Spooky Scary

Aldo Rossi’s Modena Cemetery is a direct reflection of the geometries and architectural trends in the city of Modena. It captures the orthogonal nature of the city blocks as well as the shapes and shadows of the buildings. By emphasizing these aspects while still bringing a hint of modernity to the project, it keeps it relevant yet true to its roots in the city. An interesting point the article brings up is the issue of place. Place gives identity and individuality. The reference to place in this project is very specific and it would not fit as well in any other city, thereby bringing in a sense of architectural honesty, not to be confused with honesty in construction terms. Furthermore, the cemetery is very meditative and introspective; exactly what one would expect a cemetery to be. The clean lines and lack of adornment are reflective of a current style; the buildings are not trying to be something they are not.
This so called “neo-classicism” seems to me to be about monumentality and modernity combined. Is that right? I’m always unclear on what actually creates a specific style. The “House of the Dead” creeps me out because it looks like an abandoned office building that was hollowed out; very somber. It’s almost as if the cemetery itself is a corpse without life; all the guts have been taken out and all that’s left is the empty shell. Happy Halloween, huh?