4/24/2020 Spotlight: Carlo Scarpa | ArchDaily

Spotlight: Carlo Scarpa

Written by Rory Stott

11 months ago Share

One of the most enigmatic and underappreciated architects of the 20th century, Carlo Scarpa (June 2, 1906 –
November 28, 1978) is best known for his instinctive approach to materials, combining time-honored cra s
with modern manufacturing processes. In a 1996 documentary directed by Murray Grigor, Egle Trincanato,
the President of the Fondazione Querini Stampalia for whom Scarpa renovated a Venetian palace in 1963,
described how "above all, he was exceptionally skillful in knowing how to combine a base material with a
precious one."

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Born in Venice, Scarpa spent most of his early childhood in Vicenza, before his family moved back to Venice
a er the death of his mother in 1919. Scarpa studied architecture at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in
Venice, and from 1932 until 1947 he was director of the Venini Glassworks. It was here that he first displayed
his appreciation for cra , o en working with the Venini glassblowers late into the night to perfect new
designs.

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It was not until a er World War II that Scarpa began to be recognized internationally for his architecture. This
recognition led to a series of commissions in and around Venice—many of them involving the renovation of
existing buildings, which became something of a trademark for Scarpa. Perhaps most famously, Scarpa's
renovation for the Museo Castelvecchio completed in 1964 carefully balanced new and old, revealing the
history of the original building where appropriate. A revelation at the time, this approach has now become a
common approach to renovation, perhaps most notably exhibited by David Chipperfield's Neues Museum.

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Scarpa's attention to detail is almost unmatched among modern architects. His appreciation of cra o en
led him to revel in the smallest of details, for example the brass supports under the stairs at his Olivetti
Showroom, or the "viewing device" at the Brion Tomb and Sanctuary, which focuses the user's gaze in the
direction of the town of San Vito d'Altivole by means of a small metal element embedded in a vertical slit in
the concrete wall.

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ARCHDAILY  IGOR FRACALOSSI

AD Classics: Olivetti Showroom / Carlo Scarpa

13 The Olivetti Showroom by Carlo Scarpa has recently come full circle. In the late 1950s Adriano
Olivetti commissioned Scarpa to design a display space for his Olivetti products. The resulting
Olivetti Showroom was a beautiful space used for decades by Olivetti before changing owners.
Read the article on archdaily.com >

ARCHDAILY  SABRINA SYED

10 Hard-To-Reach Masterpieces And How To Get There

Visiting architectural masterpieces by the greats can often feel like a pilgrimage of sorts, especially
when they are far away and hard to find. Not everyone takes the time to visit these buildings when
traveling, which makes getting there all the more special.
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ARCHDAILY  IRINA VINNITSKAYA

Carlo Scarpa. Venini 1932-1947 at Rooms for Glass / Selldorf

Architects
The new exhibition space Rooms for Glass (Le Stanze del Vetro) in Italy, designed by Selldorf
Architects, will open this summer in August 2012. The first exhibit to inaugurate the space will be
Carlo Scarpa. Venini 1932-1947, a collection of over 300 glassworks by architect Carlo Scarpa .
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ARCHDAILY  SABRINA SANTOS

This Concrete Furniture Hardware is Inspired by Carlo Scarpa's

Architecture
Material Immaterial Studio has unveiled MIRAGE, a series of concrete furniture hardware inspired by
the works of architect Carlo Scarpa. The MIRAGE series is made up of concrete handles, knobs, and
robe hooks, all of which aim to create character through light and shadow.
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References: "Carlo Scarpa," a 1996 documentary directed by Murray Grigor; Famous Architects website;
Wikipedia.

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Featured Comment

Nicolò Zanatta • 5 years ago

If anybody is interested in "getting" Carlo Scarpa, I really
suggest reading "Carlo Scarpa's Tomba Brion" by Guido Guidi
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Livon Diramerian • a year ago

We better respect the structure of materials.
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Federico Puggioni • 3 years ago

Meet his legacy where "The whole is greater than the sum of its
parts" ... https://fedepugg.wordpress....
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Barkshake • 3 years ago

Although of course he *technically* was never an architect..
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archipicture • 4 years ago

always nice to read about scarpa!
for some more images:
www.archipicture.ch
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Nicolò Zanatta • 5 years ago

🏆 Featured by ArchDaily
If anybody is interested in "getting" Carlo Scarpa, I really Save
suggest reading "Carlo Scarpa's Tomba Brion" by Guido Guidi
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›
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