4000 WORDS ESSAY Architects:
Robert Charles Venturi, JR and Aldo Rossi
Buildings:
the Guild House and the Cemetery of San Cataldo
Hizkia Irwanto Gouw 378785 Architectural Cultures 2: After Modernism 702689 4000 Words Essay Lecturer
: Annmarie Brennan
Tutor
: Byron Kinnaird
Class
: Friday, 11am – 4.15pm
Deadline
: 12th November 2010 1
Introduction
Both Robert Charles Venturi, Jr and Aldo Rossi were considered as the pioneers of Postmodern architecture. Their writings and buildings react against the modernist movement which “shunned the symbolism of form as an expression or reinforcement of content.”1 Venturi’s book Complexity and Contradiction (1966) rejects the over-simplistic approach of the modernists, such as Mies van der Rohe’s work in Barcelona Pavilion. Rossi’s Architecture of the City (1966), which was released almost at the same time as Venturi’s Complexity and Contradiction, criticizes the modernists for abandoning historical and contextual value in architecture. Additionally, in Venturi’s second celebrated book, Learning from Las Vegas (1972), he proposed the terms ‘decorated shed’ and ‘the duck’ which denote the differentiation between two approaches of symbolism in architecture. The ‘decorated shed’ refers to the ordinary building that applies symbols.2 The ‘duck’ illustrates the inability of the architects to integrate symbolism; as a result, the building becomes one big symbol.3 By creating term the ‘duck’ Venturi wants to criticize the modernists that refused to acknowledge symbolism. On the contrary, Rossi’s writings never mentioned the word ‘symbolism’, however his projects speak that language; there are layers of meanings and histories that were symbolized.
This essay will compare and contrast the use of symbolism in Venturi’s and Rossi’s works. It will use Venturi’s Guild House (1960-1963) (Fig.1) and Rossi’s Cemetery of San Cataldo (1971-1981) (Fig.2) as the projects to be analyzed. Those projects could be considered to be highlights of Venturi’s and Rossi’s architectural careers. Another reason to choose those projects is due to their relationship to the social contexts. Both of them have a significant contribution for the people or community that lives there. The Guild House is a six story apartment building that is located in the north of Philadelphia, United States.
Steven Izenour, Dennise Scott Brown and Robert Venturi, Learning from Las Vegas, (Massachusetts: The MIT Press, 1986), 7. 2 Izenour, Scott Brown, and Venturi, Learning from Las Vegas, 87. 3 Aaron Vinegar, I am Monument, (Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press, 2008). 58 1
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It was build for the elderly that still want to live in their old neighborhood.4 In comparison, Rossi’s Cemetery of San Cataldo in Modena, Italy, can be classified as the extension of the old neoclassical cemetery made by Ricardo Costa in 1858.5 The cemetery itself is an urban monument that was designed to appreciate the dead.
Fig. 1 The exterior look of the Guild House.
Fig. 2 Perspective drawing of the Cemetery of San Cataldo.
Thus, in order to analyze the symbolism thoroughly, this essay will be divided into three parts, which are the symbolism of form, the symbolism of history, and the symbolism of the social context. The symbolism of form refers to the use of visible features (such as form and ornamentation) in the architecture to symbolize the meaning of the design. The symbolism of history tries to investigate the use of historical context and precedent to guide their design. Then lastly, the symbolism of the social context, will analyze the relation between the buildings and society.
Symbolism of Form
In his book Learning from Las Vegas, Venturi states that “definitions of architecture as space and form at the service of program were not enough.”6 Venturi believes that forms should enrich the meaning rather than just as architecture of expression. Almost every form and design feature that he designed
Robert Venturi, Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture, 2nd ed., (New York: The Museum of Modern Art, 1996), 116. 5 Aldo Rossi, Aldo Rossi Buildings and Projects,ed. Peter Arnell and Ted Bickford (New York : Rizzoli, 1985), 88. 6 Izenour, Scott Brown, and Venturi, Learning from Las Vegas, 7. 4
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in the Guild House has a symbolic function. Sometimes they even have double functions. Firstly, from the façade itself, the large text of ‘Guild House’ already conveys a meaning. For Venturi, “building is also a sign.”7 In the Guild House he used that idea explicitly; with the intention of being seen by people from the street, he placed the over-scale sign of Guild House in the main entrance. The simple and bold font style of the Guild House refers to the term ‘decorated shed’ that he proposes, which relates to the ordinary.
