Architecture and Nihilism: On the Philosophy of Modern Architecture

308 Pages·1995·3.92 MB·English

by  Massimo Cacciari

Theoretical
Perspeinc tives
Architectural
Histanodr y
Criticism
MarRka kataendsiktyo,r

MassiCmaoc ciari
TransblySa tteepSdha ernt arelli
IntrodubcyPti aotnrL iozmibaa rdo
Architecture
and
·Nihilism:
Ont he
Philosophy
of
Modern
Architecture
YalUen ivePrrseistys
NewH avaennLd o ndon
Publiwsihtaehsd s isfrtoamtn hcee MCaardTyye wM emorFiuanld .
Copyr©i 1g9ht9b3yY alUen iversity.
Alrli grhetsse rved.
Thibso omka yn obter eprodiunwc heodol,rei np aritn,c luding
illustrianti ofoanrnsmy,( beytohncadot pying pbeySr emcittitoends
10a7n 1d0 o8ft hUe. CSo.p yrLiagwah nted x cebpyrt e viefowre rs
thpeu blic wpirtehwsorsui)tt, pt eernm isfrsoimto hnpe u blishers.
DesigbnySe ydl Svtieai ner.
SeitnS abtoynp beyT senIgn formSaytsitoeInmn scD,.u ,r ham, North
CarolPirniani.tnt e hdUe n itSetda otfeA sm eribcyV aai l-BParlelsosu,
BinghaNmetwoY no,r k.
LibroafCr oyn grCeastsa loging-iDna-tPau blication
CacciMaarsis,i mo.
[EssEanygsl.Si eslhe.c tions]
Architaencndti uhrie:l o ints hmpe h ilosoofmp ohdye arrnc hitIe cture
Massimo CtarcacnisablrySai tt ee;pd h en Sianrtrtoadruebclytl iio n;
PatriLzoimab ardo.
p.c m-. (Theorpeetriscpaelic nat ricvheist heicsttuaornradyl
criticism)
Essasyusb starnetivailaslneytdd r ansfloatrth epidus b lication.
Inclbuidbelsi ogrreafpehriecnacle s.
ISB0N- 300-0(5c2l1o5t-h4)
0-300-06304-0 (pbk.)
1A.r chiteMcotduerrne-,2 0ctehn tury-Ph2i.lNo esgoapthiyv.i ty
(PhiloIsT.oi pthIlyISe).e. r ies.
NA680.C12949 3
720-.d1c209 2-3371I3PC
A catalroegcuofoerr td h bioso ka viasi lfarbotlmhe Be r itLiisbhr ary.
Thep apienr btohiomske etthsge u idefloiprne ersm anaenndc e
duraboiftl hiCeto ym mitotnPe reo ducGtuiiodne floiBrno eosk
Longeovfti htCeyo unciLli borRnae rsyo u.r ces
109 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
Contents
Prefacvei i
IntroducTtihoePn h:i losoopfth hyCe i ty
PatrLiozmibada or ix
PaIr t TheD ialeocftt hNieec gsa atnitdvh eMe e tropolis
1M.e tropol3i s
2.O nt hGee rmaSno ciolooftg hyCe i taytt he
Turn oft hCee ntur2y3
3.M erchanatnsdH eroes4 2
4.N egatTihvoeu ghatn dA rtistRiecp resenta5t6i on
5.E ssaayn dTr agedy6 7
6.T heC itaysE ssa. y8 7
PaIIr t LooasnH di Cso ntemporaries
7.L oosiDaina lect1i0c1s
8.T heC ontempora1r2ie0s
9.T heO ikoosfW ittgens1te31i n
ParIDt Looasn Hids An gel
10L.o oasn dH isA ngel1 43
11B.e inLgo yal1 50
12T.h eO ther 156
13.T abuRlaas a1 61
14T.h eN ewS pace1 66
15T.he H ouse1 75
16L.o u'Bsu tton1s7 9
17T.h eC haionfG lass1 87
18O.f P rograensdsP i onee1r9s 1
19O.n L oosT'osm b 195
EpilogOune t:eh A rcheicttuorfNe i hili1sm9 9
Notes2 13
Contents
vi
Preface
Thibso obkr intgosg etmhyem ro ssti gnificeasnsta oynsc ertain
aspecotfms o derna rchitevciteuwrieendt hlei gohfta esthetic­
philosopphriocballe maItnit chsefi. r spta rIt h avie ncluded
mys horvto lumMee tro(pRoolmie1s,9 3 7·a)n da c haptferro m
anothbeoro kW,a ltReart heeni aiu a smuboi e(Bnatr1ei9 ,7 9).
