Carlo Scarpa : The Message of the Structure

In Carlo Scarpa’s work (Venice, Italy, 1906 - Sendai, Japan, 1978), architectural design is primarily based on the structural constraints he sets himself. The structure is the object of the design, and it takes on a singular expressiveness. The structure is very present, in subtle and sometimes unusual ways.

Numerous studies have been produced on the works of Carlo Scarpa, but none has focused specifically and in depth on the structural design of his projects. Yet, the definition of the structure is specific to each of his projects and to each situation within the project. For Scarpa, each structural decision is a subtle and very precise story that defines the project and gives it its identity.

In the course of this study, structure will be examined in several of Carlo Scarpa’s works in order to highlight the significant use he made of it in each project and to demonstrate the poetic element contained within.