crumpled

When we were in Milan in the spring, I bought a crumpled map of the city at the shop at the Triennale di Milano. It's one of the "Soft city maps for urban jungles" by palomar and it's even, I guess, recyclable since it has a recycle triangle with 01 and PET. It is made of that wonderful material that feels kind of like paper that is almost worn out.

Now I've read in the New York Times that "scientists [have] discover[ed] a landscape of surprising mathematical order" in crumpled paper. "This is how the paper crumples" by Siobhan Roberts, November 27, in Science Times. Last week's Science Times (a Tuesday section of the print Times) celebrated the 40th anniversary of the section.

(Addendum: it's the "MILAN" container that is recyclable, not the map. The map says "This is not paper, do not waste as paper.")

the villa as building type

I am very fond of the villa as a building type. By this, I generally mean something that is composed rather like the Villa Rotonda of Palladio just outside Vicenza: symmetrical perhaps, fairly compact though extensions are fine but it needs to have a visual core, generally not eccentric, usually a sense of singularity even if it's not a one-family house. James Ackerman, Colin Rowe, Pierre de la Ruffiniere du Prey, and others have written about the villa as building type.

Sometimes, the villa type gets bigger and becomes a tower like these apartment towers by Mario Botta in Sesto San Giovanni outside Milan, part of the Campari complex of offices and residences:

Along the Via Arnaldo Vassallo in the Villaggio dei Giornalisti (Village of the Writers) in Milan, there are Liberty (art nouveau) villas down one side of the street

and rationalist villas from the 1930s on the other side of the street.

I love it when this sort of architectural reflection or resonance happens.

The house at the entrance to the Villaggio dei Giornalisti from Via Ragusa is a lovely Liberty house, not so much a villa of the Rotonda sort. More like A.J. Downing perhaps. I'm not claiming influence here.

When we were in Turin in the spring, I found a good guide to Liberty at the bookshop in the Palazzo Madama. I didn't have a specific guide to art nouveau most of the time I was in Milan, either in April/May or September. I did see one but not until the last day at the Rizzoli bookstore in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. I also was looking at Diane Ghirardo's history of modern architecture in Italy and was amused to see the photo of the Galleria there while I was in the Galleria.

Villa Savoye and northern Italy

The Villa Savoye is an icon of modern architecture. It was designed by Le Corbusier and built between 1928 and 1931, and is located in the Paris region. It is one of the most famous houses built in the last couple centuries, at least among art and architectural historians. One of my college buddies, Richard Barons, said it was really art nouveau. He was probably pulling my leg but there is something about the proportions that are graceful and perhaps over-studied. No, not over-studied but very carefully determined.

 (photo from Wikipedia page for the villa)

When I was in Italy earlier this month (September 2018), I was able to see two villas of similar style and built at about the same time. And it was thrilling. One was a lucky glance out the window of a city bus on a rainy morning in Genoa.

My airbnb host had a shelf of books on Genoa including an architecture guide. I was able to find the house. It's the Ex-Casa littoria "Nicola Bonservizi" on the Piazza Sturla, designed by Luigi Carlo Daneri and completed in 1938. The guide was Capellini's from 1992.

(Update: When I saw this building, it had a domestic scale from the Piazza Sturla though, like many buildings in hilly Genoa, there are several floors below the level of the street. The description as a "casa" said house to me and the "littoria" was unknown so I didn't pay it much attention. I was doing some bibliographic maintenance in the Avery Index a few days ago and there was an article on this building and the subject heading was "Public buildings" which I thought was wrong but I investigated. "Casa littoria" is sometimes also used as a variant name for the Casa del Fascio in Como, designed by Giovanni Terragni. Head off to Google Translate which wasn't immediately much help on "casa littoria" until it said "lictorial house." Looked up "lictorial" in my American Heritage dictionary, within arm's reach, and found that "lictor" is "A Roman functionary who carried fasces in attendance on a magistrate" (from the Middle English, from the Latin). So more to think about the relationship between Italian modern architecture and fascism.)

