La vita nello spazio. Una conversazione con Manuel Aires Mateus
In uno dei suoi romanzi più celebri, lo scrittore italiano — e portoghese di adozione — Antonio Tabucchi, racconta la storia di un uomo che vaga in una Lisbona sopraffatta dal caldo, passeggiando tra le strade piene di vita della città e soffermandosi con qualche estraneo, tra il romantico e il popolare, a discutere sul tema della vita.
Proprio con questo spirito interrogativo io e Riccardo ci muoviamo nella stessa città, dopo aver risalito le strade tortuose che dal mare portano al centro, passando per quei vicoli pittoreschi colorati di azulejos, le piazze dense di bambini che giocano e i vecchi che presiedono le panchine, stretti tra le vetrine fumanti delle tasche portoghesi, fino ad arrivare a Rua Silva Carvalho, dove una porta senza insegna ci introduce alla caverna bianca, così la chiamano quelli che ci lavorano dentro, meglio conosciuta come lo studio di Manuel Aires Mateus.
Ancora ammaliati dall’atmosfera della città, decidiamo di cominciare la nostra conversazione proprio da qui.
Beyond Critical Regionalism. A conversation with Kenneth Frampton
When I meet Kenneth Frampton in New York City, it is the week after the opening of Venice Architecture Biennale, where the historian has just been awarded by Yvonne Farrell & Shelley McNamara, curators of the XVI edition of the exhibition, a Career Golden Lion.
It’s a rainy day in the Big Apple, and the GSAPP building of Columbia University is a bit more crowded with students than I thought it would be. We hold our conversation in his office, a small room with a view on the backyard. I cannot see any empty spot on the walls, all are covered with posters, awards and memories of a lifetime. We start off with light conversation in front of a cup of tea, as I should have expected from a British gentleman, followed by a discussion focused on the topic of Critical Regionalism.
Set-up of he main hall of Palazzo La Sapienza, Pisa
The “Sapienza” is one of the most important historical palace in Pisa. Raised during the renaissance by Lorenzo de’ Medici it hosts the local Law school. The refurbishment of the building ended in the 2018, after five years: during these works many antiquities were found, so it was necessary to build a proper place for them. The University of Pisa committed us to design some displays for a small museum under the portico.
YEAR
2015
TYPE
Interior Design, Graphic Design, Environmental Design
CLIENT
University of Pisa
Pisa Soprintendenza
The design takes inspiration by the podium of the statues that for many decades watched the lives of the students: the crate has an opaque bottom, with a small recess at the base which makes it float over the floor.
The clear glass in the upper side contains transparent shelves where to place the artifacts without impeding the lower ones and at the same time leaving the sight of the building.
Alongside all the borders LED lights allow the people to enjoy the “new” antiquities, even during the short winter days.
Documentary “Picasso. The Sculpture” for Galleria Borghese, Rome
A documentary on the exhibition “Picasso. La Scultura”, curated by Anna Coliva and Diana Widmaier-Picasso.
From an idea of Luigi Ficacci and Paolo Bertoncini Sabatini.
YEAR
2019–2021
TYPE
Audiovisual, documentary
CLIENT
Galleria Borghese Museum, Rome
Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities
WITH
Fabio Santaniello Bruun, Alessandro Ariel Terranova, Paolo Bertoncini Sabatini, Luigi Ficacci
Set-up of the Cathedral Bell Tower of Lucca
During the 2017, as part of 120g, we designed the exhibition arrangement of the Bell Tower of the Cathedral of Lucca, marking the touristic path on several floors.
YEAR
2018
TYPE
Interior Design, Graphic Design, Environmental Design
IN TEAM WITH
Alessandro Ariel Terranova, Olga Beatrice Carcassi
L’allestimento del percorso turistico è composto da pannelli panoramici fissati alle strutture preesistenti, la cui forma è ispirata a quella del leggio di un pulpito, tutte posizionate al livello delle campane, da un alto totem che avvolge un pannello informativo e da prismi appoggiati sulle mensole.
Tuscanyness: a documentary on Tuscan Architecture (120g)
We’ve been part of this project as members of the cultural association 120g.
Today the Italian architecture scene is getting dramatic: decline of suburbs, abandoned buildings, property speculation; in this context the architects are no longer a cultural landmark and a lot of young architects have to emigrate abroad.
Indeed, many centuries ago, in Tuscany, after a long period of deep darkness, few enlightened men gave to the world the formula for a cultural rebirth built around the mankind.
