Substrata. Morphology of the Ancient City, beyond its Ruins
by Giuseppe Strappa, in U+D 9/10, 2018
click here : Substrata 2 articolo
Abstract
Studies concerning existing city layouts have
shown how an analysis of the historic layers
proves to be an important resource for morphological
studies.
Taking the ancient Rome as an example, the essay
tries to give contribution to a scientific understanding
of the way in which the layered forms
of history have been transmitted to modern cities.
It is proposed to substitute the term ‘ruin’, as
romantic as overused to the point where it has
exhausted the possibility of proposing definitions
useful to morphological studies, with the most
appropriate term of ‘substratum’ as the living basis
from which new organisms can spring.
The substratum is proposed as powerful legacy
of guidelines, not oriented towards imitating the
past, which could support the work of contemporary
architects transmitting a set of multiple,
shared meanings (as in every phase of the great
civil crisis) in contrast to the individualistic trend
of nowadays architectural design.
As in every phase of the great civil crisis.