Thes ecopnadr cto ntatihneess sa"yL oosi-eWn("p ublished in
M.C acciaanrdF.i A mendolagOiinkeRo,o sm,e1 ,9 75a)no,t her
piecpee,r hampysm ositm portwaonrtko nt hge reVaite nnese
BauemisLtoeoreis, si u aon ge(Mliol a1n9,8 1a)sw ,e lalss everal
brieesfs afyrso mmy b ookD alSitoe i:nP hroofspevtiteinvnee si
dell'diens/ie zcio(oMli ol a1n9,8 0I)w .ou ladl sloi kteor efer
Americraena detrots h ter anslaotifm oyne ssa"yE upalionro s
Architecptuubrlei,s"ih nOe dp posi2t1(i 1o9n8sw0h )i,cm ha y
proviad gee nerfraalm eo fr efereonntc hehe i stoorfmy o dern
architeacsta u wrheo lfeo rt heb asitch emedse velohpeerde .
Thee pilog"uOent, h Aer chitecotfNu irhei liwsrmi,t"t eexn­
presfsoltryh iesd itiiosan n,e ssoafy aaens thetic-philosophical
natutrhea mti ghste emn ota litdtilsea greteoasb pleec ialists
ofa rchitechtiusrtaoblru ytt; h essea mer eadewrislfi ln dt he
samei deaisn,a contepxetr hamposr ec ongentioat lh emi,n
chapt1e0r", L ooasn dH isA ngel."
Ih avceo nsiderraebvliysa eltdlh esees safyostr h epiurb lica­
tiona sa singwlheo lean,d I a m deepglrya tetfoum ly friend
andt ranslSatteoprh,Se anr tarwehlolmiI h, a vcea usteods uffer
moret haan l itwtiltemh y "etymologiaensdt, oM" arkR aka­
tanskwyh,ow asa blteoo vercosmoem e misgiovnim nygp sa rt
Preface
vii
as to ttihmee linoefsp su blisthhiensg" eo ldw"o rkosf m ine
todaIyh .a vneo ta ltetrheeed s senstuibaslt aonftc hete h esIe s
pufto rwairntd h emn,o rh avIee nlarogreu dp dattehdce r itical
apparaStuucsah.n u ndertawkoiunlgnd o,d oubhta,v lee mde t o
write osttihlbelo rok Osn.t hoet hehra ndt,h mea nneirhw hich
the ratoifmo o derna rchiteicste uxraem iniendt hesees says,
andt huen commoane sthaentdip ch ilosoprheifecraelnc cietse d
therehianv,se i nceen joyae cde rtadiinffu sioann di nfluence,
demonstrtahteifinergc undeivteiynn t hmeo res peciafirceo af
theh istoorfay r chiteacntduu rrbe aniIns mt.h el asfte wy ears
Ih avwer ittmeunc hl esosn .these sbuubthj aevcceto sn tinued
tot akaen a ctiivnet ereesspte,c iianml yl uyn ivercsoiutrys es,
int her elatoiror na,t hientr h uen,b rokmeent aphortihcraela d,
betweaernc hiteacntdup rhei losotphhryo ughoouurit n tellec­
tuatlr aditiWohne.nw ritintgh esees saIyd si,dn oty ehta vae
cleiadre oafj ushto w" Vitruvitahne"wy e reIh. a vael wacyosn ­
sideraerdc hitetcotb uesr ec iepnltuiradi ibcsuisp leitvn airsi i
eruodniitboiurnsa taan,dt haer chihteew chtor isaedss ummum
tmepluamr chiteac trtuaueru at,eha ,o d remuigroosth,a its a,
creatwoirtt hh aeb iltiowt oyr kc uamu cittoarstienhc,ie ls a bor
consiesxot sp eeretei ruast ionceiIn.tia s p rteicoitsheirlsya tioci­
nattihoir,se flexive-meadbiitlaeitvtieypvr re e seinnt tmhaes ter
"buildoefro su"rc entutrhyaI,th avseo ugthoti llushterraietn e
alilt tse nsiaonndcs o nfliOcfct osu.r sree,a dewrisln lo tidcief ­
ferencients o naen dp erspecbteitvweet ehnme o srte cepnite ces
andt heea rloineercs o lleicntte hdiv so lumbeu,ti ti sm y hope
thatth ewyi lall sgor asapn i nterncaoln sistoerna ctly e aas t
certauinnch angoibnsgt inianmc yya ttemtpout n dersttahned
essenatnidca oln stituent opftr hoidbsil ffiecmustl etk bneeyo nd
alfla shiontarbelnaedn sda lmle rdeo cumentianrtye rest-and
beyonadld le adalcya demicism.
MassimCoa cciari
VenicJeu,n1 e9 92
Preface
viii
Inrtdouct:i on
TheP hlioosphy
oft hCei ty
Nes uisp-ajsue n f auaxc cord
Dansl ad ivisnyem phonie,
Gracael av oraIcreo nie
Quim es ecoeuteq uime m ord?