Even if those times are passed, can the spirit of Brunelleschi and Michelangelo be connected to the spirit of people nowadays?
Tuscanyness is a movie that tells how this spirit of rebirth is still alive through the works and the words of architects both born and educated in the cultural atmosphere of Tuscany. In this enchanting Italian region the beauty is still a civil value, where is possible to establish a deep alliance with nature, or where is possible to live the unique opportunity to listen to the teachings of the past.
SCREENINGS AND EVENTS
21.06.2019
London Architecture Festival
Close-up Film Centre, London, UK
25.10.2018
Istanbul International Architecture Film Festival
TMMOB Mimarlar Odası, Istanbul, Turkey
20.10.2018
Oktobarh 2018
Eđšeg Chateau in Novi Sad (Belgrade) Serbia
06.06.2018
Dialogo sull’Architettura in Toscana (public debate)
Sala consiliare Terranuova Bracciolini, Arezzo, Italy
21.03.2018
The human dimension in tuscan architecture (lecture by Andrea Crudeli)
Olson Kundig, Seattle, USA
4.12.2017
Cinema La Compagnia
Firenze, Italy
12.11.2017
PAT — Premio Architettura Toscana
Arsenali Repubblicani, Pisa, Italy
08.11.2017
Cinema Surpresa #7 — Architecture night
Co-Lateral, Rua Direita do Francos, 1024, Porto, Portugal
1.11.2017
MoDIAP – Mostra Design Industria Artigianato Pisa
Arsenali Repubblicani, Pisa, Italy
14.10.2017
Arquiteturas Film Festival
Lisboa Forum, Lisbon, Portugal
06.10.2017
Lund International Architecture Film Festival
Lund Skissernas Museum, Lund, Sweden
14.09.2017
Première
Cinema Arsenale, Pisa
PRESS
12.08.2017
Tuscanyness
by Casabella
11.08.2017
Tuscanyness
by Area
11.09.2017
Tuscanyness un lungometraggio sull’architettura toscana al cinema d’essai Arsenale di Pisa
by Professione Architetto
11.08.2017
Tuscanyness
by Architettura Italiana / Divisare
09.09.2017
From Brunelleschi to Today, This Documentary Tracks the Evolution of Architecture in Tuscany
by Alya Abourezk
31.08.2017
“Tuscanyness” Un viaggio all’ombra della cupola del Brunelleschi
by Salvatore Bruno
29.08.2017
Identità e grande bellezza in un docufilm
by Francesca Franceschi
16.03.2017
Tuscanyness or approaching architecture the Tuscany way
by Christiane Bürklein
13.08.2017
Tuscanyness, un film documentario sull’architettura toscana
by Architetti.com
16.02.2018
‘Tuscanyness’ Film Explores the Detachment of Modern Italian Architecture and the Fight to Restore Faith in Design
by Ella Thorn
05.04.2018
Tuscanyness Shines the Spotlight on Tuscan Architecture
by Kate Simmons
09.07.2018
Un documentario sull’architettura toscana
by weArch
25.02.2018
Tuscanyness: online il documentario sull’architettura toscana
by Professione Architetto
08.10.2018
Toskanischer Zeitgeist: Tuscanyness von 120g
by Duy Mac
20.10.2017
Editoriale di Ottobre
by Ville & Casali
CREDITS
Directed by
Andrea Crudeli
Written by
Riccardo Bartali, Andrea Crudeli, Marta Gnesi, Filippo Lisini Baldi
Photography
Alessandro Ariel Terranova, Fabio Santaniello Brunn, Aurelio Zarbo, Riccardo Bartali, Giulio Fazio
Narrator
Carlo Bernardini
Music
Rugo, Luca Battistini
Starring
Marco Casamonti, Fabrizio Rossi Prodi, Carlo Nepi, Augusto Mazzini, Leonardo Matassoni, MDU Architetti, Giuseppe Chigiotti, Claudio Nardi, Eutropia Architettura, Roberto Pasqualetti, Pietro Carlo Pellegrini, Salvatore Re, Massimo Fiorido, Sundaymorning, Paolo Zermani, Paolo Bertoncini Sabatini, Riccardo Butini, Heliopolis 21, Paolo Riani.
Aerial views
Alte Vedute
Produced by
120g, CESA sas, University of Pisa, CB Studio, Renato Lupetti
Centuries ago, during the Humanism period, some enlightened clients believed in the talent of few young architects and started an extraordinary season for the civilization. Do this kind of clients still exist today?
