Nauka Science

Andrés Ros Campos* Pedro Verdejo Gimeno** Mariusz Twardowski***

orcid.org/0000-0003-4356-4642 orcid.org/0000-0001-6989-0871 orcid.org/0000-0001-5177-395X

Heritage, Concrete and Symbolism

in Carlo Scarpa’s Architecture
Dziedzictwo, beton i symbolika
w architekturze Carlo Scarpy

Keywords: architecture, concrete, Carlo Scarpa, Słowa kluczowe: architektura, beton, Carlo Scarpa,
heritage, symbolism dziedzictwo, symbolika

Introduction order to adapt them to the new contexts of today. The

aim of this paper is to present the results of the research
At present, the definition of the term cultural heritage conducted on Scarpa’s work in this quest, leading to
has a wide range of meanings, and as in the case of ar- elevate the use of concrete in art in the architecture of
chitectural heritage, it significantly shapes the identity, his works by the mastery of its execution.2
culture and history of certain states, nations and com-
munities. Continuing with this approach, the modern Methodology
architecture of the twentieth century and the use of
concrete as an expressive material became the protago- The present study responds to the interest in the sym-
nists of our cities which, on many occasions, obviated bolic consideration given by Scarpa towards concrete,
the inherited architecture.1 and its consideration as a noble material. The process
On the other hand, there were also architects who, followed, began with a historical-documentary analyt-
immersed in modernity, managed to find a symbiosis ical method, through a bibliographical and documen-
between modern and classical architecture by explor- tary search on the author, making visits to his personal
ing the possibilities of the new material by excellence: archive in order to analyze his drawings and documents
concrete. One of the main figures in the use of con- first-hand.
crete was Italian architect Carlo Scarpa who, with an Regarding the state of the art of the topic, the fol-
attitude of respect for what already existed and contin- lowing should be specified: It is not our intention to
uous experimentation with concrete, constantly tested delve into the dosage of the concrete mass, but rath-
in his own works the search for a plastic and sincere er to show the variability and experimentation with it.
communication through materiality. For more details on the first, it is appropriate to review
As it did with Scarpa, this curiosity continues to the title Il calzestruzzo nelle Architetture di Carlo Scarpa,
preoccupy many of the avant-garde architects who con- forme, alterazioni, interventi.3 The analysis of the work A
tinue to experiment with the use of appropriate materi- Lezzione con Carlo Scarpa by Franca Semi is essential,
ality when faced with the reuse of historic buildings in where the master tells us about his architectural ap-

*
Ph.D. Arch., CEU Cardinal Herrera University *
dr arch., Uniwersytet im. Kardynała Herrery
**
Ph.D. Arch., CEU Cardinal Herrera University **
dr arch., Uniwersytet im. Kardynała Herrery
***
D.Sc. Ph.D. Eng. Arch., University Professor, Faculty of Architec- ***
dr inż. arch., prof. PK, Wydział Architektury Politechniki
ture, Cracow University of Technology Krakowskiej

Cytowanie / Citation: Ros Campos A., Verdejo Gimeno P., Twardowski M. Heritage, Concrete and Symbolism in Carlo Scarpa’s Architecture. Wiadomości
Konserwatorskie – Journal of Heritage Conservation 2021, 68S:35–44

Otrzymano / Received: 19.04.2021 • Zaakceptowano / Accepted: 17.10.2021 doi: 10.48234/WK68SSYMBOLISM

Praca dopuszczona do druku po recenzjach Article accepted for publishing after reviews

