International Research Center for Centro di Architettura "Andrea Palladio": Vicenza, Italy

Content Provider	Semantic Scholar
Author	Shepperd, Dan
Copyright Year	1982
Abstract	qualities of the design . At the same time, the scheme seeks to make specific and obscure references to a variety of historical precedents. The basic site organization recalls the loose grouping of activities around a courtyard inherent in small market squares. The library interior recalls an Early Christian basilica. The void between the Palladian fragment and the new building creates a canyon-like street, common throughout Italian cities. The elevation seen from Piazza Duomo is influenced by the imaginary architecture found in De Chirico paintings, made more specific by a window detail derived from Palladio' s Villa, Malcontenta. The primary device used to give visual order to the Centro's diverse activities is a courtyard divided into several zones. The spatial sequence also allows transition from public to private areas, both between the piazza and the Centro, and within the Centro itself. A secondary device used for spatial organization is the linear alignment of rooms along a passageway. As a plan element, the linear loft space first appears as the stoa, a Greek elaboration of the fundamental cell, the megaron. It recurs throughout architectural history as a flexible element applicable to diverse uses and contexts. Here, this repetitive plan element is layered horizontally and stacked vertically throughout the project. The result is a strong sense of clarity in plan and organization. The Piazza del Castello EJEilEil DOD Site plan repetitive rhythm is modulated to articulate separate zones and activities. The arcade serves a dual role. At street level, it allows the piazza to penetrate the site. Repeating the arcade form around the courtyard provides a consistent element throughout the project, and integrates the various activities. The internal organization is divided into three zones. At ground level are the public spaces art gallery and shops as well as service and storage facilities. The second level includes the Centro's principal research and administrative spaces, organized around the courtyard. The upper floors contain • more private spaces: study carrels, library stacks, offices, and living accommodations. The desire for visual clarity in the project led to a reductionist approach for creating a dialogue between the palazzo and the addition. The new complex embodies a concern for the scale, height, proportions and rhythm of Palladia's fragment without duplicating them. At the same time, the ornate modelled surfaces of the palazzo are in sharp contrast to the austere planar surfaces of the addition. Tension is established by the void between the two parts a tight passage from the piazza to the Centro's entrances. The contrast seeks to increase the significance and prominence of a comparitively small historic building, addressing a larger
Starting Page	18
Ending Page	18
Page Count	1
File Format	PDF HTM / HTML
DOI	10.4148/2378-5853.1049
Volume Number	4
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Alternate Webpage(s)	https://newprairiepress.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1049&context=oz&httpsredir=1&referer=
Alternate Webpage(s)	https://doi.org/10.4148/2378-5853.1049
Language	English
Access Restriction	Open
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article