From the exterior, the Guild House also represents the idea of the ordinary. From the plan and street elevation, the building creates a symmetrical geometry. The use of huge black granite column (Fig.3), the arch window (Fig.4) and the TV antenna in the middle top of the front façade emphasizes that impression. The black column at the main entrance creates a contrast to the white brick area. It is considered to be unique, as it differed from the thinner column that was widely used at that time.8 This column tried to represent the old column that people know which is big and structural. Moreover, the arch window at the top is also used to reflect the program of the interior, as it was used as the social room (Fig.5).9 In addition, the gold sculptural TV antenna added the indication of recreational space at the top floor. It also works as the symbol of American mass-media culture.
Fig. 3 The view of huge black granite column in the main entrance of the Guild House.
Fig. 4 The view of the arch window and the sculptural TV antenna at the Guild House.
Fig. 5 The interior view of the social room at the upper floor.
Izenour, Scott Brown, and Venturi, Learning from Las Vegas, 52. “Guild House,” accessed November 4, 2010, http: http://www.vsba.com/projects/fla_archive/20.html 9 Stanislaus von Moos, Venturi, Rauch & Scott Brown Buildings and Projects, (New York: Rizzoli, 1987), 282. 7 8
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Other important symbolic elements in the Guild House are the use of ornamentations. Venturi argues that ornaments should be symbolic rather than merely decorative.10 He believes that ornamentation could be used as a symbolic tool to convey the meanings of the building. The use of ornamentation plays a dominant role in the exterior of the Guild House. The white bricks are applied at the main entrance, and the dark brown bricks at other part of the façade. Venturi created the ornamental line of white bricks, which intersects the fourth floor window; as a result, it gives the images of a building with three stories, rather than the actual six stories.11 It creates a hierarchy of scales, which traditionally identified with the bottom, middle and top. Another noticeable feature is the use of windows. Windows may rarely be associated with ornamentation, however in the Guild House, the placement of different sized windows, makes them be seen as part of the ornamentation. The window itself in the Guild House is categorized as a conventional one, used unconventionally. Venturi played with the scale of the windows as they were in different sizes depending on their distance from the street.12 Again, Venturi tries to show the symbolic power of the ordinary. For him, a building does not have to be heroic and original to convey the meaning, instead by using ordinary materials, which are familiar to people, he produces an extraordinary outcome.
On the other side, Rossi believes that form means everything. He does not agree the term ‘form follow function’, on the other hand he believes that form will accommodate different functions over time.13 In his Cemetery of San Cataldo, there are three dominant forms (Fig.6), the cube, cone and triangle. Although the forms themselves look simple and banal, each of them conveys a symbolic purpose. Firstly, cube (also called ‘sanctuary’) is symbolized as a monument for people who died in the war.14 A cube with empty windows, without floor and roof, tries to represent “an abandoned or incomplete house.”15 It symbolizes the cemetery itself, which is a house of the death, and because of that, they are
Izenour Scott Brown, and Venturi, Learning from Las Vegas, 7. Venturi, Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture, 116. 12 A. Sanmartin, ed., Venturi, Rauch & Scott Brown, (London : Academy Editions, 1986), 32. 13 Aldo Rossi, The Architecture of the City, (Massachussets: The MIT Press, 1986), 129. 14 John O’regan, ed. Aldo Rossi: Selected Writings and Projects, (London: Architectural Design, 1983), 42. 15 Eugene J. Johnson, “What Remains of Man-Aldo Rossi’s Modena Cemetery,” Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians 41, no. 1 (1982): 45. 10 11
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usually architecturally abandoned. Then, the triangle and cone forms refer to the ‘Christian Trinity.’16 It talks about the cycle of life and the death. The triangle (called ‘ossuaries’) contains the burial vaults. The skeletal ribs that are added to the triangular geometry also relate to the Christian symbol of hope of rebirth.17 Rossi intelligently uses the religion aspect which closely relates to human’s life to symbolize the funerary complex. Lastly, the cone’s form reminds the 19th century Pantheon-like churches, which were used as a burial place during that time.18 In the Cemetery of San Cataldo, cone is dedicated as a communal grave for the indigent. In order to appreciate people that had been oppressed during their life time, the cone is built higher than the ‘sanctuary.’19 It shows that Rossi uses forms to relate and unite different meanings.
