114
inalis
Claudia Ca allo
Ignazio Ga della. Building Wi hin The Buil : Dialec ics O His o y, Cha ac e O A chi ec u e
A he hea o his doc o al esea ch lies an in e es in a way o un-
de s anding he econs uc ion and ew i ing o he exis ing ci y as
he un eiling o he essen ial ea u es o li ing in a place.
The esea ch adop s he heme o “building on he buil ” bo h as an
in ellec ual a i ude and as a ecu en and pa adigma ic condi ion
o he p ojec , explo ing i h ough an in e p e i e eading o some
“exempla y” wo ks by Ignazio Ga della. P ojec s capable o in ol ing
pa s o he ci y, buildings, a chi ec u al elemen s and ancien objec s
as ac i e elemen s o he composi ion.
The s udy o an u ban econs uc ion p ojec is he s a ing poin o
a c i ical and ope a ional e lec ion on a chi ec u e, del ing in o some
emblema ic wo ks ha exempli y a dialec ical compa ison wi h he
buil o in es iga e a chi ec u e in i s “making” as a ool o ela ion-
ship wi h he en i onmen , bo h in physical and meaning ul e ms.
1. Ga della: Geno a, uins o San Sil es o a ea, Si e inspec ions, 1969-70, A chi io CSAC.
Figu e [F ee posi ion and size. Full bleed is also pe mi ed]
Ignazio Ga della: Building Wi hin The
Buil : Dialec ics O His o y, Cha ac e
O A chi ec u e
Au ho Claudia Ca allo
Supe iso s An onella Gallo (IUAV)
Co-Supe iso Ra aella Ne i (POLIMI),
Ma ia G azia Eccheli (UNIFI), And ea
Io io (IUAV)
Uni e si y Uni e si à IUAV di Venezia (IT)
Ju y membe s Domenico Chizzoni i (POLIMI), Lo edana
Fica elli (POLIBA), Gio anni Ma as
(IUAV)
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2. Au ho : Geno a, Palinses o, in e p e i e d awing: O e -
lapping o he plani olume ic plan o he Piano Pa icola -
eggia o di San Dona o e San Sil es o on he su ey o he
old own cen e made by Luigi Vagne i in he same yea s.
Des oyed o modi ied acks in blue.
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The hesis, he e o e, does no aim o p o ide an exhaus i e ea -
men o he heme in all i s a ious and po en ial in e p e a ions, no
a comple e eading o he au ho ’s o e all wo k. Ins ead, i chooses
and adop s a speci ic and oblique pe spec i e on he ela ionship ha
a chi ec u e can es ablish wi h he exis ing wo ld. The unde lying goal
is o a i m he ole o a chi ec u al expe ience as he ounda ion o all
cons uc ion.
Me hodology
Abandoning any claim o comple eness, his hesis is hus an a emp
o del e in o he speci ic heme and, abo e all, in o he pa icula
“ways” in which he au ho ’s in en ions a e ansla ed in o he o ms o
his p ojec s, in o de o e u n an ope a i e e lec ion on a chi ec u e.
In his sense, he “cu ” o he hesis is no indi e en o he con ex o
he Doc o a e in A chi ec u al Composi ion a he IUAV Uni e si y o
Venice, whe e he esea ch ma u ed.
A doc o a e conno ed by a p ecise cul u al p ojec consolida ed o e
he yea s in a adi ion o s udies and esea ch me hods aimed a ad-
d essing a chi ec u al issues h ough he s udy and in e p e a i e e-
d awing o an a chi ec ’s wo ks o incisi e compa isons be ween ex-
empla y cases.
The me hod o esea ch has in e wined wo complemen a y pa hs:
on he one hand, a chi al esea ch h ough di ec sou ces, in e iews,
and s a e-o - he-a knowledge, o which was added he un o eseen
ool o online magazine a chi es du ing he pe iod o isola ion due o
he COVID-19 pandemic, which o e ed a new possibili y o esea ch
in he ace o he disappea ance o se e al o he modes o s udy and
compa ison; on he o he hand, he c i ical and in e p e a i e ed awing
o wo ks, aimed a decomposing hem in o syn agmas and sys ems o
elemen s, o a compa ing di e en design hypo heses.
