Oz Volume 13 Article 10 1-1-1991 A Deciphering of a Wonderful Cipher: Eleven in the architecture of Carlo Scarpa Marco Frascari Follow this and additional works at: https://newprairiepress.org/oz This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License. Recommended Citation Frascari, Marco (1991) "A Deciphering of a Wonderful Cipher: Eleven in the architecture of Carlo Scarpa," Oz: Vol. 13. https://doi.org/10.4148/2378-5853.1222 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by New Prairie Press. It has been accepted for inclusion in Oz by an authorized administrator of New Prairie Press. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A Deciphering of a Wonderful Cipher: Eleven in the architecture of Carlo Scarpa Marco Frascari The Beginning Trace: Fourth Trace: Roman people that it was necessary to but also built cosmological resonances. I am a 13. Anton Francesco Doni was an In proposing a search for an architecture protect the shield by making 11 other Traces of this tradition are still present in 18, Antonio Abbondi, called the which produces thauma-vulgarly called equal to it so whoever tried to steal the current practice. Many apothegms in the Scarpagnino, was a 14, called the 11. 1 wonder-my aim is to suggest an ap­ sacred object could not distinguish it architectural project. One recently re­ proach to the study of the theories of from the other eleven. A bronze-smith vived by formalistic trends is based on the Second Trace: architecture from a humanistic and named Mamurius Veturius was the only number three: "a perfect facade or Weak thinking is a procedure which is playful point if view. Paraphrasing a well one to accept the challenge. He made building has three parts, a base, a middle neither aggressive nor domineering. known passage in Aristotle's Poetics (9,2) replicas which were so perfect that no­ and a top." Another apothegm, by Carlo Grounded in a convalescent ontology, it is possible to say that architectural his­ body, not even the king himself, could Scarpa whose architecture will play a key weak thinking is rather gentle and tan­ torians tell us what may have happened distinguish the orginal from the assimi­ role in this discussion of the semiotics of gential (Vattimo 1984, 1988, 1990). while the architects tell us what will come lated copies. 2 number in architecture, states that This is a convincing practice for centering to be. This architectural foreteling is an "paired columns are better than one." admiration father than developing pre­ act of conception, an understanding Half Traces: These apothegms are semiotically similar cise scientific eccentricity. Weak thinking based on interpretative procedures, a se­ In Architecture, it is true that One and to Pythagorean acusmata, i.e. prescribing is a militant but discreet philosophy which rious play, which analyzes writings, One equal two, but it is also true that A statements. These precepts set the inter­ has recently been translated into the realm of drawings and buildings under the sign of Pair Of Ones Makes An Eleven. action between a pragmatic framework architecture on the pages of some Italian wonder. Wonder stimulates a person to and the semantic dimension through a architectural magazines, Casabella, Lotus inquiry. It intensifies when the inquiry In current architectural theory and de­ syntactic prescription. In other words, and the reborn Ottagono (De Sola Morales succeeds and the enigmatic becomes in­ sign, numbers are theoretically unbiased numbers, properly considered, become 1989, Gregotti 1989, Vattimo 1988). Weak telligible in a vivid image of conception. mathematical signs. They are instru­ bearers of meaning in a wonderfully thinking, a process ofdiscreet thinking, will In architecture, this topical thinking is a mental representations, used for graphic discreet architecture. lead us to a future of wonderfully discreet constructive curiosity which observes tec­ and constructive likeness, and as syntac­ architecture. tonic events and marvels at them. Archi­ tical expressions which determine math­ As continuous projection of signs, an tectural theory, then, concerns itself with ematical associations among the architectural project is not based an a Third Trace: demonstrative knowledge. building's parts. They do not carry se­ specific building, but is the result of an The discrete constructions of Carlo mantic value in themselves and meaning uniterrupted act of design based on a Scarpa are wonderful pieces of discreet Fifrh Trace: is achieved only through analogic or continual search for the human measure architecture. Discretion is a synthetic N urneric essences and semblances are symbolic references. A number is both in the past and in the future con­ activity of the intellect. Proceeding from cannonical representations in architec­ meaningles unless it is related to a unit of structed worlds. This continous projec­ the knowlegde of what architecture is, ture which