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Essay Subject: A discussion of the house built by Italian writer Curzio Malaparte known as Casa ...... More...

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Paper Abstract: A discussion of the house built by Italian writer Curzio Malaparte, known as Casa Malaparte, an innovative and unique structure that the designer intended to create as autobiographical self-expression. Use of internal & external space. Artistic and aesthetic values. Paper Introduction: Casa MalaparteIntroduction There are many theories of architecture and design and the use ofspace both in terms of internal space and external space There are alsotheories of architecture which contend that form follows function and thosethat argue function follow form Famed architect Frank Lloyd Wrightmaintained that form and function were one In addition to these theories there are theories of architectural design that assert that architecturalconstructions take on a form of communication that is they are able toconvey the values beliefs and Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. Its bold and simple form and itsmythological and at times magical design turned architecture into somethingmore resembling literary art or other types of creations. In reality, it served asimilar function to an inspiring painting or an inspiring work ofliterature. It was this renewed sense of freedom and individual expression thatMalaparte hoped to incorporate in the conveyed communication of CasaMalaparte. In his essay explaining his intentions for the design and locationof Casa Malaparte, we see that the activist Malaparte intentionally chose alocation and design that fitted his own views on nature and society.Malaparte was drawn to the wild, untamed, and often brute forces of naturein the selection of his location for Casa Malaparte. In this manner, the house serves asone of the greatest monuments of self-expression ever created by an artist. 76).As such, Malaparte revolutionized architecture in a way that created adwelling whose function and form were abstract, ongoing, and resisted anysimple explanation of its purpose or communication. As such, CasaMalaparte became similar to the journal, in that it was designed to becomea repository for ideas and ideals deemed important to Malaparte. Clarkson Potter Publishers, 2 . Malaparte wanted hishouse to exist in a location that most mirrored the forces of nature hefelt were most characteristic of it. Viewed on Dec 15, 2 4: http://ronchi.iei.pi.cnr.it/malaparte_en.html, pp. The intention of the Foundation includes more than the badlyneeded restorations to Casa Malaparte. What hadonce been the meeting place of numerous writers, political activists, andcelebrities had become a bleak building suffering from deterioration in thedecades after Malaparte's death. 76) labels "...more than an architectural icon-it's a literarymasterpiece, a political manifesto, and an autobiography of its owner." The restorations to Casa Malaparte are being funded by the recentlycreated Casa Malaparte Foundation, consisting of members of Malaparte'sdescendants. In her work on Malaparte and the house like him, MaridaTalamona (p. 4-5)maintains in his book Malaparte: A House Like Me, Casa Malaparte was solelyinspired by art and by the artistic spirit and worldview of its creator: What I took away from A House Like Me was a deeper understanding of a great artist, a controversial man who lived on the edge of danger, constantly reinventing himself. 76). Primarily an artist, Malaparte once asserted he wasresponsible not only for the house and its location but also the rocks ofFaraglioni, the blue of Amalfi beach, and the shore of Paestum, alllocations in view from Casa Malaparte. 76-77.Malaparte, Curzio. As such, the house issituation directly between the winds. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 1992. 1). Karl Lagerfeld'sphotos of the disrepair were part of his book on Casa Malaparte. Works CitedLang Ho, Cathy. 1-3.McDonough, Michael. As he describes the location heeventually selected to serve as the foundation for Casa Malaparte, "In thewildest, loneliest, and most visually spectacular part of Capri...and wherenature manifests itself with unparalleled brute force, there was astrikingly linear rock outcrop which looks as though it has been thrustinto the sea like a stone claw" (Malaparte, p. As Architect Michael McDonough (p. "A Portrait In Stone." Architecture, 89(3), pp. Such a location conveyed the strength and free-spirited nature ofMalaparte as well as his disdain for any place or people that did notdemonstrate such qualities or characteristics. "A House Between the North-East and South-East Winds." Unpublished Manuscript. arcspace.com/books/Malaparte/, 1-6.Talamona, Marida. In hisimpression of Casa Malaparte provided in McDonough's A House Like Me, JamesWines contends: Malaparte faced the challenge of finding a relevant imagery in an era devoid of social and religious accord-a time of cynicism, unrest, pluralism, chaos...Beyond his self-possessed and maverick persona, Malaparte intuitively sensed that this dwelling place must serve as a contextual sponge, absorbing and disseminating ideas of a multidimensional nature (Lang Ho, p. In addition to these theories,there are theories of architectural design that assert that architecturalconstructions take on a form of communication, that is, they are able toconvey the values, beliefs, and ideologies behind the form and function. The ideas and beliefs of such individuals coincided with manyof Malaparte's own views. The outcome of the war had created anew liberation and a new sense of focus on the