…a meeting with

Fulvio Irace

22 thoughts on “…a meeting with

  1. Viviana

    …a book like that never has an ending, it’s constantly changing just like people do. Things are ardly as they appear, they can be perceived differently by any of us.

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  2. Zeynep Asli Yavasan

    The lecture with Fulvio Irace was about the book “Amate L’Architettura” and how it came to be. Speaking about Gio Ponti’s former and latter works, it was interesting to analyze the book within its social, political and cultural context at the time. Having discussed the background of the author and of the body of the work itself, the contents of the book were particularly thought provoking. To me, it was very intriguing to look into how Ponti defined who should be interested in this book and thus architecture, a question we don’t really ask these days. He dedicated and addressed his book to all of society, suggesting that the ideal function of an architect should be a “civil servant” to the needs of the society and thus it concerns not just architects but rather everyone. This is not necessarily an architecture book, but a book for architecture because according to Ponti, architecture equals to civilisation. I thought the lecture to be very direct and efficient in its contents and language.

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  3. Giulia

    The lecture of professor Fluvio Irace introduced some of the main books of Gio Ponti and his ideals post the second world war. The book “Amate l’architettura” comes as a collection of ideas and presents architecture as a tool for reconstruction, for hope (shine of a diamond in dark times). Architecture is a crystal. Also, according to Irace, Gio Ponti reinforce in his works who should be the main public of an architecture design: the man and his needs, many times forgotten.

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  4. 309514

    The lecture by Fulvio Irace was useful in the way of understanding better the main topic of the ACC lectures and also to get to know some ideas of Gio Ponti. Various boks were discussed, and some theories of Gio Ponti about architecture were introduced through these books. The theory of the “crystal” was an interesting one expressing architecture as a closed form, and not possible to extend. So the diamond represents the completeness of the design.

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  5. S287645

    I thought the lecture given by Fulvio Irace on the figure of Gio Ponti was very interesting. I was already familiar with the architect because of his importance in the restoration, alongside the INA CASA project, he is known for his use of the standardisation of architectural elements. With this speech I managed to extend my understanding of what Ponti has represented in post-war architecture. This speech made me reflect on today’s architecture, I found that the figure of man returns to the centre of design only in moments of crisis, such as world wars (in Ponti’s case) and natural disasters, while the rest of the time architecture is built for profit and pure aesthetics, losing sight of its primary function.

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  6. Sema Tas

    The lecture of professor Fulvio Irace was about architecture books which is from year 40’s to 50’s by author Gio Ponti. The book which is called “L’architettura e un cristallo” called “war book” because it was written after the war and these were the hard times. He wrote a book which is called “Verso la casa esatta” and it was about information and finding solution for building economical houses after the war. Books are not for only architects, it’s about society and society must be modern such as contemparary. Also, it was mentioned different titles for the same book such as “Amate L’architettura” and “L’architettura e un cristallo”. With the meaning of “Architecture is a crystal” title, it is mentioned as a architecture must be a closed form, different perspective of architecture and idea of reflections. I think, it was a great title for the book because along with sociological and political changes, architecture is also affected and changing with that perspective and trying to find solutions the problems.

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  7. Behrad

    Gio Ponti has always been one of my favorite architects and artists, and the thorough and fascinating lecture by Fulvio Irace just made me admire him more than before. His ideas, his effects on the modern architecture and his fascinating books were the topics that got explained in this lecture, which made me more curious about studying and learning from this amazing architect.

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  8. s285858

    The lecture by Fulvio Irace has been very interesting to introduce the main theme of the ACC Lectures. Gio Ponti’s vision of architecture is very consistent with the time his books were published, which was during and immediately afetr the II Worl War. I think that the themes of architecture as a crystal and architect as a prophet are very actual indeed. While in Ponti’s years architecture had to look at the future for the recostruction, nowadays the project has to confront the topics which will characterize our future, such as climate change.