Wiadomości Konserwatorskie • Journal of Heritage Conservation • 68S/2021 35

 experience on the intervention on architectural herit-
age was developed and promoted, trying to integrate
into it the modern standards established during the
first half of the century. After the Second World War,
a large amount of architectural heritage in some Euro-
pean cities was damaged or destroyed. In other cases,
the architectural heritage had been forgotten by the
warlike economic priority. In Italy, during the second
half of the twentieth century, Carlo Scarpa interpreted
the classic-modern symbiosis by exploring the inclusion
of materials such as concrete. The details thus designed
proposed a dialogue between modern materials and
old-fashioned elements. This creates a contrast resolved
through abstraction in the design of elements that are
part of the detail—between the old and the new.
The topic of the connection between materials was
discussed by Frampton who explored the so-called ado-
ration of the joint. The coexistence of different materials
gives value to their union that is established by means
of a caved joint that at the same time separates and links
the materials8 Scarpa pursued the integration of modern
architecture in architectural heritage. His knowledge of
history of architecture and art and his great sensitivity
towards the essential characteristics of architectural el-
ements, allowed him to integrate the old with the new
in the modern details. As he said; “Modern architecture
cannot be made without the knowledge of the architec-
tural values that have always existed.” Since the realiza-
tion of his first works, Scarpa had dealt with the problem
Fig. 1. Detail of the broken concrete wall, Querini Stampalia Foun- of interventions on historical buildings, such as the Aula
dation, 2014; photo by M. Twardowski.
Ryc. 1. Detal przełamanej ściany betonowej, Fundacja Querini Magna of the Cà Foscari University, in Venice in 1951
Stampalia, 2014; fot. M. Twardowski. or years before with his museology interventions in the
Gallerie dell’Accademia from Venice between 1945 and
1959. In Scarpa’s intervention in the Querini Stampalia
proach and his project strategy as well as his sensitivity Foundation, designed in 1961, we find the integration
towards issues of respect for the historical in parallel of concrete with solutions that are not out of tune with
with integration with modern architecture and the use the old. They appear expressively molded, and despite
of concrete for that aim.4 the brutality and authority of concrete, Scarpa was able
Furthermore, what is stated in this article has been to delicately control the material. In this way also in the
possible after the analysis of 329 projects cataloged by back garden we find the plasticity of a concrete wall that
the MAXXI Museum in Rome and their original docu- from a poetic reading is decomposed by the source of the
ments, consulted in the Treviso Archives. Of these 329 water (Fig. 1).
cataloged projects, 9 correspond to the restoration of Subsequently, a relevant case is found in Scarpa’s
historic buildings.5 The study was completed with an design of the access to the Università IUAV di Venezia,
optical analysis of concrete elements, taking into detail designed in 1966 and executed years after his death. The
the textures and patinas. Fundamental to this objective project consists of the intervention on the space adjacent
was the analysis work carried out by Greta Bruschi on to the Church of San Nicola di Tolentino and prior to
the compositions and the state of conservation of the the entrance to the refectory of the old monastery with
concrete textures used by Scarpa.6 the same name, transformed into an academic space for
the school of architecture. A large concrete mass barrier
Intervention in the architectural heritage: designed by Scarpa conditions the passage towards the
Synchrony between the classic and the modern interior. This closing piece was designed to be arranged
in such a way that it does not touch either the facade of
The current transformation of cities must consider the church, nor the dividing walls of the buildings be-
the recovery of built heritage that, when rehabilitat- tween which it fits, leaving a gap that disconnects it from
ed, can work as a catalyst to rehabilitate urban areas. the bordering walls, thus highlighting its autonomy and
This recovery and preservation of the architectural past respecting the heritage of existing buildings.
contributes to consolidating the identity of the places.7 The result is an abstract composition of separated
During the second half of the twentieth century, an elements, which enter into a dialogue with each other

36 Wiadomości Konserwatorskie • Journal of Heritage Conservation • 68S/2021

through the lines that form them. The orthogonal lines
contrast with a single diagonal line running through
the sliding door, mutilating one of the vertices of the
large rough-looking Istrian stone. In this way, Scarpa
introduced the debate on orthogonality and the aggres-
sion of the diagonal, which in its day had sparked con-
troversy between Theo Van Doesburg and Piet Mon-
drian (Fig. 2).
After crossing the threshold, we reach the garden
and discover another decision that speaks to us of the
sensitivity for heritage and the subtle dialogue with
it. The arrangement of the original door of the con-
vent’s refectory raises this reading. Scarpa described
the placement of the ruins found, arranging the door Fig. 2. View of the entrance to the Instituto di Architectura di Vene-
horizontally on the garden floor, thus not respecting its zia, 2017; photo by M. Twardowski.
Ryc. Widok wejścia do Instituto di Architectura di Venezia, 2017;
original placement but the memorial connection of the fot. M. Twardowski.
ruins with respect to the place and the building. In San
Vito di Altivole, Scarpa developed the Brion Tomb pro-
ject. Although it is a new construction project, it relates to his experimentation method; and intellectual due to
and converses with the old cemetery both physically his message and results, the result of a deep knowledge
and metaphorically. Here the concrete, as a symbol, ac- of history and an alignment with the modern theories
quires different poetical meanings. Scarpa made con- of the twentieth century. In 1926, Scarpa began work-
crete speak. The symbiosis is more formal in the case ing for the MVM Cappellin company, dedicated to the
of the concrete access element, which reproduces the craftsmanship of Venetian glass, and six years later, for
dimensions of the noblest niches or commemorative the Venini firm until 1946. These twenty years of expe-
tombs of the old cemetery (Fig. 3). rience with master glassmakers, transmitted to him the
The aim of harmonizing the modern and the ances- philosophy of continuous experimentation and respect
tral through art is a strategy used by Scarpa. His project for the material with which he was working.10
in Castelvecchio is an example of the consideration of Immersed in the process of designing and manu-
architectural performance as one more element of an facturing glass, he acquired the need to seek and know
artwork exhibited in a museum. He added art to art. the ancestral techniques already used by the Romans,
On an urban scale, we can find the same idea in re- exploring processes that were sometimes forgotten, in-
cent research on the rehabilitation of heritage. The troducing personal contributions such as the insertion
humanization of the urban environment demands the of additives in the mass or small alterations in the pro-
absence of conflicts between the new and the old. This cess. All was manufactured, in order to achieve more
humanization of urban space is achieved through two
aspects; aesthetic and artistic—something that can be
extrapolated to Scarpa’s work. This artistic aestheticism
must preserve the characteristics of the patrimonial and
historical through strategies of unity, differentiation or
contrast, and control of visual perception.9