Fig. 6 Model’s view of the Cemetery of San Cataldo shows the three dominant forms, the cube, triangle and cone.
From the explanation of how they use the symbolism of form above, we can see the similarities and the contrasts between Venturi’s and Rossi’s approaches in architecture. Firstly, they both believe that in every form, they represent symbolic meaning. They both understand the importance of the form as a tool to convey their intentions. However, the significant difference is the way they visualize the meaning of the symbol into the form. Venturi’s form could be categorized as an explicit symbolism where Rossi’s one is more implicit. The explicit symbolism means that the form or the feature in his design is directly telling what the building is. So, it is not hard to understand the messages that Venturi
Hans Gerhard Hannesen, Aldo Rossi: Architect, (Great Britain: Academy Group LTD), 33. Hannesen, Aldo Rossi: Architect, 44. 18 Johnson, “What Remains of Man-Aldo Rossi’s Modena Cemetery,” 47. 19 O’regan, ed. Aldo Rossi: Selected Writings and Projects, 42. 16 17
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wants to communicate, such as the sculptural TV antenna. On the other hand, in Rossi’s form, the messages are implied; they are not expressly stated to the viewer. For example, the cube is only the cube for people that do not understand what it tries to represent.
There is also a different point of view between Rossi and Venturi in term of the meaning of the form. The forms in Rossi’s design are trying to be monumental and heroic. Rossi exalts the monumentality, and he considers the monument as the highest measure for the architect.20 It contrasts with the Venturi’s Guild House, which is anti-heroic and ordinary. Venturi once says that “architecture as shelter with symbols on it.”21 The building does not necessarily have to be monumental. As long it expresses the meanings, the building already completes its job.
Another obvious differentiation between both buildings is their approach in the application of the ornamentation. Venturi’s Guild House has symbolic ornaments, where Rossi’s Cemetery of San Cataldo does not. People argue that the windowless openings in the cube volume at the Cemetery of San Cataldo are ornamentation. However, unlike the ornamentation in the Guild House that sits independently from the service of the program; the windows in the Cemetery of San Cataldo are embedded rather than applied to the cube. The openings come from the subtraction of the cube. So, it could be said that the windowless openings are part of the overall symbolic form of the cube.
Symbolism of History
The second symbolism to be addressed is the symbolism of history. Venturi states that he loves history and would like to be historian if he had not been an architect.22 In all of his works, there is a sense of a historical element. He uses history as a point of reference to his designs. He says that there are only two
O’regan, ed. Aldo Rossi: Selected Writings and Projects, 23. Izenour, Scott Brown, and Venturi, Learning from Las Vegas, 90. 22 Phillipe Barriere et al., “Interview with Denise Scott Brown and Robert Venturi,” Perspecta 28 (1997): 127. 20 21
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choices for the architect to be creative, which are to invent new form or to use the old forms in new way; and he chose the second option.23
The Guild House is a good case where the historical precedent guided Venturi’s work. For example, the symmetrical arched window was derived from the roman source, and the idea of ornamentation and the equal scale of floor proportion were taken from the Renaissance palace.24 There is also symbolism in the historical context of the site in the Guild House. Venturi realizes that the Guild House is located in a significant street, one of the main thoroughfares in Philadelphia. So, it is important to create a relation to the pre-existing condition there. He intelligently made his building’s plan (Fig.7) narrower from the broad rear, and it finished with the main entrance that meets the line of the street.25 By creating the ‘telescopic’ plan, he makes the building to have an emphasized contact with the street. The use of dark red bricks in the façade and the double sash windows refer to the traditional Philadelphia terraced house.26 Thus, by using the historical references, it does not mean that Venturi imitates them exactly. He only used few aspects from historical precedent, with the intention to create a historical representation in his building. Venturi on one occasion says that “We cannot construct Classical buildings, but we can represent them, via appliqué upon the substance of the building.”27 The historical precedent will work as a symbolic image of the past that will added to the richness of the building.
Fig. 7 Ground Floor Plan of the Guild House.
