His approach to creating thresholds, was perhaps intuitive and not very rationalised, it pervades a lot of his work and only represents one part of Scarpa’s architectural experimentation in his legacy.”įloating Datum takes inspiration from the horizontal datum, a recurring element in Scarpa’s works Image: Courtesy of MAXXI & Alcantara
The way in which Scarpa oriented and manipulated primitive geometry and axis also created unexpected moments of spatial friction to heighten a certain sense of discovery.
#Intriguing datum windows#
Windows and apertures are employed to dematerialise corners and make us question certain readings of objecthood and space. Doorways were not seen as simple portals but as part of a wall tessellation.
What inspired us was that Scarpa took very conventional thresholds – a door, a wall opening, a window aperture or a landscape platform, and transformed them into rich, spatial experiences. We arrived at thresholds as a topic of study because we were looking for an approach in his practice that spanned across his works in domestic interiors, architecture and landscape. Not only did he design spaces, but he treated every element the hand could touch as an opportunity for design innovation. Scarpa really embodies the interdisciplinary spirit Neri&Hu strives for in our own work and he had an amazing ability to blur the boundaries between architecture, landscape and interior design. "During our extensive research into Scarpa’s work through the visual materials of the MAXXI archive, we were at first very overwhelmed by the scope of his work. Inserted Landscape alludes to a forum-like space Image: Simone Bossi Scarpa’s approach to the threshold, a state of pure possibilities The thresholds provide the stage and backdrop for supporting a spectrum of social interactions.” In these curated moments, some are highlighting a moment of introspection and solitude, while others are encouraging social interaction, voyeurism and communal gatherings. Each threshold is designed in such a way so as to reveal a certain gaze, a particular way of inhabiting or interacting with architecture. From the very early stages of the design concept phase, we were interested in creating “moments of encounter” between visitors and the architectural insertions, as well as between the visitors themselves. The threshold as a moment "We referred to the thresholds as moments because we wanted to emphasise the interaction between the visitor and each constructed threshold. The following text also features edited excerpts from the interview. Lyndon Neri and Rossana Hu walk STIR through the driving idea of the exhibition. The meticulously crafted exhibits uphold a similar attention to craft, detail and tactility that Scarpa, the master Italian craftsman was known for. With an aim to deconstruct the architecture of thresholds – a metaphor for crossing, pause and reflection - the studio’s spatial installations examine materiality, voyeurism, and the flow of circulation. Each threshold is described as a ‘moment’ within the showcase Image: Simone Bossi
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