Experimentation with matter

A relevant aspect of Carlo Scarpa’s architecture is the
extremely careful and artisanal treatment of concrete.
It is necessary to go back to the beginning of his pro-
fessional activity as a designer of the Venetian glass
industry in the first half of the twentieth century, to
understand that the essence of Scarpa’s architecture is
indebted to his previous training in those years. Dur-
ing this period, Carlo Scarpa discovered the light and
expressive possibilities of glass, experiencing the ability
to transmit sensations; visual, acoustic, and tactile stim-
uli through the material and the shape. This previous
experience would later be implemented in his architec-
ture, resulting in the paradigm of careful design and a Fig. 3. Detail of the access to the Brion funerary complex, 2015;
photo by A. Ros Campos.
taste for the nuances of architectural details. A tireless Ryc. 3. Detal wejścia do kompleksu cmentarnego Brion, 2015; fot.
elaboration process due to his dedication; scientific due A. Ros Campos.

Wiadomości Konserwatorskie • Journal of Heritage Conservation • 68S/2021 37

Fig. 4. Detail of the concrete facade of the Venezuelan pavilion for Fig. 5. Details of the south wall of the Brion funerary complex,
the Venice Biennale, 2008; photo by M. Twardowski. 2015; photos by A. Ros Campos.
Ryc. 4. Detal betonowej elewacji pawilonu wenezuelskiego na Ryc. 5. Detale ściany południowej kompleksu cmentarnego Brion,
Biennale w Wenecji, 2008; fot. M. Twardowski. 2015; fot. A. Ros Campos.

expressive and unique effects. Over time, this research But the achievement of Brutalism is not exclusive
on the subject would be applied to architecture and in to a single material. On the contrary, steel is also used as
particular to the concrete.11 Consequently, it is under- an expressive element (Fig. 2, 4, 7, 8). During his class-
stood that for his architecture, Scarpa transferred all his es at the Venice Institute of Architecture, Scarpa stated:
concerns to the materials. The experimentation with “Iron costs a lot, but it solves many problems. I use it
the dosages in the stucco coatings or in the concrete easily because it seems hard, solid, even brutal, and in
mass allowed him to alter the color, the texture or the its brutality, it has great elegance.” This statement gives
glossiness of the walls. He explored solutions that al- us an idea that for Scarpa, Brutalism, beyond providing
lowed altering the aging of the material’s surfaces, a formal and material sincerity, was a means to achieve
where time and exposure to humidity would generate beauty, and ultimately, distinction and originality.18 On
characteristic chromatic changes that would give his this allusion and taste for metal, in some of its details
works a characteristic identity. we can see the use of linear metallic elements that will
As previously cited, the analysis in the work of be used to separate the vertical walls of the interior
Greta Bruschi delves into the study of the macroscopic concrete pavement or the façade openings, as occurs
description of the concrete mix of some of Scarpa’s pro- in the Venezuela Pavilion in the Gardens of the Venice
ject; the composition of the mixture; the technique of Biennale (1953–1956; Fig. 4).
building; the texture of the concrete (rough, formwork This subtle monochromatic metallic combination,
footprint, irregularity and macroporous arid, stratified, which also accompanies the Brutalist idea of raw ma-
vibrated, etc).12 Hence, the taste for exposed concrete, terials, is a detail that he will later use again in the pro-
fostered by architectural modernity and in particular by ject of the Canovian Gipsoteca Museum in Possagno
Le Corbusier, would be reinforced by Scarpa, giving it (Treviso, 1955–1957). In this case, the concrete is evi-
the leading role in his architecture. Le Corbusier had denced only in the diaphragmatic elements in the sky-
coined the term “béton brut” to refer to the construc- lights that Scarpa had configured on the ceiling. These
tive sincerity that the main material showed during the Brutalist-looking concrete beams, even more so in
construction of the Unité d’Habitation in Marseilles, contrast to the plastered finish of the rest of the room,
France, in 1952.13 The term began to spread widely af- were arranged perpendicular to the proposed initial ac-
ter British architectural critic Reyner Banham used it cess, generating overhead lighting reminiscent of the
in the title of his 1955 article The New Brutalism.14 Con- later solution of the Nordic pavilion at the Venice Bi-
sequently, after the experiences of the 1950s in Great ennale in 1962, by Sverre Fehn.19
Britain led by Alison and Peter Smithson, this idea of Throughout Scarpa’s career, concrete details oc-
material and formal sincerity was renamed Brutalism.15 cupied a preferential place in the expressiveness of his
Alluding directly to this expression, Scarpa would designs, with the aim of proposing different expressive
declare: “There is an expressiveness in reinforced con- qualities. This process can be observed by analyzing
crete: the mark left by the wooden planks of the form- some of the architect’s works, in which concrete is pre-
work, even if it is brutally arranged, can sometimes sented as a means of plastic communication. For this,
even be suggestive.”16 However, and despite this appar- Scarpa explored the possibilities of the surface of the
ent defense of texture, in his architecture the explicit material investigating textures depending on the dosag-
sincerity of the material is delicately resolved, reinforc- es and compositions, or depending on its manufactur-
ing the idea that the nature of Brutalism is not contra- ing process (precast, in situ) or by varying the formwork
dictory to elegance or to the intervention in elements (smooth, rough, in vertical or horizontal arrangement)
of architectural heritage.17 or with treatments on the surface, or through differ-