Brownlee, De Long, and Heisinger, Out of Ordinary: The Architecture and Design of Robert Venturi, Denise Scott Brown and Associates, 140. 24 Izenour, Scott Brown, and Venturi, Learning from Las Vegas, 92. 25 Cristopher Mead, ed., The Architecture of Robert Venturi (Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1989), 58. 26 Schwartz and Vaccario, Venturi Scott Brown and Associates, 36. 27 Moos, Venturi, Rauch & Scott Brown Buildings and Projects, 42. 23
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Aligned with Venturi’s thought; Rossi also believes that the connection with the past is all important. Rossi argues that it is almost impossible to invent something new.28 In the Cemetery of San Cataldo, there were a several ideas that he took from the great historical buildings. The idea for the overall layout (Fig.8) came from the Giovanni Batista Piranesi’s construction of the Campo Marzio (Fig.9) in Rome. The cube’s form (Fig.10) as a memorial was derived from the constructivist cube of the Monumento ai Morti nei Campi di Germania (Fig.11) in Milan.29 In those two examples, by architecturally sourcing from the past, he does not want to ‘revitalize historical architecture’, but instead he translates them into his own language.30 If we look at the Cemetery of San Cataldo, although several aspects of the design come from the historical reference, we still perceive the whole as Rossi’s building. What Rossi tries to keep is the memory of previous architecture.
Fig. 8 Top Left Image. Graphic Illustration of the Cemetery of San Cataldo. Fig. 9 Top Right Image. Giovanni Batista Piranesi’s layout of the Campo Marzio.
Fig. 10 Bottom Left Image. Exterior view of the cube (‘sanctuary’) at the Cemetery of San Cataldo. Fig. 11 Bottom Right Image. Exterior view of the Monumento ai Morti nei Campi di Germania.
Hannesen, Aldo Rossi: Architect, 37. Johnson, “What Remains of Man-Aldo Rossi’s Modena Cemetery,” 46.. 30 Hannesen, Aldo Rossi: Architect, 37. 28 29
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Rossi’s process of designing the Cemetery of San Cataldo also comes through his personal experience. Just prior to starting to design the Cemetery of San Cataldo; he had a serious car accident. While suffering the pain in his fractured bones, he began to understand that the body has come from a series of fractures that are reassembled.31 Afterward, he relates that experience to architecture, where building comes from different parts that unite together in a logical order. In the Cemetery of San Cataldo, he applies that logic in his geometrical forms. The example would be the skeletal ribs in the triangular shape that come from the fragmentation of the triangle form. Although each of ribs stands as an individual form, they unite and work together as a whole. By using his personal experience, it shows that the Cemetery of San Cataldo is not only a symbol of historical architecture, but it is also a symbol of Rossi’s own history.
Then, there is a historic symbolism in the way Rossi repeats his forms from one project to another. Take’s the example of the cube (Fig.12) in the Cemetery of San Cataldo which already appeared in his Monument to the Resistance (Fig.13) at Cuneo. Mary Louise Lobsinger in her article says that “Rossi’s repetition is the fulfillment of an unrealized desire.”32 It comes from the careful observation of the earlier version. So it can be said that his cube at Cuneo became the historical precedent for his next project. In the other words, the cube at the Cemetery of San Cataldo indirectly symbolizes his previous works.
Fig. 12 View of the cube (‘sanctuary’) at the Cemetery of San Cataldo.
Fig. 13 Graphic Illustration of Rossi’s Monument to the Resistance at Cuneo.
Aldo Rossi, Aldo Rossi The Complete Buildings and Projects 1981-1991, ed. Morris Adjmi (New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 1991), 19. 32 Mary Louise Lobsinger, “That Obscure Object of Desire: Autobiograph and Repetition in the Work of Aldo Rossi, Grey Room 8 (2002): 42. 31
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Therefore, both Venturi and Rossi share similarities in their general approach to historical architecture. They believe that architects should use the history as the point of reference. They do not intent to replicate it; however they only take the essence of the past and use it in a new way. The acknowledgment of the past means they preserve the history of architecture that they used as their references. The Guild House and the Cemetery of San Cataldo have become the symbol of the perpetuation of historical architecture. They revealed to be the physical devices to tell the history.
