Publisher: Shinkenchiku-sha, ISBN: 9784900213227; Format: Paperback, 219 x 292 mm, 192pp.
This September issue features the Italian structural engineer Pier Luigi Nervi (1891–1979). In his lifetime, Nervi gained worldwide fame as one of the 20th century’s greatest creators of structural architectures, and his body of work, including his lesser-known projects, continues to affirm his remarkable contribution to his field.
Nervi was called upon to conceive works characterized by large spaces and to explore material possibilities, structure, technicality, economy, aesthetic expression, workability, and functionality. While these key concerns sometimes yielded contradictions, his aptitude for finding the ideal “compromise” where everything works was among his natural talents. Optimal compromises often lead to meek end points, but Nervi possessed the ability to create works of outstanding surprise, which is what made Nervi “the Nervi.” Notably, this skill was not an accident, but the result of his repeated experiments and deliberation.
Despite Nervi’s fame, upon his death and the subsequent unexpected closure of his office, many of his drawings were divided up and stored in a scattered way. Unfortunately, for a time Nervi was, in a sense, forgotten as posthumous criticism from prominent Italian voices curtailed open discussion of his work. Nervi was “rediscovered” in the early 1990s, and his significant legacy has reemerged today thanks to numerous research efforts, such as the seminal archival studies by Claudio Greco; the conservation activities of my fellow guest editor for this publication, Francesco Romeo; and the actions of the Pier Luigi Nervi Project Foundation. This issue’s review of Nervi’s projects not only reflects this rediscovery but also offers a comprehensive overview of his ideas and work.
As with much of modern architecture, Nervi’s works present us with the challenge of preservation. The examples of preservation and utilisation presented in Irene Matteini’s essay show that preservation is our way to the future. Saikaku Toyokawa’s essay clarifies Nervi’s influence on Kenzo Tange and how Tange evaluated Nervi, while the essay by William F. Baker, a prominent structural engineer for Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), brings his professional perspective to Nervi’s work and philosophy.Together, the essays bring the multidimensional facets of Pier Luigi Nervi’s oeuvre into greater focus.