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  9. s284927

    Gio Ponti despite the Second World War and the climate of total destruction of both human lives and cities, he does not stop and he tries to think about the future with the optimism of the project. In addition while not being able to plan, he tries to act through the various publications of his writings urging numerous figures from architects to doctors to collaborate for the realization of modern housing for humanity. He represents the figure of the dwarf on the shoulders of the giant, who tries to overcome the master certainly looking to the past but trying to imagine the future, with the awareness of what was happening around him. A highly innovative, visionary and Christian person guided by the importance he has always given to the role of architecture that must be at the service of humanity.

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  10. s305406

    The lecture by Fulvio Irace was a valuable introduction to the lecture series topic, of Gio Ponti and his book ‘Amate l’architettura. L’architettura è un cristallo’. I found particularly interesting the context of book’s creation – that it was written as a war book and as an ongoing autobiography of Gio Ponti that could be constantly edited. Importantly, the book was intended for everyone and not just small circle of architects, which calls to the participatory nature of architectural design, which was not always the case of modern practice. One of interpretations of ‘Architecture as a crystal’ can be that architecture reflects the present in its multifacetedness. On the other hand, it can signify the potential of architecture to be the prophecy of the society. I think the plurality of meanings of architecture is beautifully expressed through this metaphor.

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  11. Lorenzo Savio

    Based on Gio Ponti’s thoughts, Fulvio Irace illustrated how the genesis of an idea, mostly interpretative, linked to architecture does not follow the typical path that links an absolute beginning to an absolute end, but rather represents a continuous evolution, almost similar to a prophecy about future living. Thus, thanks to a series of books, he tells us how the dissemination of such a complex subject should always be tackled with optimism, determination and, at times, even the ability to adapt to the situation, to the historical period, to the needs. In the end, that’s why I believe that the book “Amate l’Architettura” is neither a study book or a didactic manual. It presents a flow of written ideas which brings the architect to raise his sensitivity and renders architecture into a “crystal” to be respected in its pure and uncorrupted form, therefore preventing any “fracture”.

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  12. Marta Erby

    Fulvio Irace’s testimony on Gio Ponti’s work provides insight into how this character responded to war remains, and how he reflected them in his editorial work and approach to architecture. Through his writings we can sense Ponti’s deep love for his country and his desire fot it to withstand the devastation of war. This sentiment is not only evident in the various ideas given by the architect to rebuild a strong and stable architecture post-war, as seen in his book Politica dell’architettura, but also in the fact that his works, such as Amate l’architettura, were intended for everyone. This element offers us a good point to understand how he empathized with the society all. Since those key points are given, it becomes easier to figure out crystal metaphor: just like a crystal, architecture is a multifaceted entity, whose facets reflect the society and culture that produced it. The power of architecture lies in its capacity to reproduce its world.

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  13. Gianluca Spataro, s287430

    Listening to the Professor Fulvio Irace speak about Gio Ponti has been an honor. In particular, he spoke about the architect’s literary works, from his earliest writings to the famous ‘Amate l’Architettura’. The latter fully represents Gio Ponti’s thinking. This is not a book focuses on architecture but for lovers of architecture. It is a never-ending book because it represents an ongoing process. ‘Amate Architecture’ is a demonstration of Gio Ponti’s incredible attention onto the future, the ‘prophecy’. At the end of the lecture, Professor Sergio Pace provided an excellent reflection in the position of architects today instead of Ponti’s prophecy, on which I do not entirely agree. I believe that even in today’s architecture we pay attention to the future, thinking about an eco-friendly architecture and studying every phase of a building’s life. Probably the focus is no longer just on man but also on the natural environment and the impact the building has on it.

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  14. S287390

    An interesting lecture by Fulvio Irace on the figure of Gio Ponti and his manifesto book “Amate l’architettura”. A book, the latter, that I would dare to define as one of synthesis and exhortation. It is, in fact, on the one hand a book of a collection of the architect’s ideals and experiences and, on the other hand, a text, which, despite an apparent formal hermeticism, emphasizes the need to act and evolve. I appreciated the totality, complexity and humanity with which Ponti treats the role of the figure of the architect, as a subject in the service of society. The figure of the architect “militates,” a prophet and artificer called to respond to the needs of his time.