There are also differences between the ways they address the historical context of the site. Venturi uses the specific context of the site to guide his design. The example that has been emphasized before is the ‘telescopic’ plan that has a strong relationship to the streets. Rossi’s building refers to wider culture and tradition of Italian Architecture as well as Italian city, and does not really influence by the immediate site.33 His plan (Fig.14) in the Cemetery of San Cataldo has no relationship with the asymmetrical shape of the site. Instead, he chooses the symmetrical plan which refers to Italian’s image of a classical cemetery. Within its wide-ranging traditions, Rossi places his design.34
Fig. 14 Plan of the Cemetery of San Cataldo.
Another difference between Rossi and Venturi point of view in term of the historical context is the symbolism of the architect’s history. Rossi still has a self-centered approach in his design process, where Venturi is more sensible to other aspects. Rossi includes his personal experiences and observations to be one of the fundamental elements in his design. He gives a new dimension for people to look at his design. Therefore, it adds a different story and meaning into the building.
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O’regan, ed. Aldo Rossi: Selected Writings and Projects, 11. Johnson, “What Remains of Man-Aldo Rossi’s Modena Cemetery,” 40.
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Symbolism of Social Context
Finally, the last symbolism, which was also important in Venturi and Rossi’s building, is the symbolism of social context. “Building was both social product and social context.”35 That was the strong statement made by Venturi that describes the way he positions his architecture within the society. He believes that the social issue is a critical aspect that architecture should address. In the Guild House, he uses popular cultures that occur at that time to be an important element in his building. There are a few examples here that demonstrate his approach. First, he takes the ‘Pop Art’ that was in-style in early 60’s; which was around the time when he designed the Guild House. The first clear example would be the sign of the ‘Guild House’ (Fig.15), which was referred to the American commercial advertising. The large and bold text recalls the lettering in the sign of the supermarket. It tries to represent in a cynical way, the consumerism culture of American. In addition, the sculptural TV antenna in the top façade of the guild house also tries to symbolize the social issue of American’s people that spend too much time watching television.36 The Guild House becomes the social critique of American culture. Furthermore, in its relation to the larger scale (the city), Stanislaus von Moos says that the Guild House could be interpreted as a ‘little city.’37 The building shows the image of how American lives their life. So it is true that the Guild House symbolizes American city’s society and culture.
Fig. 15 The view of the over-scale sign of Guild House at the main entrance.
Fig. 16 Example of supermarket’s sign in United States.
Brownlee, De Long, and Heisinger, Out of Ordinary: The Architecture and Design of Robert Venturi, Denise Scott Brown and Associates, 22. 36 Brownlee, De Long, and Heisinger, Out of Ordinary: The Architecture and Design of Robert Venturi, Denise Scott Brown and Associates, 24. 37 Moos, Venturi, Rauch & Scott Brown Buildings and Projects, 61. 35
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Just like Venturi, Rossi always wants to “design a perfect building for perfect people, living in perfect society.”38 When he designs his building, he thinks about the bigger context. He wants to make a building that would construct a better surrounding for the society. In his Cemetery of San Cataldo, he positioned his building as a part of society. People could argue that, there is no relationship between cemeteries and the society or city. However, Rossi has a different way of thinking in relation to that issue. For him, cemetery is just like other public space, which would create a collective memory of all the people in the society.39 In the cemetery, there are memories of dead and living people. It is a place for funeral, civic or religious ceremonies, which will carry back the togetherness of the city.
Hence, it could be seen that both of them understand the significance of the relationship between building and its social context. Social context influences the way they design their building. Further, their buildings also produce greater effects to the society. They become the symbol of their social context. Venturi and Rossi have a different way of achieving those relationships. Venturi sensitively picks up the social issues and cultures that arise at that time and translates them directly into his building. The ‘Pop Art’ style in his Guild House is one of the examples. By creating ‘ordinary’ or ‘familiar’ architecture, he wants his building to be understood by ‘the man on the streets.’40 His building becomes readable for every people and community that lives there. On the other hand, Rossi uses the social culture in more poetic manner. His Cemetery of San Cataldo symbolizes the relationship of death and life, without having to represent it literally in his buildings. Again, it refers back to explicit and implicit symbolism.