The other house was also somewhat obscured, this time by greenery. The street it is on is short and unmarked on the map I had of Milan. Yes, I know, I should have done all my research on Google Maps before setting out (but the itinerary changed as the adventure proceeded) or had a device with mapping rather than my printed map (maybe next time). But I did find it!

It's the architect's house by Luigi Figini in Milan, aka Villa Figini, built 1934-1935. The two-story house is totally lifted above the small lot, on thin pilotis. I hate to disturb people who protect themselves with shrubbery but I couldn't help but stand and stare at what I could see. A book in the Triennale library included plans and sections as well as some historical photos of internal spaces.

It was really delightful to see a couple Italian villas of the early 20th century. Neither of the houses were known to me and I'm not sure I'd heard of Daneri though I had heard of Figini (and his partner Pollini). (The architect Gino Pollini is the father of pianist Maurizio Pollini.)

I went to Milan and I saw the "future"

I was looking for a lost book in the stacks and saw a few items that were unusual for the collection or were classified for a general collection rather than the special collection of the Scholes Library of Ceramics. One of them was Magic Motorways by Norman Bel Geddes, published in 1940 just after he'd designed the Futurama exhibit for the 1939 New York World's Fair. Scholes serves the art and engineering schools of the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University, part of SUNY. The engineering is mostly related to ceramics (not surprising), glass, and other materials. Not so much traffic or civil engineering. The book was a gift in 1951 so it's not that surprising that it crept into the collection, and it actually has circulated a few times in the last twenty years.

The Futurama exhibit envisioned the world twenty or more years into the future. Things like the interstate highway system, super highways on city outskirts and smaller feeder highways out from the city, high towers dispersed around the city, divided pedestrian and car traffic but big streets. Some of this has happened, some of this has happened badly, some of this has been demolished and replaced by a denser fabric or parks over sunken highways (Boston's Big Dig or Dallas's Klyde Warren Park, for example).

I was intrigued by this illustration on page 270:

It rather looks like a meld of some of the Italian rationalist buildings I saw in Italy last month and the Porta Nuova development in Milan. The plaza (Piazza Gae Aulenti) at the Porta Nuova is a lively pedestrian area and the car traffic zips underneath and there's a train station (Garibaldi station) just to the East.

Torre Littoria in Turin, 1933-1934 (originally Reale Mutua building)

Porta Nuova

One of the side treats was seeing the NBG logo on the spine of Magic Motorways:

looming towers

Part of the charm of old cities is the narrow streets. Part is the intervention of plazas, the cacophony of old streets or the intervention of new wider streets. When I first saw a picture of the new Intesa Sanpaolo Office Building in Turin by Renzo Piano, I thought it was perhaps too disruptive. But seeing it as I walked about the city was enjoyable.

I also really enjoyed seeing the UniCredit skyscraper in Milan. It is the tower with the spiky top.

I probably enjoyed it more as part of the cityscape than being right up against it though I must admit the Milano e Torinos (Campari and Punt e Mes sweet vermouth) that we had at the Feltrinelli RED cafe on the plaza level were just fine. It is part of the Porta Nuova development which is compared to the High Line in New York City on the construction billboards. The strolling and retail is much more mixed at Porta Nuova. The pedestrian traffic is a vigorous mix of strollers, shoppers, and neighborhood folks, and car traffic is mostly separated.