3. Ga della: Geno a, de ining he igu e o he A chi ec u e Uni e si y
building, A chi io CSAC.
4. Geno a, pho o ae ea, he a eas o he plan, 1973-74, Regione Ligu ia.
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Due o he subjec o in es iga ion, compa a i e eadings be ween
he ac ual s a e and he econs uc ion hypo heses ha e aken on
pa icula impo ance, wi h o e laps aimed a unde s anding he au-
ho ’s choices in ela ion o he p e-exis ences.
The di ec in e oga ion o he a chi ec u al “ ex ”, i s decomposi ion
in o signi ican pa s and ca ego ies and i s subsequen “ ecompo-
si ion” has he e “a mani es objec i e: o econs uc , o e ace he
design p ocess, on he one hand, in o de o unde s and and de-
sc ibe ‘ he how’ o making, and on he o he o explo e ‘ he sense’,
he ‘why’, he ‘aim’ o ha making” 11. A complex o ope a ions aimed
a en e ing deeply in o he s udy o a chi ec u e’s o ms and c ea i e
p ocesses o app op ia e an au ho ’s echniques and composi ion-
al s a egies and unleash hei cu en alue and ansmissibili y.
S uc u e o he hesis
S a ing om he s udy o a li le-known u ban p ojec , he Piano
Pa icola eggia o di S. Dona o e S. Sil es o (1969-74) o he e-
cons uc ion o a pa o he old ci y cen e o Genoa des oyed by
bombing, he esea ch pa h p oceeds by exempla, seeking answe s
o speci ic ques ions and ecu ing design scena ios, o which cu -
en and use ul s a egies co espond. I ou lines a diach onic and
anscala jou ney h ough Ignazio Ga della’s expe ience, going
back om he ci y o he a chi ec u e o he museum — he PAC in
Milan (1948-54) — o he in e io s ealised by he young Ga della in
he 1930s and 40s, o ocus on he genesis o s a egies and ools
o ull exp essi eness capable o dialogue wi h places, hei his o y,
and hei u u e. The s uc u e o he hesis is schema ically di ided
in o h ee pa s co esponding o h ee di e en scales o he p ojec
and o he compa ison wi h “p eexis ences”: ci y, building, in e io s.
1 Gallo, “Pos azione”, The Clinic o Dissec ion o A .5. Au ho : Geno a, San Sil es o a ea, analy ical d awings: de ac o and planned s a us.
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6. Au ho : Geno a, Piano Pa icola eggia o di San Dona o e San Sil es o, analy ical d awings. Decons uc ion o he p o-
jec : s ongholds ( ed), ancien ab ics (yellow), and new soils (g ey and g een).
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Howe e , he h ee pa s a e di e en in na-
u e and objec i es. The i s pa o he e-
sea ch deals wi h he heme o econs uc -
ing a complex and highly s a i ied pa o he
ci y, ela ed o he ma e ial and imma e ial
p e-exis ences o he des oyed and ans ig-
u ed u ban landscape. I mani es s an idea
o he ci y i sel and a gene al app oach o
he exis ing con ex .
Wi h he analysis o he de ailed plan o S.
Dona o and S. Sil es o, he i s chap e
deals wi h he mos a icula ed case s udy,
which cons i u es a kind o “unicum” in he
expe ience o Ga della, while he second
and hi d chap e s p opose wo hema ic ex-
plo a ions on he na u e o he c ea i e p o-
cess and “ hea icali y”, ha a e bo h c ucial
o cla i ying he speci ici y o a dialec ical
a chi ec u e ha is declined ac oss he di -
e en scales o he p ojec .
Thinking o he ci y om wi hin
The main pa o he esea ch deals wi h he
heme o econs uc ion on an u ban scale
h ough he case o he Piano Pa icola eg-
gia o o S. Dona o and S. Sil es o. I was
an excep ional and con o e sial plan in
many aspec s, which p o ided o he es-
ablishmen o humanis ic uni e si ies on
he si e whe e he ci y o Genoa was ound-
ed, which was des oyed by bombs.