Another difference would be the way that Venturi and Rossi positioned their buildings toward the city. Venturi’s Guild House tries to become a representation of the city. The building illustrates what was happened in the society. In contrast, Rossi’s Cemetery of San Cataldo does not aim to represent the city, but it works collectively to bring the city together. So, those two buildings work in opposite direction. In the Guild House, the social context or the city influence the image of the building while in the Cemetery
Aldo Rossi, Tre città : Perugia, Milano, Mantova, (Milano : Electa, 1984), 9. O’regan, ed. Aldo Rossi: Selected Writings and Projects, 42. 40 Moos, Venturi, Rauch & Scott Brown Buildings and Projects, 42. 38 39
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of San Cataldo; the city is influenced by the building.
Conclusion
Thus, in conclusion, this essay has focused on three aspects of symbolism in Venturi’s Guild House and Rossi’s Cemetery of San Cataldo, which are the symbolism of form, the symbolism of history and the symbolism of social context. In general, they have a similar approach toward symbolism. They understand that the building should communicate message, meaning and function. They conveyed it through those three symbolisms. The symbolism of form is important as it was a direct tool to communicate the message of the architects. Then, as a building is a sign of the past, so there is a need to add the historical value into the building. In addition, the social context also played an essential element for both of them. Architecture cannot be separated from life and the society where the building is situated.
The major similarity in the Guild House and the Cemetery of San Cataldo is a dialogue between past and present architecture. As postmodern architects, they were reacting against modernist architecture that abandoned the acknowledgement of history in architecture. For Venturi and Rossi, architecture cannot be isolated from the past. Architects should look back to history as their point of reference. However, they did not just replicate the history; they used the past and translated it into the current day’s reality. So from the new building we still feel the memory of previous architecture.41 Their buildings are the story-tellers of the past.
Although, both of them are aware of and apply symbolism in their projects, they accomplished it in completely different way. Venturi’s symbolism is “direct, unambiguous and denotative in nature.”42 He explicitly used the familiar objects and the cultures that American people experience in their daily life.
41 Hannesen, Aldo Rossi: Architect, 37. 42 Moos, Venturi, Rauch & Scott Brown Buildings and Projects, 50.
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In the Guild Hose, the sign, the TV antenna, and the ornamentation are the examples. By using that notion, he wants his message to be understood by the public. His building does not want to be heroic and monumental; instead his building is just an ordinary building that was designed in an extraordinary way. Conversely, Rossi’s symbolism is implicit. He shows the meaning of his building in indirect way. The Cemetery of San Cataldo did not just respond directly to the situation that occurs in that time. The form of the triangle and cone which relate to Christian beliefs, reflect his paradigm. In those forms, the meanings are deeper than what they appear. At the end of the day, Venturi’s Guild House and Rossi’s Cemetery of San Cataldo demonstrate the importance of the symbolism in architectural language through their own distinctive approaches. By including the symbolism, it will “expand the scope of architecture to include meaning as well as expression.”43
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A. Sanmartin, ed., Venturi, Rauch & Scott Brown, (London: Academy Editions, 1986), 9.
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Bibliography Books: Braghieri, Gianni. Aldo Rossi. Barcelona: Editorial Gustavo Gili, 1991. Brown, Dennise Scott, and Robert Venturi. Architecture as Signs and Systems for a Mannerist Time. Cambridge: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2004. Brownlee, David B., David G. E Long, and Kathryn B. Heisinger. Out of Ordinary: The Architecture and Design of Robert Venturi, Denise Scott Brown and Associates .Philadelphia: Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2001. Hannesen, Hans Gerhard. Aldo Rossi: Architect. Great Britain: Academy Group LTD, 1994. Hess, Alan. Viva Las Vegas:Aafter-hours Architecture. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 1993. Izenour, Steven, Dennise Scott Brown and Robert Venturi. Learning from Las Vegas. Massachussets: The MIT Press, 1986. Mead, Christopher, ed. The Architecture of Robert Venturi. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1989. Moos, Stanislaus von. Venturi, Rauch & Scott Brown Buildings and Projects. New York: Rizzoli, 1987. O’regan, John, ed. Aldo Rossi: Selected Writings and Projects. London: Architectural Design, 1983. Rossi, Aldo. A Scientific Autobiography. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1981. Rossi, Aldo. Aldo Rossi Buildings and Projects. Edited by Peter Arnell and Ted Bickford. New York : Rizzoli, 1985. Rossi, Aldo. Aldo Rossi in America: 1976-1979. New York: Institute for Architecture and Urban Studies, 1979. 13 16
Rossi, Aldo. Aldo Rossi The Complete Buildings and Projects 1981-199.Edited by Morris Adjmi. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 1991. Rossi, Aldo. The Architecture of the City. Massachusetts: The MIT Press, 1986. Rossi, Aldo. Tre città: Perugia, Milano, Mantova. Milano: Electa, 1984. Sanmartin, A, ed. Venturi, Rauch & Scott Brown. London: Academy Editions, 1986. Schwartz, Frederic and Carolina Vaccarion. Venturi Scott Brown and Associates. Barcelona: Editorial Gustavo Gili, 1995. Venturi, Robert. Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture. 2nd ed. New York: The Museum of Modern Art, 1996. Venturi, Robert. Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown: learning from Las Vegas / Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown. Abingdon: Routledge, 2007. Vinegar, Aron. I am a Monument: on Learning from Las Vegas. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press, 2008.
