Review of Carlo Scarpa's Brion Vega Cemetery
Carlo Scarpa – Brion-Vega cemetery (completion, 1978)
INTRODUCTION
In San Vito d’Altivole near Treviso in Italy, Scarpa was commissioned by the Brion family to design an extension to the families’ cemetery. This designed to be Guiseppe and Onorina Brion’s final resting place, the people who lived in the town were originally going to share the cemetery, but this never happened. The aim was to create architecture, a design that would evoke the hearts of the viewer in a poetical manner (Saito, 1997). The Brion family bought the 68m2 strip of land, in the cemetery of San Vito d’Alitvole. Later when he died, this plot was extended into an L-shaped plot of land 2200 square metres. Scarpa had “found his Pyramid” after being commissioned, It took ten years to construct and in the process Scarpa drew 1200 drawings for the Tomb. (Carlo Scarpa – a Profile, 1996)
POETIC ARCHITECTURE
By paying close attention to detail and considering his designs from every perspective possible, Scarpa has created a tomb with magical and transporting qualities. From reading and seeing images of the architecture, it feels like Scarpa has created a living, breathing, growing form; crafted by using a continuous architectural language. Sculpted from his knowledge and experience of Italian views on life and death, Christian faith and a respect for cultural traditions of the Orient. Combined, they have come together to create a poetic masterpiece. Using his understanding of nature, human senses and materials Scarpa’s “tapestry woven from countless myths; like human memory, without beginning and without end” (Saito, 1997, p.16) is realised.
WALL
The site has a 230cm wall built around the site, which slopes to a 60-degree angle, which the inner site has been raised by 70cm and covered with grass. This limits the view of the observer, taking them away from the mundane sights of the village, creating seclusion. It’s an internal space that represents the joining of the living and the
INTRODUCTION
In San Vito d’Altivole near Treviso in Italy, Scarpa was commissioned by the Brion family to design an extension to the families’ cemetery. This designed to be Guiseppe and Onorina Brion’s final resting place, the people who lived in the town were originally going to share the cemetery, but this never happened. The aim was to create architecture, a design that would evoke the hearts of the viewer in a poetical manner (Saito, 1997). The Brion family bought the 68m2 strip of land, in the cemetery of San Vito d’Alitvole. Later when he died, this plot was extended into an L-shaped plot of land 2200 square metres. Scarpa had “found his Pyramid” after being commissioned, It took ten years to construct and in the process Scarpa drew 1200 drawings for the Tomb. (Carlo Scarpa – a Profile, 1996)
POETIC ARCHITECTURE
By paying close attention to detail and considering his designs from every perspective possible, Scarpa has created a tomb with magical and transporting qualities. From reading and seeing images of the architecture, it feels like Scarpa has created a living, breathing, growing form; crafted by using a continuous architectural language. Sculpted from his knowledge and experience of Italian views on life and death, Christian faith and a respect for cultural traditions of the Orient. Combined, they have come together to create a poetic masterpiece. Using his understanding of nature, human senses and materials Scarpa’s “tapestry woven from countless myths; like human memory, without beginning and without end” (Saito, 1997, p.16) is realised.
WALL
The site has a 230cm wall built around the site, which slopes to a 60-degree angle, which the inner site has been raised by 70cm and covered with grass. This limits the view of the observer, taking them away from the mundane sights of the village, creating seclusion. It’s an internal space that represents the joining of the living and the