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  15. Bahar/s289809

    As a result of Fulvio Irace’s lecture, I was introduced to a new topic and a new great architecture, Gio Ponti, through his amazing book Amate l’architettura, which I had never been acquainted with. In addition to exploring the concept of modernity and how it serves humanity, its prophecy, and how architects must continue to look forward, it also explored the idea that modernity is more than just a style, but also expresses our way of life.

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  16. Ayman H.

    For me, this lecture helped contextualise and shed light on the prevailing architectural discourse in post-war Italy, with Gio Ponti’s ideas closely tied to this particular historical moment. I found a few characteristics of his writings and general approach of particular interest, the most intriguing of which was his inclusive conception of architecture as a societal project. The architect is cast as an agent of society, an activist, with all those who compose society invited to play equally important roles. His writing, contrary to perhaps the majority of his contemporaries, is addressed to all ‘users’ of architecture. I think this maybe challenges the idea of the architect as the sole legitimate producer of architecture. Also, the influence of his Catholic faith caught my interest as something novel, being the motivator for the ‘societal responsibility’ dimension to his approach, and his notion of reviving the active role Catholics/the Church have historically had in Italy in shaping cultural production, particularly art and architecture. This can also be related to his idea of architecture as prophecy, the prophet-architect envisioning a new future/vision amidst current disorder.

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  17. s306881

    This lecture talks about the importance of interpreting books and the ideas that are created in the process of projecting architecture, architecture depending on the author communicates his work. As a conclusion I can say that to love architecture is to be part of it, highlighting the variety of factors that are taken into account and the different points of view that we all have.

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  18. Alessio/s286740

    Fulvio Irace’s lecture was very interesting from my point of view. He made us understand how Gio Ponti is very compact with the architecture of his years, namely those of the postwar period. The thing that struck me the most is the thought he has about ideas, in one of his books he emphasizes this concept, according to which they do not exist, in fact what really matters is the thought common to all. Another important theme, concerns the concept and the role that architecture plays. In Ponti’s years, architecture was the means of being able to restart from the disasters of the war, this theme must also be a basis for the problems we have today, where architecture can play an important role regarding climate change.

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  19. SONG YUNZI

    Professor Fulvio Irace’s lecture on Gio Ponti’s architecture books to be interesting and informative. Ponti’s books offer a fascinating glimpse into the social, cultural, and political context of post-war Italy, and provide valuable insights into the role of architecture in shaping and responding to these changes. Ponti’s emphasis on collaboration, innovation, and social responsibility continue to be relevant today, and his work remains an important influence on contemporary architecture and design.

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  20. S299996

    Fulvio Irace’s lecture focused on the interpretation and introduction of Gio Ponti’s book Amate l’architettura, one of the most important Italian architects of the post-war period, and the content of this book was very interesting and easy to read, describing the designs and projects the author was involved in after the war in Italy, and the content was very vivid. It also helped me to understand the history and culture of Italy, and through this book, it was a good illustration of the theme of the ACC lecture series, as well as a simple love of architecture when I first encountered it.

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  21. S291981

    In the lecture Fulvio Irace introduces a series of books by Gio Ponti, one of the few architects who is considered a “global architect.” In order to better understand the theme of this lecture series, Professor Irace talks to us especially about the book “Love Architecture, from which the lecture series takes its title. He begins by analyzing the various books by giving us a better understanding of the period and historical context in which they were published. The book “Architecture is a Crystal” was very interesting how architecture can be compared to a diamond, a closed shape with different perspectives, and how it like a crystal can reflect society.

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  22. Laura Nova - s306926

    Professor Fulvio Irace’s lecture on the analysis of Gio Ponti’s architecture books was very deep and interesting, he starts with “Il coro” a book that later was made into a play, then he talks about “Politica dell’architettura” no talking about traditional politics but talking about democratization of architecture and the way having a repository of ideas will make that possible and not at last but very much the most interesting book in my opinion “Amate la architettura” where the focus was not onlu reaching architects but also make it accesible and easy for other people to understand.

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