Palazzo Carignano

I didn't do very well selecting my favorite city on our recent Italian trip: Milan, Turin, Genoa. There were lots of buildings and monuments -- Roman, medieval, early modern, art nouveau, mid-century modern, 20th century, brand spanking new 21st century -- that I really enjoyed seeing. But the Palazzo Carignano in Turin stood out as (perhaps) my single favorite building. It was designed by Guarino Guarini and construction started in 1679. It has changed significantly over the years but the High Baroque curves of the facade, done in brick, are still powerful and mostly as Guarini designed them.

peace in Italy

Arco della Pace and former tollhouses, Parco Sempione, Milan

PAX on the Bocconi family mausoleum, Cimitero Monumentale, Milan

Anti-war vigil, Piazza De Ferrari, Genoa

"No F35" on the Via Garibaldi, Turin

Italian coffee bars

One of the immense delights of traveling in Italy is the ubiquity of coffee bars. You go in and get your coffee receipt from the cashier. Depending on the bar and how busy they are, they may forgive you for forgetting and going right up to the bar instead of paying first at the cassa. It's usually only one euro for espresso or macchiato but will be more for cappuccino and may be more at an Illy bar or fancy place. You put your receipt on the bar and tell the bartender what you want. He or she puts out a saucer and spoon and brews the coffee. And then you drink it, standing at the bar, and go immediately to heaven.

When Christie and I are together in Italy, our morning ritual is a variant on this. She rather likes to check the day's weather forecast, work on directions and transit for the day's adventures, check in on the news, and similar preparation things. I really like my early morning walk to the nearest bar for our cappuccinos and croissants, take-away per favore. I am a regular by the second or third day. In Milan, many of the bars were run by Chinese. On Sunday in Turin, I had to go further afield since our regular Wonder Bar, around the corner, wasn't open. The further place gave me a paper shopping bag with an insert with two indentations for coffee cups, for taking away. I kept that and it became part of my regular costume for fetching coffee. I didn't think to take a picture but it definitely identified me.  Yeah right, as if they thought for a second that I was Italian. A couple of the bartenders used small pieces of aluminum foil to cover the cup. Reduce, reuse, recycle. When I took the foil back the next day for reuse, they smiled. The Chinese bartender in Milan even said "bravissima" when I showed him that I still had the foil.

Yes, "take away" is the usual term for getting something to go.

what's your favorite city?

When you go on a multi-city trip, you ask yourself which was your favorite. Was it Milan? Turin? Genoa? Each city, in turn, had its delights and highpoints.

Was it Milan? Big and busy. Over-the-top cathedral. Great rationalist buildings from the mid 20th century. Good museums like the Brera. Recent developments with work by such international star architects as Zaha Hadid, Pei Cobb Freed, Daniel Libeskind, and Rem Koolhaas.

Was it Turin? Grid city plan that made wayfinding easier. Art nouveau (Liberty) houses and other buildings which were easy to identify because of the walking guide found at the Palazzo Reale bookshop. The views of the Alps from across the Po River. The wonderful central plaza. The Basilica of Superga, also across the river and high above it.

Was it Genoa? Hilliest of the three cities. On the Mediterranean coast. More art nouveau. Narrow narrow streets. Seafood. Easter season. Funiculars and elevators to expedite getting up the hills.

Still mulling over which was my favorite city as we landed in New York City. I had decided to stay a couple days since there were a couple exhibitions (Danh Vo and Zoe Leonard) that I wanted to see. After a couple hours on the NYC streets the morning after, still a little jet-lagged, I realized that "what is your favorite city?" was not the right question for me. It was "what is your favorite environment?" and the answer is "city." And I like the mix of buildings and neighborhoods but especially the gritty and unresolved parts.

More pictures from Italy in my "Italy 2018" album on Flickr.

Bosco Verticale

When we were in Milan at the beginning of our trip, we came over to the Porta Nuova neighborhood. The Bosco Verticale (vertical forest) building is one of the more famous buildings in the new development. There are gardens on the balconies and significant care was given during the design and construction to sustainable design.

The lower picture shows the neighborhood just beyond the towers. We are now back in Milan after about ten days in Turin and Genoa. Our new apartment is next door to the Bosco. It is in a courtyard building and you can see the towers from the courtyard. And you can hear the birds singing. It's pretty incredible.