Journal Articles: Barriere, Phillipe et al. “Interview with Denise Scott Brown and Robert Venturi,” Perspecta 28 (1997): 126-145. Johnson, Eugene J. “What Remains of Man-Aldo Rossi’s Modena Cemetery,” Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians 41, no. 1 (1982): 38-54. Lobsinger, Mary Louise. “That Obscure Object of Desire: Autobiograph and Repetition in the Work of Aldo Rossi.” Grey Room 8 (2002): 38-61.
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Saffron, Inga. Changing Skyline: Renovation keeps an icon its singular, ‘ordinary’ self, Philadelphia Inquirer,
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Website: The Pritzker Architecture Prize. “Jury Citation,” accessed August 26, 2010. http://www.pritzkerprize.com/laureates/1990/jury.html. Venturi, Scott Brown and Associate Inc. “Guild House,” accessed November 4, 2010. http://www.vsba.com/projects/fla_archive/20.html
Images: Fig. 1: Mead, Christopher, ed. The Architecture of Robert Venturi. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1989, pp.2. Fig. 2: Rossi, Aldo. Aldo Rossi The Complete Buildings and Projects 1981-199.Edited by Morris Adjmi. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 1991, pp.20. Fig. 3: http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/pennsylvania/philadelphia/venturiguild/0092.jpg Fig. 4: http://www.american-architecture.info/USA/USA-Northeast/215e.JPG Fig. 5: http://www.american-architecture.info/USA/USA-Northeast/215h.JPG Fig. 6: Johnson, Eugene J. “What Remains of Man-Aldo Rossi’s Modena Cemetery,” Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians 41, no. 1 (1982), pp.39.
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Fig. 7: Brownlee, David B., David G. E Long, and Kathryn B. Heisinger. Out of Ordinary: The Architecture and Design of Robert Venturi, Denise Scott Brown and Associates .Philadelphia: Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2001, pp.23. Fig. 8: Rossi, Aldo. Aldo Rossi Buildings and Projects. Edited by Peter Arnell and Ted Bickford. New York : Rizzoli, 1985, pp.89. Fig. 9: Johnson, Eugene J. “What Remains of Man-Aldo Rossi’s Modena Cemetery,” Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians 41, no. 1 (1982), pp.42. Fig. 10: Rossi, Aldo. Aldo Rossi The Complete Buildings and Projects 1981-199.Edited by Morris Adjmi. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 1991, pp.21. Fig. 11: Johnson, Eugene J. “What Remains of Man-Aldo Rossi’s Modena Cemetery,” Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians 41, no. 1 (1982), pp.42. Fig. 12: Rossi, Aldo. Aldo Rossi Buildings and Projects. Edited by Peter Arnell and Ted Bickford. New York : Rizzoli, 1985, pp.100. Fig. 13: Lobsinger, Mary Louise. “That Obscure Object of Desire: Autobiograph and Repetition in the Work of Aldo Rossi.” Grey Room 8 (2002), pp.45. Fig. 14: Rossi, Aldo. Aldo Rossi The Complete Buildings and Projects 1981-199.Edited by Morris Adjmi. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 1991, pp.19. Fig. 15: http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/pennsylvania/philadelphia/venturiguild/0093.jpg Fig. 16: http://www.lostindiana.net/Lost_Indiana/Lost_Indiana__Atlas_Supermarket_files/Atlas1Large_1.jpg
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