( 5 reviews )
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Posted: Jan 25 2009
This volume doesn't add a whole lot to the study of Scarpa's work. The photos are all recent, taken specially for this book), and show the work in its CURRENT rather than IDEAL state. The Olivetti store in Venice, for example, is now used as a poster / commercial art store. In that state, the interior is cluttered and Scarpa's vision has been seriously cheapened and compromised. For the student, it is better to study the photos in other Scarpa books, especially those in Architecture + Urbanism's wonderful overview. Cemetery Brion-Vega was photographed on a drab, gray day and as such, the images lose much of the three-dimensional qualities and detail that are so critical to a full understanding of Scarpa's intentions. On the plus side, the book does include some lesser-known works in Palermo and elsewhere. Some early apartment interiors, (not remarkable), will be of interest to die-hard Scarpa fans who wish to see the formative explorations of the master. If you can only afford one Scarpa book, A+U's well-illustrated book is the place to start. This one is supplemental, documentary information only.
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Posted: Dec 6 2007
About this great architect I adore,I have seen some books such as , and in the libraries. Last month I bought it for collection.But after reading it,I was so disappointed.There is not any detail, sketch,even a section,which you really want to know. The contents of the books will be found from Internet. if you never know him ,the book is just so so.But as a professional Architects, I commend the other three books .
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( 5 of 5 found this review helpful ) Posted: Mar 12 2007
Excellent coverage of Scarpa's work. There are great shots of Scarpa's intricate detailing as well as shots expressing his space making abilities. Scarpa combined the spirit of the international style, the warmth of Finish modernist materiality, and the passion of Italian arts and crafts tradition. He was a modernist with heart. One of the men listed in the acknowledgements gave my studio group a tour of some if his best works in northern Italy including the Brion tomb. The man cried during his lecture. Scarpa brought heart to a building aesthetic that seems largely sterile when comparing his contemporaries on the other side of the Alps. I hope this book popularizes this truely skilled architect and draws greater attention to what he accomplished during his career. This book is pertinent to anyone interested in architecture, interior design, or decorative arts. His genious was as much in the process of design as it was in the completed product. He developed decades long relationships with builders and craftsmen. Buy this book and spend hours studying every detail in the photos. You are going to learn something. You might even shed a tear after leaning how he passed away.