The u ban p ojec is li le known in e ms
o i s essen ial con en . Ce ainly penalised
by i s non- ealisa ion, and pe haps misun-
de s ood due o he cons uc ion o a single
building ha we know oday as he Facul-
y o A chi ec u e in Genoa. A building de-
signed almos en yea s la e and wi h a
subs an ially di e en pe spec i e o use,
which was concei ed as he only eme ging
igu e o he en i e plan o ep esen on an
u ban scale he ci il e- ounda ion o his
pa o he ci y.
The adical change o use made a discou se
on he p e-exis ing ypologies impossible
and he econs uc ion o he on s o he
disappea ed u ban ab ic a leas a i icial.
Ga della planned he econs uc ion o
some uined monumen s “whe e i was, as
i was”, imposing a selec i e discou se on
p ese ing he ab ic. In he des oyed a e-
as, he new buildings ake up some p e-ex-
is ing s ee axes and e ase o he s. Howe -
e , he ci y’s complex opog aphy anima es
he p ojec as a memo y o na ow s ee s,
s ai cases, amps, unnels, po icoes, and
sudden openings.
Abo e all, he chap e add esses he issue
o he pe sis ence o he images, spaces
and igu es o he ancien ci y in he con-
s uc ion o a new ci y, esponding o new
and e y di e en needs.
The p ojec is a a c y bo h om he mo e
conse a i e posi ions and om he disin e -
es ed app oach o he ancien ci y ha was
mani es ed in he i s econs uc ion plan o
1950, in which a single new eden ed build-
ing o e looked he hill o San Sil es o, indi -
e en bo h o he p e-exis ing ab ic and o
he o og aphy.
F om he u ban palimpses — gene a -
ed by an ope a ion o supe imposi ion
be ween Ga della’s p ojec and he p e-
exis ing ci y — eme ges a pa icula ela-
ionship be ween memo y and in en ion,
which accep s an in e p e a i e dimension
based on he expe ience o he li ed ci y.
As in a blank shee o pape om which an-
cien w i ing eme ges, some p e-exis ing
signs, aces, and igu es a e con i med o
ans igu ed in he p ojec . In blue a e indi-
ca ed he aces ha he plan’s design does
no epea , while whe e blue aces do no
appea , he p ojec con i ms he s a e o
he place.The e a e a ew in e es ing poin s
whe e he new aces ba ely de ia e om
he old ones so ha we can ecognise he
p e-exis ing alley, s ee , o s ai way shi -
ed o manipula ed in he new design. On
he o he hand, o he signs a ise om new
needs o he uni e si y o new u ban connec-
ion possibili ies b ough abou by wa ime
des uc ion. Selec i e demoli ion e odes he
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exis ing blocks, while a new u ban mo pholo-
gy eme ges ha o e laps he la ge oids le
by he bombing.
Ga della adop s an app oach o he econ-
s uc ion o he ci y ha is di icul o classi-
y. The p ojec exp esses an ancien and, in
many espec s, “inac ual” a i ude ha has
guided he cons uc ion o ci ies on hem-
sel es o cen u ies: a humanis ic a i ude o
euse and ecycle, composed o economic
and spi i ual needs.
The p ojec ’s decons uc ion in o se e -
al signi ican ca ego ies — “s ongholds”
( ed), “ancien ab ics” (yellow), and “new
soils” (g ey and g een) — made i possible
o highligh poin s o con e gence and di -
e ences wi h o he u ban p ojec s.
I ha e called “s ongholds” he main monu-
men s and igu es o u ban weigh , such as
he ci y walls and ga es, o which he p o-
jec a ibu es he ole o ce ain, secu e and
indeed solid elemen s, om which o s a
building a new u ban con igu a ion.
The “old ab ics” a e he ab ics o mino
buildings, mos ly esiden ial, which a e sub-
jec ed o a selec ion and “cleaning” ope a-
ion, ollowing he dominan s o he consoli-
da ed u ban s uc u e.