allow an assimlation between dimension, in which it becomes a mea­ tion of signs, an act of architectural divi­ discretion sets out the means by which the art of constructing well and the art of sure or it is related to building elements in nation, an infinite semiosis, is realized the works of wonderful architecture are living well. Simulation has its origin in which it can represent of Trinities, through the proper use of numbers as a realized. The excercise of discretion is the Greek mimesis, whereas assimilation T etramorphes or other referential figures. meaningful embodiment of the human thus a synthetic activity reversing the url stems from the Roman opus. As­ measure in the body of the building. Cartesian analytical procedure of ab­ similation has its beginning in the Ars A semiotic tradition, now alien to us, Semiosis is the process by which mean­ straction. Discreet architecture is a union Mamurialis. During the eighth year of endowed the use of numbers in archi­ ings are attached to signs. Symbols, in­ of theory and practice, a construction of the kingdom of Numa Pompilius, a sa­ tecture with mystical, allegorical, and dexes, and icons are a tripartite configu­ the discrete parts resulting from the ap­ cred bronze shield fell from the sky. This above all metasphoric significations. The ration used to classifY signs.3 An index is plication of imagination to the reality of shield was a presnt from the gods to save presence of numbers in architectural arti­ a sign related by contiguity, e.g. smoke is 36 the art of building. the city from a plague. The King told the facts not only had an instrumental aspect an indexical sign of fire. An icon is a sign related by similarity, e.g. a portrait is an toric forms, the symbolic nature of the Leone Battista Alberti, in his treatise, in­ the Tao, but it is not taken in the quan­ iconic sign of the portrayed person. A number signs dominates the indexical dicates that to achieve congruency or titative sense of ten plus one; it signifies symbol is a sign related by convention, and iconic dimensions, the real tectonic harmony in any architectural project it is the unity of the decade in its wholeness e.g. a gilded colwnn in the loggia of the extent and presence of numbers, forcing necessary to deal with three active factors: (Franz, 1974:65 & 147). Eleven appears Ducal Palace of Venice marks the arch them to be minor presences in the process numbering (numeratio), dimensioning as a factor, and a multiple, though not by where the Doge used to appear to deliver of signification. (/initio), locating (collncatio). Numeratiois itself, in the Imperial system of measur­ 1 his speeches to the Venectian people. the proper selection of a process of ing: 5 I 2 yards are one road, pole or perch, To enlarge and enrich the semiosis of numbering to use in building. Alberti 4 perches make 22 yards which are a The traditional interpretation of numbers numbers in architectural design, it is nec­ indicates that a good number is forty, chain, 220 yards a furlong, and 1750 distinguishes three currents in the genera­ essary to understand their tectonic depen­ because "a patient recovers at the end of [11x160] yards makes a mile (Wells, tion of meaning through the use of the dency. Numbers are one of the most forty days." In this case as in many other 1986:82). Eleven is the fifth number in numerical lore, viz. the cosmological, the important tools used by architects, numerical selections, the exegesis of the Lucas sequence: 1 3 4 7 11 18 29 biblical and the magical numbers {Butler builders, and inhabitants during the daily Alberti's text reveals the anthropomor­ ... (Wells,1986:83). In architecture, the 1970: xi). First, the Greek tradition construction and construing of architec­ phic origin of numbers. Rene Thorn use of eleven is very spare, but its peculiar which is based on a geometrical manipu­ tural artifacts. Reusing the above men­ (1974:77) points out, "number as sign nature allows a deep analysis of the use of lation . of numbers, generated a cosmo­ tioned semiotic triadic model of index, grows out of living things." This is a numberical analogies. The use of eleven is logical understanding of the music of the icon, and symbol, three types of significa­ discreet chiasm between the parts of the a departure from tradition, but it is also spheres (Butler 1970: 1-21). Second, the tion can be recognized in the usage of body which are counted and the parts of the keeping of a tradition. In one lecture, tradition ofbiblical exegesis searched for a numbers and numerals in architecture. the body which are named. It is a rhetori­ Scarpa pointed out that in his designs, he harmonic structure of verbal resonances The signification is indexical when the cal procedure which uses body parts as used numeric manipulation based on the within a paramount text (Butler 1970: number of building elements help to set a tectonic locatives (Ifrah 1987:" 11-21).