/announcement

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/510204/Aldo-Rossi

http://bbrebel.com/tag/aldo-rossi/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rationalism_%28architecture%29