Las ly, he ca ego y o “new soils” e e s o
he new buildings p oposed by he p ojec ,
which in e p e ce ain cha ac e is ics o he
p e-exis ing ci y and, a he same ime, o e
hemsel es as new soils, in ac , ha can be
walked o e .
The ole Ga della a ibu es o p e-exis ing
buildings o a di e en na u e does no co -
espond o he es ablished ca ego ies o
u ban es o a ion. The co ne s ones o he
p ojec , chosen as he elec i e e e ence o
he cons uc ion o he new uni e si y ci a-
del, do no coincide wi h he monumen al
buildings o he ancien ci y. U ban in a-
s uc u es and he ci y’s pe sis en layou s
a e also conside ed co ne s ones o he
p ojec . While no all his o ical monumen s
a e es o ed and di e en conse a ion p in-
ciples a e applied. I is a pe cep ion-d i en
“case by case”, e lec ing on he ole each
o hese u ban ac s plays in he new dimen-
sion o he ci y.
The collages o he pho og aphs o he su -
eys seem o an icipa e he p ojec ’s key
choices by ecomposing some undamen-
al “scenes” ha , a leas in pa , consoli-
da e he u ban oid c ea ed by he wa ime
des uc ion in o de o open up new and
b oade u ban iangula ions.
Eme ging ac s and building ab ics a e
ead in he p og essi e dimension o he
ci y, o g asp he essence o i s immu able
physiognomy, o which he ope a ions o se-
lec i e demoli ion, as well as he choices o
econs uc ion, can be aced.
Ga della’s a i ude owa ds he ancien ci y
is e y a om he Enligh enmen concep
o he monumen as an excep ional and iso-
la ed ac , la e in ojec ed in o he unc ion-
al ci y concep o he mode n mo emen .
Le Co busie ’s Plan Voisin is emblema ic o
an idea o he ci y whe e i is possible o
selec monumen s isola ed om hei con-
ex , ideally ex ac hem, and hen eloca e
hem on a new abs ac and idealising u -
ban g id, exp essing a new model o he ci y
concei ed a p io i. On he con a y, Ga del-
la’s p ojec ealises a pa icula ela ionship
be ween monumen s and u ban ab ic ha
es ablishes a new o m o con inui y be-
cause “ he e is no p oblem o conse a ion
o monumen s ‘in i o’, bu he e is a p ob-
lem o ‘u ban con ex ’, ha is, a p oblem o
7. Au ho : Geno a, San Dona o a ea, Compa ison be ween
p elimina y and inal design: 1968-1971.
8. Ga della: Geno a, wood model o he u ban p ojec , ASG.
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co-p esence in he ci y o he old and he
new, so ha bo h become o ganic compo-
nen s o he same u ban eali y”. A ela ion-
ship o con inui y ha is exp essed as much
in he choices o conse a ion as in he p o-
posal o new olumes.
The “new soils” c ea e a new ci y ha is si-
mul aneously unp eceden ed and amilia ,
s a ing om he dialec ic be ween buildings
and o og aphy, be ween open space and
oo ga dens a anged a di e en heigh s,
which has always belonged o he ci y o
Genoa, bu which is ex ended he e o a
public dimension.
The o ms o he new olumes a e de ined
by he pa hs o he old ci y, ecognised as
i s mos endu ing s uc u e. I is he emp y
spaces ha gi e shape o he solid bodies.
The new uni e si y ci adel is bo h an un eil-
ing and a e ounding p ojec .
Th ough he selec ion o images and he in-
e p e a i e ed awing o some pa s o he
plan, he esea ch ocused on he alue o
he “cons uc ion o he oid” in Ga della’s
ci y. Emp iness is unde s ood as a dialec i-
cal space in which he ci y ep esen s i sel ,
h ough he eme ging elemen s and h ough
he o ms and open spaces ha welcome
collec i e li e.