38 Wiadomości Konserwatorskie • Journal of Heritage Conservation • 68S/2021

Fig. 6. Series: Details of the Brion tomb, 2015; photos by: A. Ros Campos.
Ryc. 6. Seria: detale grobowca Brion, 2015; fot. A. Ros Campos.

ent formwork techniques obtaining different textures, In Venice, we can find similar examples in the com-
such as washing, to reveal the aggregates.20 bination of stone and concrete. In the monument to
He also used to make concrete by strata, generating the Partisana he assembled pieces of Istria combined
joints in the finished material, at the same time that it took with the concrete mass to solve the design of the sculp-
care of different solutions of edges such as; sharp edges, ture bed, while in the Querini Stampalia Foundation
finished with wooden or stone slats, finished with a me- he reinforced the corners of the garden fountain with
tallic element or finished with glass tesserae (Fig. 4, 6, 8). a subtle piece of stone embedded in the mass of the
In the aforementioned Venezuelan Pavilion at the concrete.24
Venice Biennale, Scarpa experimented with a radical But beyond the technical solution, Scarpa exercis-
Brutalism with which he dealt with the external ap- es his taste for the categorical and expressive nuances
pearance of the pavilion. He accompanied the material of concrete, carefully thought out and resolved. His
roughness with the roundness of the building’s forms. words help to understand this defense for material
The main facade is resolved with exposed concrete sincerity; “A plastered reinforced concrete is a beast,
configuring different textures and taking care of the no matter how good the bricklayer is. In its essence,
detail of the edges. The name of the pavilion appears reinforced concrete has the idea of force. When it is
imprinted in the mass of the concrete (nowadays hid- plastered, nobody knows if it is made of reinforced
den). The textures used are in turn reminiscent of the concrete or of twenty-six-size bricks. I mean that it is
works of Frank Lloyd Wright, for whom he professed necessary to be authentic, to try to exalt a given matter
great admiration.21 as much as possible.”25
The structural calculation sheets that can be seen
among the original documents of the Venezuelan pa- Concrete as a metaphor
vilion are proof of Scarpa’s dedication to detail, and
especially to concrete. This interest of Scarpa in calcu- Scarpa adopted constructive sincerity in search of
lating and sizing the elements of reinforced concrete, greater expressiveness, but at the same time, he could
demonstrates the concern for the precise study of the not be oblivious to the meaning of his architecture
details.22 It is necessary to stress the delicacy with which and introduced metaphor in his works. That is why,
Scarpa worked to define the concrete details. Examples in the poetic content of his works, the materials will
of that, are the stone rings embedded in the concrete assume a decisive role in the symbolic interpretation of
mass of the pillars of the Ottolenghi house.23 his architecture. The influence of his past experience

Wiadomości Konserwatorskie • Journal of Heritage Conservation • 68S/2021 39

Fig. 7. Details of the concrete staircase of Scarpa’s new intervention in Castelvecchio in Verona, 2015; photos by: A. Ros Campos.
Ryc. 7. Detale betonowych schodów po interwencji Scarpy w Castelvecchio w Weronie, 2015; fot. A. Ros Campos.