Castello Mackenzie

When we were beginning to plan this trip to Italy, centering on Turin, there was one building in Genoa that was on my list: the Castello Mackenzie designed by Gino Coppedè. A couple of days here, after about two weeks in Milan and Turin, have taught me that I was shortsighted. It's all been miraculous. But I have now seen the Castello Mackenzie. It is as wild and crazy as anticipated:

But it is no longer singular. It's part of the Genoa that is so attractive and interesting. The hills and valleys, the art nouveau, the other styles, the old stuff, the new stuff. Oh, and the food. We've had some good meals including a lovely lunch at Osteria La Lanterna. I'm having a lot of trouble with the idea that we have to head back to Milan tomorrow so we can be ready for the return flight across the Atlantic next Wednesday.

We had a salad and sandwich for supper from the nearby La Toasteria after our full lunch. I went out later for a coffee. The rain had stopped. Folks were heading back home after supper, or just strolling because it wasn't raining anymore. The feeling on the streets was magical.

More photos in my Flickr photostream.

Nervi, on Good Friday

We headed out to Nervi today, at the eastern edge of the public transit system of Genoa. It's €1.50 for 100 minutes from validation on the Genoa buses, funiculars, elevators (yes, for up the hills), and other public transit. The Parchi Nervi includes several villas with art collections as well as the gardens which are currently closed for improvements. We also went out there for a bit of seaside. Rain was forecast and threatened now and again but we only felt drops a couple times all day.

We were thrilled by objects in the Wolfsoniana such as the Autarca by Angelo Fasce which holds all the stuff you'd need for quite a sumptuous but self-contained dining experience.

After lunch by the sea, I went to the Galleria d'arte moderna and discovered the work of Nicolò Barabino, among others. Lots of good 19th-century paintings. The 20th-century stuff didn't grab me so much. This is Barabino's Abyssinian.

Cbristie decided to sit by the sea while I went to GAM. We had a gelato when I was done with GAM and took the bus back to the center of Genoa. Then up the funicular to Antica Farmacia dei Frati Carmelitani Scalzi where Christie looked for some herbal remedies. It was a lovely space and a modest church. We walked back to the funicular and encountered yet another Liberty villino on the square at the top of the Funicolare Sant'Anna.

I don't know the architect and wonder if it's another Coppedè.

More pictures on Flickr:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/56294332@N00/albums/72157694674348325

Liberty italiano

The art nouveau buildings were immediately apparent on arrival in Milan. Italians usually call the style Liberty, from the London department store that popularized the style.

I'd seen a picture of the Palazzo Berri-Meregalli before we left but there were treasures of art nouveau all over the city.

When we got to Turin, I was very glad to find a guide in the Palazzo Reale bookshop: Alla scoperta della Torino Liberty: 10 passeggiate nei quartieri della città. We tried to follow some of the walks but mostly it served as a fine guide as we went about the city. In some parts of Turin, the art nouveau houses were just everywhere.

Liberty is still with us here, in Genoa.

More pictures in my Italy 2018 album on Flickr.

Genova, 29 marzio 2018

Having been told that the quantity of pictures from our trip to Milan, Turin, and Genoa in my Flickr photostream might be overwhelming, I thought I'd just pick a few that highlight the day. We found some very handy and informative booklets at the Genoa city information office. One of them included "seven routes to explore the city." One of the routes passed the miniature art nouveau barber's shop Barberia Giacolone at no. 14r on Vico dei Caprettari.

On the other end of the scale was the massive Il Gesù church which includes a magnificent painting of Saint Ignatius by Peter Paul Rubens.

It is Maundy Thursday and we had read that the city Confraternities processed around the seven churches in the medieval quarter. We didn't find that but there were special activities at various churches as well as seasonal masses. The simple Romanesque interior of San Donato (12th century) was filled with music (and incense) and there was a special Easter tableau.

Genoa is hilly and that provides for incredible views when you get above the dense city.