Way beyond Myself

How does one enter a space? What path does that person take to get to a desired destination? What is that desired arrival? Entry, Path, and Arrival. Three terms which are studied in architecture almost without even being studied. 

____________________________________________________________

|Sketching on the steps of Casa Malaparte|

__________________________________________________________

This past week, we took our third and final study trip to Southern Italy. Within the week we toured Naples, Capri, Pompeii, Stabia, and Sorrento. Each city was unique in its own. From the crazy taxi ride where we almost collided with a few cars and some people walking across the street to the lemoncello and meloncello sold all over the city of Sorrento. It was a unbelievable trip. Southern Italy had a different feeling than Rome and from our trip North. It is hard to explain but you could tell as you walked the streets that you were in a different part of the country. A view of the Mediterranean Sea might have had a lot to do with it. The views from almost everywhere were remarkable.

The highlight of the trip for me was the second day. On the second day, we took a ferry from Napoli to Capri. Capri is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever been to. Right on the water, it is situated within the mountains. To get to the center of town you must take a Funiculare. This is a tram which takes you up the mountain. The center of town, filled with vibrant white shops, small little piazza's and beautifully paved sidewalks, was where we started the mile long hike out to Casa Malaparte.


Casa Malaparte, casa meaning house of Malaparte in italian, is a private residence of Curzio Malaparte. Malaparte was a writer who at one point was very popular with the Italian Facists in the late 1800's to early 1900's. He was popular until he wrote against the facists and was then imprisoned for his writing. After he was released from prison, he set out to look for a piece of land that could separate him from the people and ultimately from the government. He set his eye on Punta Massullo. A windy cliff on the isle of Lipari. The spot that he chose was absolutely forbidden but because of his history, and his claim that the location was difficult to get to and could not be seen from the main city center, he wins and the government allows him to build on the Punta. Malaparte hired architect Adalberto Libera to do the plans for the house. Once the main plans were drawn up, he fired Libera and took those plans and altered them himself. Keep in mind, Malaparte was a writer not an architect. The house was designed exactly how Malaparte wanted it to be designed with a strong connection between nature and the architecture.



I think what is so great about architecture is that it is all up to interpretation. Malaparte saw potential in the landscape he chose and he went for it. Others may have been weary of his decision and did not agree but he new what he wanted and went for it. Good architecture is never one sided. There is always a decision to make. Our professor, Eric Jenkins, tells us constantly to not be afraid. He tells us to go outside out comfort zone and not to let fear dictate our decisions. It is very rare that you will get everyone to agree when we design but think about how boring architecture would be without debate and different interpretations. A lot of times, it is the interpretations that make architecture what it is. The thing that interested me the most as we made our way to Casa Malaparte was this idea of entry path and arrival. At what point in the trip each of these terms occurred is up to the individual interpretation. Where did our entry occur? Was it in the city center? Was it at the main gate to the property? It changes depending on the perspective of who you ask. The path however is the most interesting. We knew what our destination was but how to get there was another question. We had to take the right path that would lead us in the right direction. As architects, we do the same thing. In our lives we do the same thing. We know what our intended destination is but the question is how we get there and what we encounter along the way. It is all subjective, open to interpretation. As we travelled along the path, we encountered times of openness where we had clear views of the house and the sea in the distance and other times, we were in between the rocks and the trees which blocked our view of what is ahead of us but we made it. Our arrival was clear and pronounced. As I design, I go through a similar process. I can see the arrival in my head and the idea of the final product yet there is an entry and a path that must happen before the arrival can occur. And even then once the arrival is met, it is still open to interpretation.




The next time you travel or the next time you visit a new place or even the next time you go for a walk, think about how you enter. Think about what path you took, and about what your desired destination is and see if it has an affect on you.

Only 20 more days left in Roma... so hard to believe! I am definitely going to miss it.