made him deepen the relationship between glass, as a aration between them. The joint acquired an essential
distinguished and precious material, and concrete, as role, separating the new element from the old one in
a new source of visual expressiveness, giving it a no- evidence of its autonomy. This concordance between
ble character. He generated a rich dialogue between pre-existing materials and the new concrete is visual-
materials, which allowed him a dual game in his ar- ized in some examples. In the aforementioned Quer-
chitecture through dichotomies such as delicacy and ini Stampalia Foundation in Venice, you can see on its
brutality, bright and matt reflections, polychrome and ground floor, the exquisite coexistence between the Re-
monochrome, or between different materialities: glass naissance moldings of the sixteenth-century palace and
and concrete. the new concrete walls that respond to the extension of
In the relationship between glass and concrete, he the Foundation in 1961. In the Museo di Castelvecchio,
gave the latter the condition of support for the former, in Verona (1957–1964, 1967–1970, 1974) concrete
which he considered a precious material. This rela- made its appearance in different staircases. In the one
tionship between the two materials will be reflected in attached to the eastern wall, adjoining the Scaligero
several of his works. This is the case of the concrete bridge, in order to show the different chronologies
walls of the garden of the Querini Stampalia Founda- of the materials, brick in the wall and concrete in the
tion in Venice (1961) or those of the Brion Tomb in staircase, Scarpa separated both elements by means of
San Vito di Altivole in Treviso (1969–78). In both pro- a dark joint, which allows ab independent reading of
jects, the concrete acts as a setting for inlays of vitreous both of them (Fig. 7).
mosaics that, forming polychrome tessellated lines, run However, the most remarkable point of the inter-
through the wall in an elaborate recreation of colors, vention in Castelvecchio is the museology solution that
textures and shine, embraced by the roughness of the Scarpa proposes for the Cangrande de la Scala sculpture.
raw and monochromatic concrete (Fig. 5). This sculpture, which represents the most valuable piece
In this description, Scarpa defined the chromatic in the museum’s collections, is placed on a huge exposed
subtleties of the golden glass tesserae in the arcosolium concrete pedestal, whose formwork consisted of wood-
of the Brion Tomb “This is the interior of the arcosoli- en boards oriented in different directions, in a symbiosis
um with the mosaics. I have explained to you before that that shows the consideration of modern material in dia-
the mosaic has a protective covering, made of thin glass logue with the historical piece (Fig. 8).27
that covers the gold that is otherwise lost; Usually, it is As previously mentioned, after Scarpa’s death, the
made of clear glass, and if you make it colored, you can new entrance to the Venice University Institute of Ar-
have a green gold, a blue gold, a red gold, a purple gold, a chitecture (1966–1978, 1984) was finalized. The ac-
yellow gold. Here is blue gold and green gold” (Fig. 6).26 cess threshold, designed by him, is separated from the
At the same time, it would also give concrete the pre-existing buildings in order not to alter them and
difficult task of serving as a link with the pre-existing, to show respect for their integrity. A ribbed concrete
attending to the harmony between the new and the wall on its sides acts as a reflection of the steps of the
old. Thus, in some interventions on heritage architec- neighboring Church of San Nicola di Tolentino and
ture, Scarpa employs the concrete to resolve the union even the fluted shafts of its columns. Despite its rough
between historical areas and new interventions. This appearance, concrete is a message of the delicacy with
relationship between materials establishes a contrast which the new separates itself from the old, respecting
between the new and the old that helps to recognize it. Another evident proof of this delicacy is the break
the value of the historical and to show the respect of the that allows the entrance, emphasized by a heavy con-
new for the heritage. Scarpa resolved the coexistence crete slab, doubly inclined, delicately supported at the
between new and old materials by establishing a sep- top of the wall (Fig. 2, 9, 10).

40 Wiadomości Konserwatorskie • Journal of Heritage Conservation • 68S/2021

Fig. 8. Details of the concrete support made with wooden formwork of the Cangrande della Scala sculpture in the Castelvecchio museum,
2015; photos by A. Ros Campos.
Ryc. 8. Detale podpory betonowej wykonanej w drewnianych szalunkach: rzeźba Cangrande della Scala w muzeum Castelvecchio, 2015;
fot. A. Ros Campos.

Fig. 9. Details of the access door to the IUAV, 2015; photos by: A. Ros Campos.
Ryc. 9. Detale drzwi wejściowych do IUAV, 2015; fot. A. Ros Campos.

