mediating between messy emergence and ordered evolution

Venturi in 'learning from Las Vegas' writes that Italian architecture has the ability to mediate between the 'vitruvian and the banal', 'fine art and crude art...the contorni and the duomo, the portiere's laundry across the padrone's portone, ... See moresupercortemaggiore against the romanesque apse'. Venturi sounds dissapointed that '...naked children will never play in OUR fountains and I.M. Pei will never be happy on Route 66.'

Using Bachman's definitions of four types of emergence, I find it interesting to entertain the possibility of multple methods overlaid. Indeed, this will be inevitable as people comission different architects who consider emergence and it's effects on architectural design differently. A heteropia of emergence in action.

Venturi makes an interesting proposition... how can this be mediated, allowing for coherence in the urban milieu? If only there was a text called 'learning from Italy'...

I'm determined to read some Rossi at the suggestion of Riccardo Rizzali. I find his thoughts about monument interesting, presenting a very ordered 'type' which may also contain pointers from within a uniquely Italian context.


This mediation will probably play a significant role in my final year design.. I'm anxious to see what form it will take.

I'm also determined to read more Ruskin.