(AmI n otad iscorndoatnet
In thdei visnyem phony,
Thanktsov oracious Irony
Thasth akmeesu pa ndb itienst moe ?)
-CharlBeasu delaire
"L'Heautontimoroumenos"
LeFsl eduurM sa l
ArchitaencNdti uhrieilst i hsfiemr st bboyMo aks simCoa cciari
tob ep ublisihnEe ndg liUsnht.in lo w,o nea rtic"lEeu,p alinos
orA rchitechtausrb ee,et"nr ansliantO epdp osiitn1i 9o8n0s.
Iti sa nH eideggerian ornet fhlceeo cntcieoopnftb su ildainndg
dwellaisnw ge lals a commenotn M anfreTdaof urain dF ran­
cescDoa lC o'Mso deArnr chitCeacctcuiiarsore ni.eo f t hmeo st
importaanndtp roductpihviel osopihnIe trastl oyd ay, hiasn d
workasr aev ailianbG leer maFnr,e ncahn,dS paniAshr.c hitec­
tuarneNd i hilbriisnmg s totgherteehese sraw yrsi ttbeent ween
Introduction
ix
theea rsleyv enatinc:\e st heea reliyg ht"iTehseD: i alecotfti hces
Negatiavnedt hMee tropo(li1s9"7 "3L)o,oa sn dH isC ontem­
porari(e1s9"7 a5n)d", L ooasn dH isA ngel("1 98W1h)i.lt eh e
Europeamnasi nltyr anslated recentth ipEsrn ogdluicsthi­on,
languaegdei tioanp,p rovbeydM assimCoa cciafroic,u soens
thefi rsatn ds,o t os peamki,d dlCea cciardio;e nsio ttr epre­
senhti wso rko ft hpea st yteeanrn sa,m eltyh awth ichha sb een
mosetn gagienad m ysticaanldr eligious miendsiptiabrtyei do n
Heidegger.
Thee ssaiynsA rchitaencNdti uhrielo ffiesarm g oodo verall
vieowf C acciaprhii'lso sophical ftrroatmjh eMeca troxriya,n ­
orienitnevde stigoantt hiGeoe nr maunr basno cioloogfti hset s
beginnoiftn hgce e ntutroty h mee taphysiincqaulii rnyts oo me
aporiinta hswe o rko ft hVei enneasrec hiAtdeocltLf o osT.h e
readweirlf lo llCoawc ciacrrii'tsio qfiu dee olowghyi,ci hsc en­
trailnt hefi rsets satyh;e hni isn terpreotfaA tdioolLnfo osi n
thlei gohftt his scarmiet isqpueec,i ficfaolcluyso endt heMe ­
troposleiesbn o tahs t heex treumteo poifar ationaliaznadti on
thfea ilouftr hea sta muet opiaand;fi naltlhyme,u ltivailnetnetr ­
rogatoifoL no ohsi msenlofl ,o ngpeerr ceifvoremda ne xternal
poinotfv iebwu tf orm whatIw oulcda lalni nteronnaelA. s
Caccisaurgig eisnth si esp ilogtuheer,e admeary fi ndd iscrep­
anciaemso ntgh ee ssabyust,t heriesa lsaoc ontinuriotoyt,e d
inC acciacroin'cseo pftt h mee tropoIcl ailsl.t hheiosr y-tihne
etymologsiecnasolefp rocessiopnh-itlhoes oopfth hyce i ty.
Thec ontinaumiotnyCg a cciamrain'yws o rkass,w elalsi nt he
essays trahnesrbleya S tteedp hSeanr tariesal llsico,e nteirne d
hicso nstiannvto lvewmietnWhta ltBeern jamBienn.j amhiinm ­
selefnc ompaMsasrexsi asntdm ysticcoamlp onenatnsys: e rious
interients htiw sr itseorc rucfoirao lu rc urrecnutl tudreabla tes
ona g lobsacla plree supptohsaeMtsa rxisamn dm ysticairsem
notm utuaelxlcyl usUinvdeo.u btetdhleyts,we o p ersuasairoen s
preseinnBt e njamaitan n yo net imew,h erefaosCr a ccitahreiy
seetm oc onstiatfi urtsaetn dt heans ecosntde ipnh iisn tellec­
tuasle arc"hL.o oasn dH isA ngelg"; vaec sl eianrs iignhttto h e
direction tCoaocakcf ita1er9ri8 a0w,a yfo rmh ifisr sitn tellec­
tuaclo ncearnsst heayp peianr" TheD ialecotfti hcNese gative
andt heM etropoalnidsi "n" Looasn dH isC ontemporaries."
Buth ei sn oty eft ulilmym ersientd h mee taphysaincdta hle o-
Introduction
x