Wiadomości Konserwatorskie • Journal of Heritage Conservation • 68S/2021 41

 De Stijl. The patina acquired by the passage of time,
by aging, proposes a metaphor that we could interpret
as a parallelism with human nature and the inevitable
reality of death. An encounter with destiny and the de-
pletion of living matter, turning the complex into an
allegory of life and death, where concrete focuses both
meanings.
In the walls, the color acquires a main role by caus-
ing a chromatic contrast between the gray of the ce-
ment and the colored glass tesserae, which are arranged
horizontally along one of the walls or highlighting the
edges of the edges of the termination of these. These
tiles in ocher and gold tones further emphasize the no-
ble nature of the support material and the transcenden-
tal connotation of the place, allowing the horizontality
introduced by the line of tiles to reinforce the idea of
the wall’s boundary (Fig. 5).
But at the same time, in other walls of the enclosure
it has vertical thin gaps. The horizontality of the wall will
Fig. 10. Detail of access to the IUAV, 2018; photo by: A. Ros Campos. represent the finite, the end of life, while the verticality
Ryc. 10. Detal wejścia do IUAV, 2018; fot. A. Ros Campos. represents continuity. Additionally, Scarpa designed an-
other mechanism that can be interpreted, a dark joint at
We can interpret the use of concrete with another the base of the south wall, through which the water from
symbolic intention. Scarpa would explore the Brutalist the pond is lost and falls generating a noise when over-
characteristics of concrete to emphasize the stereotomy flowing, and which also causes a dichotomy between the
interpretation of space and an allusion to the return to solid mass of the concrete and the liquid. This is how
the cave, as an ancestral housing myth. In the Ottolengui the dualism of life and death appears in the Brion Tomb.
house in Bardolino (Verona, 1974–1978), the use of Life flows, in watery matter, against the inert, which pre-
concrete reaches a high degree of sophistication. The vents continuity in the form of a wall.
delicate work with the material and its textures shows At the same time, and as a nod to modernity and the
the recreation in the search for the expressionist aspect. American master Frank Lloyd Wright, Scarpa proposed
Consequently, the materiality of the house both the idea of breaking the corner, being appreciated in the
exterior and interior, uses concrete to solve floors, detail of two of the corners of the enclosure, resolved
ceilings and vertical walls. The structure of the house, with a concrete element as a lattice that allows to vis-
also made of reinforced concrete with stone inlays as ualize the countryside. Observing carefully this detail,
rings in the pillars, shows us the traces of its formwork. we can recognize the meticulousness with which the
Moreover, the house acquires a stereotomic character supports of it are solved, through a metallic support
when it is half buried, as a strategy to create an uncov- piece.
ered access corridor, like a trench, made entirely of The stereotomy allusion of the arcosolium to the
concrete and that Scarpa called the access street. This early Christian tombs is evident, as the last link between
corridor is reached after descending from the path tradition and modern interpretation. In order to com-
through an irregular concrete staircase with a certain plete the sensory experience and move us to a primitive
fortuitous character, as if it were the result of nature’s interpretation of the architecture, Scarpa alluded to the
own randomness. cavern as a refuge archetype, by creating a resonance
However, the Brion Tomb in the San Vito di Altivole cavity in the access corridor. For this, the concrete sur-
cemetery in Treviso is the project that best represents faces are filled by the sounds of the pavement pieces
Scarpa’s idea of materials and symbols. It constitutes that move when stepped on, emitting a low rumbling
the synthesis of his architecture and the legacy of his sound, reverberating and emphasizing the concept of
ideas. We find allusions to the artistic avant-gardes. a cavity, as a refuge for the mother’s womb, in a meta-
He honored De Stijl by the compositions of or- phor of the life.
thogonal lines and subtly introducing virtual diago-
nals, generated thanks to the grooving and setback in Conclusions
the edges of the concrete walls. They provide an effect
of shadows that generates the appearance of the afore- The presence of concrete in Carlo Scarpa’s work con-
mentioned diagonals, as we can see in the elevation of stitutes the paradigm of experimentation with the solid
the access to the complex. As mentioned above, they material of architecture. Scarpa, through a meticulous
invocate the De Stijl polemic between the orthogonal abstraction, develops the meaning in the symbolic con-
and the diagonal (Fig. 3). However, in this project con- tent of his work, enhancing a deep interpretation of his
crete is not limited to concepts such as Brutalism or intentions. This abstraction allowed him to synchro-

