Città e campagna: contaminazioni

The conflict city/countryside is focused both in a theoretical perspective and in its practical outcome. Accordingly both artistic/literary sources and architectural projects are considered. Firstly the difference between the notion of nature and that of countryside is clarified. A second step is devoted to clarify the difference between agricolture and nature and an effort is made to outline similarities between agricolture and architecture. The second part of the essay treats the actual physical conditions in the encounter of city and countryside. This is described mainly as an act of contamination. The several ways by which this mixing takes place are analyzed. Using some previuous studies by the author (Progresdec European project) the peculiar mixed use of the external part of small centers is considered as an uprising phenomenon. Various authors are considered: Cicero, Laugier, Le Corbusier, Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, Pierre Donadieu Gilles Clèment, Marc Lavergne, Lucius Burchkardt, Vittorio Gregotti, as well as the photographer Alex MacLean and the painter Cosimo Jodi. On the whole this essay is aimed at considering the architectural relevance of ibrid forms of city/countryside.