The Theories of Aldo Rossi

Rossi campaigned for the elevation of the urban space as equally important as the architectural design. While his statements occasionally seemed a bit drastic, one phrase of Moneo’s stood out: “Building must become an urban fact.” This is true on many levels, including the one that he meant. He was referring to the ability of a building to address the value, meaning, and uses that the city required it to take on. It became a fact of the city, and it needed to become so interconnected with the fabric of the city that it became indistinguishable from the character of the urban space. It is obviously true on the most basic level, which is to say that once a building is built, it is part of the city. It is a call to the end of formalism, specifically of form for form’s sake. It is an understanding of the need for architecture to reach out to other ideas, whether the ideas of urban planning or of history and memory. This is one of those phrases that could truly be embodied in a design. The idea of focusing on the urban space, on the interactions with other buildings, is a very extroverted way of designing. In a way, it sacrifices what the building itself wants to be for the ability to create a better urban design. A good designer could combine the two ideas in a intriguing and successful way, but there is no doubt that a building will not be successful if it does not add, modify, support, reject, or otherwise respond to the urban fabric of its surroundings.

Applying his architectural concepts to the Modena Cemetery, one can clearly see the house of the dead, the collective memory of the lives of the dead, and the monumental quality of the space. All of these ideas were intentional, as they reflect his ideas as to what architecture should really be. As each new metaphor of the experience is presented, one can inquire as to the success of this method. Does architecture need such deep, metaphorical meanings in order to convey the sense of power found at the Modena cemetery? Many architects discuss successful buildings based on the program, the function, and the form. Rossi himself believed that construction was paramount to architecture. In the end, Moneo may have clarified the answer best: “Technique does not count, the essence of architecture is not found in technical matters.” If this is to be believed, then one must look for the deeper meaning, perhaps theoretical, philosophical, or sociopolitical depth that could bring a sense of importance to a space. This is not necessary only in the mundane works; it is necessary in all works of architecture. Rossi managed to express his ideas in ways that were not intellectual but rather subconscious, and his greatest success fell in this category. The meaning could be understood by everyone, perhaps not in words, but in experience. It is this meaning that transforms an experience from a walk-through to a moving experience.

Through the design of this cemetery, he also managed to advocate the usefulness of monumentality. Many architects despise this concept, feeling that it is wasteful and unnecessary. Rossi presented spaces that used the monumentality to their advantage. Rather than creating spaces that were simple, he created spaces to move people. Despite all of its shortcomings, the dramatic impact of the monument is something not to be forgotten. Monuments in their very nature recall the memories of the past and connect the events to the present. It is no wonder that monuments and memorials are such widely visited tourist attractions. Something about the monumentality of the space is moving; it allows the occupant to experience, remember, and understand. Such moments can be used carefully in architecture to create similar moments of clarity, provided the monumental nature is strictly regulated. It may be easy for such designs to get out of hand, but they should not be dismissed. The compelling quality of a monument should be harnessed by designers in the same way that Rossi harnessed the effects in the Modena Cemetery.