2 Be gson, Ma iè e e mémoi e.
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The hesis ocuses on he analy ical s udy
o he u ban p ojec , s a ing om he con-
ic ion ha he plan o e s a ele an e lec-
ion on he ci y’s cons uc ion s a ing om
memo y. A memo y unde s ood as he se-
lec ion and “use o pas expe ience o p es-
en ac ion”.2
A way o hinking o he ci y om he in-
side eme ges, which does no ecognise
any possible spli be ween own planning
and a chi ec u e. Fo Ga della, he de ailed
plan is a “guiding image” ha canno dis e-
ga d a igu a i e and o mal p e igu a ion
(o he wise, i would ha e o be a simple
add ess p og amme).
The hesis insis s on he sea ch o he ap-
p op ia e signs o in e an idea o he ci y
and on he wo k o p og essi e e inemen
o o ms ha end owa ds he syn hesis
and ep esen a ion o an essen ial and i -
educible po ai o he ci y, new, ancien ,
and imeless.
The pu pose o he chap e is p ecisely o
show he alue o an app oach o he ci y
ha canno be asc ibed o canonical ca e-
go ies o in e en ion o es ablished heo-
ies because i is based on lis ening o he
place and a pa icula sensi i i y o phenom-
enological eali y. I is a hough ha mo es
om wi hin, om pe cep ion and expe i-
ence, o build a dialogue be ween he ci y
and i s his o ies, o con inue building he
ci y on he p o ile o i s “essen ial” cha ac e .
Making a chi ec u e
The second chap e del es in o unde s and-
ing and desc ibing Ignazio Ga della’s c ea-
i e p ocess h ough he s udy o he p ojec
o he Pa ilion o Con empo a y A in Milan,
which is, in many espec s, a mani es o p o-
jec . The pa ilion is a wonde ul accoun o
he li e o his suspended, in ima e place in
he ci y and a pe ec exhibi ion machine o
he wo ks. A hea ical machine ben on s ag-
ing li e and his o y in a speci ic place.
The aim o his lunge is o disco e and show
how he museum’s image has aken shape
h ough choices and e inemen s ha canno
be aced back o he building’s p eexis ing
cha ac e , no mechanically de i ed om i s
unc ion. In o he wo ds, i is a ques ion o
iden i ying s a egies and echniques o a di-
alec ic and ecep i e a chi ec u e, buil as a
sys em o ela ionships.
Wi h a my iad o ske ches, design e sions
and e inemen s o each building elemen ,
which inc easingly con e ge on he app o-
p ia eness o solu ions, he PAC p ojec is
demons a i e o an app oach ha is bo h
empi ical and a ional. Ga della s a es ha
we only know wha we do. He denies he
exis ence o c ea ion ex nihilo, c ea i e ge-
nius and ap us; he s a es ha he p ojec
is “c i ical esea ch o he o mal ou come”.
A sea ch made wi h he hands, as well as
wi h hough s, which is p ecise p ecisely in
i s “making”.
Ga della’s c ea i e p ocess is a non-linea
pa h, ull o disca ded ials and e u ns, wi h
no o mal a p io i, o anscenden e e ence
o guide i . Howe e , in his pa h, he e is an
ex eme a ionali y aimed a pu suing he
mos app op ia e solu ion conce ning he
needs o use.
The PAC p ojec is hus cons uc ed in dia-
lec ical o m wi h espec o i s spa ial en e-
lope and wi h espec o he cha ac e o he
cha ac e s wi h which i en e s in o ela ion:
he oyal illa, he pa k, he walls o he old,
des oyed s ables, he in imacy o he pa k
and he ligh il e ed by he ees.
The hesis obse es he p og essi e and in-
en ional cons uc ion o he building’s cha -
ac e in ela ion o i s elec i e e e ences and
uses he ool o he in e p e a i e ed awing
o show he ichness o his ype o p ocess,
h ough he compa ison o he indi idual
elemen s o he inal p ojec wi h he i s
e sions and isola es and dissec s ce ain
de ices o he p ojec aimed a communica -
ing wi h i s su oundings. The esea ch hus
achie es an in-dep h s udy o he na u e and
genesis o he language o a chi ec u e in Ig-
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