42 Wiadomości Konserwatorskie • Journal of Heritage Conservation • 68S/2021

nize Modernity with the architectural historical herit- to convey the raw material of his architecture with sin-
age. His proposal is an intellectual architecture. cerity. The slow design process in the details, attest to
Concrete will become the fundamental material the meticulousness with which Scarpa elaborated his
used in many of his works, and should be preserved architecture.
as a sign of identity and value of modern architecture, It would be necessary to evoke again the Brion
preventing it from being lost or distorted as in other Tomb, which can be interpreted as the conclusion to a
cases of modern architecture. It will give it an exclu- life of architectural design and experimentation, a mas-
sive role, even anticipating the behavior of the mate- terful lesson in architecture full of details, meanings,
rial, predicting the result of its aging and giving it the dualities, metaphors and contrasts, with a prominent
character of a symbol of modernity, but also, giving it presence of concrete in the resolution of the complex.
a profuse expressiveness. Texture, perception and per- All of this focuses on a scientific project method, where
sistence over time, are some parameters that we could research on history, matter, space, light, modernity, ab-
link to the use of concrete in Scarpa’s architecture, straction and the intellectual character of architecture
presenting this material as a way of plastic and sincere are the protagonists of originality.
communication.28 Finally, among his legacy two examples of the par-
The results obtained in the materiality of Scarpa’s allelism in his work should be highlighted; the perma-
work are the result of a tireless elaboration process, nent duality that we appreciate in the aforementioned
achieved both by his dedication through a scientific Brion Tomb, where the dualism between concepts
method of experimentation, and by the intellectual na- such as; modern–ancestral, new–old and life–death.
ture of his message. All this was possible thanks to deep The second example is the stereotomy-tectonic vision
knowledge of the history and an alignment with the of the architecture in the Ottolengui house but also in
modern theories of the twentieth century. His respect the Brion complex. Both projects, carried out in the
for architectural heritage did not prevent him from ex- last year of his life, return us to the theme of the origin
perimenting with new solutions in a modern interpre- of architecture. A debate from the Enlightenment on
tation. the dilemma of the cave or the cabin as an inflection of
Obviously, experimentation in the use of materials the intellectuality of architecture.
for his works is not a consequence of immediacy. On As a conclusion, we could qualify his architecture
the contrary, the knowledge acquired after twenty years as a permanent dichotomy of meanings and the con-
of testing in the design of glass elements, allowed Scar- tinuous search for expressiveness under the domain of
pa to acquire a taste for naked material and to recognize the material. In the intellectual, the primitive and the
its expressive possibilities. This path led him to work modern are entangled as in the details do the concrete
Brutalist solutions, almost primitive, that allowed him and the ancient elements.

References / Bibliografia

Secondary sources / Opracowania Art, “Wiadomości Konserwatorskie – Journal of

Antonenko Nadiia, Olga Deriabina, Preservation of Mon- Heritage Conservation” 2020, No. 61.
uments of Modern Architecture in Ukraine (1990–2010), Kozień Adam, Efficient Management of Cultural Heritage
“Wiadomości Konserwatorskie – Journal of Heri- by Local Government Bodies, “Wiadomości Konser-
tage Conservation” 2020, No. 62. watorskie – Journal of Heritage Conservation”
Banham Reyner, The New Brutalisim: Ethic or Aesthetic? 2020, No. 64.
New York–London 1966. Orlenko Mykola, Ivashko Yulia, The Concept of Art and
Banham Reyner, The New Brutalism, “Architectural Re- Works of Art in the Theory of Art and in the Restoration
view” 1955, December. Industry, “Art Inquiry. Recherches Sur Les Arts XXI”
Barovier Marino, Carlo Scarpa: Venini 1932-1947, Mi- 2019.
lano 2013. Pemjean Muñoz Rodrigo, Delgado Cámara Enrique,
Boesiger Willy, Le Corbusier – Œuvre Complète Volume 6: The Water Line. The Monument to the Partisan Woman
1952–1957, Berlin–Basel 2015. by Carlo Scarpa in Venice, “Rita Revista Indexada de
Bruschi Greta, Il Calcestruzzo nelle architetture di Carlo Textos Academicos” 2019, No. 1.
Scarpa: forme, alterazioni, interventi, Bologna 2005. Semi Franca, A lezione con Carlo Scarpa, Venezia 2010.
Frampton Kenneth, Studies in Tectonic Culture: The Poet- Tommasi Giuseppe, Scarpa Carlo, Guccione Margher-
ics of Construction in Nineteenth and Twentieth Century ita, Carlo’s Scarpa Drawings for the Ottolenghi House,
Architecture, Cambridge 1995. Regione del Veneto 2012.
Kashchenko Oleksandr, Kovalska Gelena, Liliia Gnati- Węcławowicz-Gyurkovich Ewa, To Demolish or Preserve
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1
A. Kozień, Efficient Management of Cultural Heritage by Local 12
Ibidem.
Government Bodies, “Wiadomości Konserwatorskie – Jour- 13
W. Boesiger, Le Corbusier – Œuvre Complète Volume 6: 1952–
nal of Heritage Conservation” (hereinafter: “WK”) 2020, –1957, Berlin–Basel 2015.
No. 64, p. 7–16. 14
R. Banham, The New Brutalism, “Architectural Review”
2
M. Orlenko, Y. Ivashko, The Concept of Art and Works of Art 1955, December.
in the Theory of Art and in the Restoration Industry Art Inquiry, 15
Peter Smithson (1923–2003) and Alison Smithson (1928–
“Recherches Sur Les Arts XXI” 2019, p. 171–90. –1993). English architects who studied brutalist architec-
3
G. Bruschi, Il Calcestruzzo nelle architetture di Carlo Scarpa: ture during the 1950s and 1960s.
forme, alterazioni, interventi, Bologna 2005. 16
F. Semi, op. cit., p. 89.
4
F. Semi, A lezione con Carlo Scarpa, Venezia 2010. 17
R. Banham, The New Brutalisim: Ethic or Aesthetic?, New
5
Palazzo da Mula, Murano, Venezia (1925–1926); villa York–London 1966.
Velo, Fontaniva (1926–1927); Ca’ Foscari, Venezia 1935– 18
F. Semi, op. cit., p. 67.
1937; casa (Sacerdoti), Venezia (1940–1943); Museo di 19
Sverre Fehn, a Norwegian architect (1924–2009).
Castelvecchio, Verona (1958–1974); chiesa di Santa Caterina 20
Bocciardato, martellinato, scalpellato – bush hammered, ham-
per il Museo Civico, Treviso (1973–1975); villa Matteazzi- mered, chiseled.
Chiesa, località Ponte Alto, Vicenza (1974–1975); villa 21
Reference is made to the multiple concrete details de-
Loschi Zileri, Monteviale (1975–1976); Castel Grande di signed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Storer House, Los Angeles,
Bellinzona, Bellinzona (1978–1979). California, USA, 1923. Ennis House, Los Angeles,
6
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7
E. Węcławowicz-Gyurkovich, To Demolish or Preserve for Japan, 1923.
Posterity, “WK” 2020, No. 62, p. 85–96. 22
Centro Carlo Scarpa, Via Pietro di Dante, 9, 31100 Treviso
8
K. Frampton, Studies in Tectonic Culture: The Poetics of Con96. TV, Italia.
struction in Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Architecture. 23
G. Tommasi, et al., Carlo’s Scarpa Drawings for the Ottolenghi
Carlo Scarpa and the Adoration of the Joint, Cambridge 1995, House, Regione del Veneto 2012.
p. 299–333. 24
C. Martínez Arroyo et al., The Water Line. The Monument
9
O. Kashchenko et al. Revitalization of the Urban Environment to the Partisan Woman by Carlo Scarpa in Venice, “Rita Revista
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F. Semi, op. cit., p. 97.
10
Venini is a company dedicated to the design of Murano 26
Ibidem, p. 270.
glass products, where glass has been manufactured for 27
Alberto I Canfrancesco della Scala, known as Cangrande
more than 900 years. In this link you can consult the de- della Scala, lord of Verona between 1308 and 1329.
signers who at some point have collaborated for the firm. 28
N. Antonenko, O. Deriabina, Preservation of Monuments of
http://venini.com/en/authors/. Modern Architecture in Ukraine (1990–2010), “WK” 2020,
11
M. Barovier, Carlo Scarpa: Venini 1932–1947, Milano 2013. No. 62, p. 7–15.

