MICHELANGELO

03 DONATO BRAMANTE // LUCIANO LAURANA

THE DEFINITION OF THE ORGANISM

SANTA MARIA DELLA PACE PALAZZO DUCALE

ROME, 1482 C.E. URBINO, 1454 C.E.

Santa Maria Della Pace and Palazzo Ducale present opposite approaches to defining a corner.

Bramante’s Della Pace uses an orderly composition of columns based on a repeating grid. This pattern is accentuated by imposed pilasters that also repeat at every bay. However, when the corners meet, the column vanishes from sight (red is used to highlight what cannot be seen). What remains visible are the edges of a single unique pilaster, whose form originates from the intersection of two pilasters that meet together at ninety degrees.

Laurana’s Palazzo Ducale perhaps represents the inverse of this relationship. Here, the columns extend outwards from the corner and remain largely visible. Pilasters do not accentuate the column bays, but instead act as bookends at the corners which terminate the repetitive condition. Here, the corner’s presence is active, and is used to clearly mark the edges of the cortile.