From all the different perspectives and theories we have read and learned about, Aldo Rossi’s approach to architecture has been my favorite so far along with the third Typology being the most realistic in my opinion. In “The analogous city: panel,” Rossi once again emphasizes that there is no one way of understanding the analogous city which I think help adds to the appeal but it can also complicate things as I’m not even sure if I completely understand all of his points.
He argues that “the city must be dealt with each time, by gathering and developing its contradictions, day by day, directly” (Rossi 1) which I believe shows his dislike in top down urban planning. I can see why this would have it’s disadvantages; too time consuming, not as efficient, can’t have the same solution for various locations. However, I think this really helps add personality to a city and puts more emphasis on the “memory” of a city which is a huge part of one’s experience.
In class, we also struggled to come up with one common description of Rossi’s dislike of functionalism. While it was clear in “The Architecture of the City” that he was against it, we couldn’t agree on the context or his reasoning for this. In this week’s reading he made it clear with the line “to understand monuments also as pieces of cities, sedimentations of materials, that can be-transformed, adapted and arranged for a fresh life, does not mean a cultural adventure but a great project for the principal nations of Europe” (Rossi 1). This supports my initial belief that Rossi didn’t intent to say that buildings shouldn’t have a purpose, but have a new purpose depending on the needs of society. I would agree with Rossi on this point as well as approaching architecture in this sense not only adds character but can also be economic. Overall, Rossi puts an emphasis on the context of architecture.
In the “Third Typology,” it is described as an approach in which“no longer is architecture a realm that has to relate to a hypothesized “society” in order to be conceived and understood…” (Vidler 1) which, as I mentioned previously, makes this typology the most realistic. Focusing on the lives of the current members of society and rather looking to a future that we have no idea how it’s going to work is the most beneficial.
Rossi, Aldo. An Analogical Architecture, 1976.
Vidler, Anthony. The Third Typology and Other Essays. 1977.