Abstract Streszczenie
In the intervention of architectural heritage since the W interwencyjnych pracach konserwatorskich w obrę-
second half of the twentieth century, the need for coex- bie dziedzictwa architektury podejmowanych od drugiej
istence between historical or traditional materials, with połowy XX wieku dostrzegano potrzebę współistnienia
those derived from the latest architectural movements, materiałów historycznych czy tradycyjnych z wywodzą-
has been experienced. This is the case of concrete, the cymi się z najnowszych nurtów architektonicznych. Tak
material par excellence of the Modern Movement and jest w przypadku betonu, materiału par excellence Ruchu
which has come to acquire its own prominence from Nowoczesnego, który zyskał na znaczeniu w rękach ta-
the hand of architects such as Le Corbusier or Scarpa. kich architektów jak Le Corbusier czy Carlo Scarpa. Ten
The latter explored the expressive possibilities of the ostatni, badając różnorodne rozwiązania składu masy
material, drawing inspiration from ancestral customs betonu, dodatków i technik szalunkowych, eksplorował
and trying different solutions in its composition, which ekspresyjne możliwości materiału, czerpiąc inspirację
made Scarpa an original innovator. The result was the z pradawnych zwyczajów i próbując różnych rozwiązań
use of matter as a means of transmitting meanings in its w jego kompozycji, co uczyniło z niego oryginalnego
architecture, where concrete is the protagonist of this innowatora. Efektem jest wykorzystanie tego materiału
action and in which any current intervention must be w jego architekturze jako środka przekazu znaczeń i sza-
subject to the maximum respect for this lexicon. This cunku dla każdej bieżącej realizacji artystycznej. Artykuł
text aims to reflect on the symbolism and interpreta- ma na celu refleksję nad symboliką i interpretacją użycia
tion of the use of concrete in Scarpa’s work. betonu w twórczości Scarpy.

44 Wiadomości Konserwatorskie • Journal of Heritage Conservation • 68S/2021