How is the topic of the single-family residence re-entering architectural discourse?

We present the TPJ article “Building Collective Individualities: Residential Pavilions in the Italian Countryside.” The author Lina Malfona demonstrates how the villa can be a private residence as well as a place where “collective individuality is formed.” Malfona also considers the house to be “a conceptual telescope” or somewhat of a camera. The openings of the structure carefully frame very specific views of the landscape. 

Lastly, we share information from Crisis of the Object: The Architecture of Theatricality (2006).

>> We encourage you to browse The Plan Journal and explore for yourself

 

Building Collective Individualities: Residential Pavilions in the Italian Countryside

In the article “Building Collective Individualities: Residential Pavilions in the Italian Countryside,” the author Lina Malfona brings the topic of the single-family residence back into today’s architectural discourse. Malfona explains: 

“By enveloping a central nucleus with a shell, or a portico, a residential pavilion broadens its domestic dimension to incorporate an institutional and collective status, similar to the Palladian villa where the portico was co-opted from sacred or public buildings and lent to the private residence.”

Villa B, north façade, detail. Drawing by the © Author

 

Malfona describes three residences in the Roman countryside designed by Malfona Peltrini Architects that provide an interpretation of the suburban villa as a pavilion consisting of a shell and central core. Originally, pavilions were country homes for health-related purposes or retreats. Later, they were described as objects built in a green or public environment. The three residences described in Malfona’s article look at redefining the pavilion as a structure that links the public building and private house.

Additionally, the portico and shell “represent the ambiguity between covering and disguise, between envelopment and encapsulation, between the subject and the mask.”

We thank the author!

Lina Malfona is an Associate Professor of architectural design at the Università di Pisa. 

>> Malfona’s abstract is available in THE PLAN Journal vol. 4/2019, no. 1

 

Crisis of the Object: The Architecture of Theatricality 

In “Building Collective Individualities: Residential Pavilions in the Italian Countryside,” Lina Malfona references the book Crisis of the Object: The Architecture of Theatricality written by Gevork Hartoonian. In his book, Hartoonian looks at the difference between theatricalization and theatricality. Hartoonian uses the example of Frank O. Gehry’s house in Santa Monica that he designed for himself in 1978. The shell of Gehry’s house defies the concept of theatricality. Instead, the shell is a spectacular space that allows the structure to expand while also being more lavish than the items it contains.

English
216 pages
Routledge
November 30, 2006
6 x 0.25 x 8.75 inches
ISBN-10: 0415385466
ISBN-13: 987-0415385466

To learn more, check out: Crisis of the Object: The Architecture of Theatricality

Gervork Hartoonian is a Professor Emeritus of Architecture at the University of Canberra. He has taught at various American universities, including Columbia University.

“Building Collective Individualities: Residential Pavilions in the Italian Countryside” by Lina Malfona and Crisis of the Object: The Architecture of Theatricality written by Gevork Hartoonian provide interesting perspectives on residential architecture. Enjoy exploring and learning more!

 

Why support + read TPJ?

The Plan Journal is intended to disseminate and promote innovative, thought-provoking, and relevant research, studies, and criticism related to architecture and urbanism. The journal grew out of an awareness that academia is all too often engaged in research that’s disconnected from the real-world challenges that face different professions, and that research is only possible for a small number of professional organizations, and, even then, with limited platforms for its dissemination. The overarching aim of TPJ is therefore to enrich the dialogue between researchers and professionals so as to foster both pertinent new knowledge and intellectually driven modes of practice.

 

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Prospective contributors are encouraged to submit proposals or complete manuscripts to the Editor-in-Chief. Subject to positive feedback, proposals can then be developed into complete manuscripts and submitted for review, using the dedicated portal on the TPJ website. 
After preliminary approval, manuscripts will be forwarded to suitably qualified people for commenting. TPJ is committed to following a rigorous double-blind peer review process using at least two reviewers. The Editor-in-Chief may also occasionally invite recognized academics, critics, or professionals (including members of the editorial board) to contribute to the journal without going through the peer review process, if warranted by the author’s reputation.