Carlo Scarpa's Drawings for the Ottolenghi House

Carlo Scarpa (Venice, 1906 - Sendai, 1978), the famous architect deeply rooted in the Venetian tradition, critically developed figurative models that had references in both ancient and modern art, although, at the same time, he was open to suggestions from distant worlds, from the Orient to the masters of twentieth century, such as Wright, Mallet-Stevens and Le Corbusier. His projects for living spaces are, in their entirety, a highly representative compendium of his work, and the Ottolenghi house in Bardolino (Verona) plays a central role in the master’s mature works.
Since these are living spaces, during their designing, the relationship with the client had an added value, with the intellectual sensitivity of the Ottolenghi family translating into a harmonious dialogue with the architect, as the more than three hundred drawings published here bear witness: powerful and innovative sheets, scrupulously reproduced, catalogued, put into sequence and analyzed.
The book contains critical essays that contextualize the Ottolenghi house within the work of Carlo Scarpa and the architecture of the twentieth century, the testimonies of those who worked alongside the master during the strictly executive phase and a wealth of photographs, including the precious shots documenting the building site. The catalogue of drawings shows the genesis of the building, helping to capture the full meaning of architecture made into concrete reality, and Scarpa’s lesson at the height of his creative powers.

Contents

ESSAYS

The Living Space in Carlo Scarpa’s Designs
Margherita Guccione, Esmeralda Valente, Elena Tinacci

“A Very Deformed Planimetric Event”
Giuseppe Tommasi

The Dancing Columns of the Ottolenghi House
Guido Pietropoli

Drawing to See
Alba Di Lieto

Cataloguing for Conserving: “The One with the Pointed Pencil”
Ketty Bertolaso

The Architectural Survey
Sat Survey – Alberto Torsello, Silvia Gasparini; Alessandro Tommasi, Martino Rielli

THE DRAWINGS, 1974-1978
Giuseppe Tommasi, Andrea Masciantonio

Guide to Interpretation
Andrea Masciantonio

Plans

Piers

Bathrooms

Fireplaces

Furnishings

Stairs

Rooftop Terrace

Elevations

Windows and Doors

Water Pools

Unidentified Drawings

APPENDIX

Interviews
Francesca Rapisarda

Carlo Scarpa’s Biography
Alba Di Lieto

The Ottolenghi House in the Fototeca Carlo Scarpa
Elisabetta Michelato