individual and individualexpression, unrestrained by the limitations and confines of fascism andwar. There were numerous individuals who attempted to influence thedesign and architecture of Casa Malaparte. Ultimately art was for him the core of existence; an ironic, unknowable, elusive thing. More than creating a uniquehouse or architectural design, Malaparte was determined to providesomething more along the lines of architectural autobiography, seeing hishome as a reflection of his views, values and beliefs. In this manner, Malaparte felt hecreated everything to do with Casa Malaparte, even its natural phenomena.He did not ascribe to the belief that nature should conceal or dwarfarchitecture in any manner, instead using Casa Malaparte as an expressionto question such notions. He rejected a number ofarchitectural theories with respect to design and material selection. To the contrary,Malaparte's experiences as a political activist ranged from fascism andCatholicism to Maoism, while he and others endure the debilitating impactof the war in Italy and elsewhere. As Hang Lo (p. Famed architect Frank Lloyd Wrightmaintained that form and function were one. This is mainlybecause Malaparte's creation of the house was purposefully carried out tocreate something more than architecture that was admired or criticallyappraised. While there aremany who contend that the innovation and unique nature of Casa Malapartestem from the work and design of architect Adalberto Libera, even those whoare scholars on Malaparte and his autobiographical Casa Malaparte contendthat Malaparte's hand and influence are too embodied in the dwelling forhim to have been removed from its design and style. Casa Malaparte. Considered one of themost intriguing pieces of architecture by admirers and critics alike, CasaMalaparte became what its owner hope, a unique entity that was as uniqueand unique in the same ways as its owner and designer. In this work were theideas and beliefs of some of the greatest Italian thinkers of the era inaddition to others such as James Joyce, Pablo Picasso, and MartinHeidegger. 4 ) argues that the new image and values of post-war Italy andpost-fascist society were instrumental in inspiring Malaparte's work on thehouse: Under the spiritual pressure of war a new architectural attitude, no longer polemical but more realistic and human, is taking shape...Curzio wanted to build a modern house...a manifesto-house of modern architecture. 76). Despite the origins of the design and architecture, onething is certain, Malaparte intended to create a dwelling that conveyed hispersonality, values, and beliefs. 2). Casa MalaparteIntroduction There are many theories of architecture and design and the use ofspace, both in terms of internal space and external space. As Malaparte (p. He attempted to create a living, breathing site that challengednature, complacency, and confinements on artistic ideals and expression.In this way, Casa Malaparte functioned as much more than a house or agathering place for intellectuals and artists. Malaparte insisted that to concede to thesestyles would create a house representative of these styles and not one thatwas more characteristic of his own beliefs and style. The house was often compared to one of Malaparte's storiesas much as it was compared to any other kind of architecture before or evenafter it was built. As to the shape of Casa Malaparte, Malaparte allowed the formationof the promontory on which the house sits to influence design. It is perhaps the last of these theories, the conveyance ofcommunication of values and beliefs through architecture, which bestdefines the intention of writer and political activist Curzio Malaparte inthe design and construction of his home on a bluff in Capri, CasaMalaparte. Casa Malaparte was not just an attempt by Malaparte to go againstarchitectural conventions or those of style or design. Inpositioning the location of the house, instead of making a choice toposition it to take advantage of direction against the winds, Malaparte wasdetermined to challenge the winds themselves, "I preferred to tackle themsideways on, by positioning the house so that its corners would bisect thefour points of the compass" (Malaparte, p. There are alsotheories of architecture which contend that form follows function and thosethat argue function follow form. It has to do with the primitive gods and their unrelenting demands...it has to do with the abandonment of abstraction and the seduction of the lyrical (Lang Ho, p. Though, he also believed thatthe materials of the house should be drawn from the same materialsavailable in its intended natural location. Nevertheless,the design and architecture of the house were originally attributed toItalian rationalist Adalberto Libera, but recent evidence suggests that thehouse was "designed by Malaparte himself, with the help of a local mason"(Lang Ho, p. The artistic and aesthetic values of Malaparte drew many famous andcelebrated authors, artists, and celebrities to Casa Malaparte. In his life, he played-out Picasso's maxim: Art is a lie that reveals the truth. As independent as he was in hispolitical views and writings, Malaparte was when it came to creating thehouse like him. The location ofthe promontory on which the house sits is situated directly between windsthat sweep the area from both the North West and the South West. Casa Malaparte served to remind others that what is necessarily consideredartistic is not always necessarily honest expression but often copied formand function.Conclusion After Malaparte's death in 1957, Casa Malaparte became neglected andboth its interior and exterior were left to deteriorate. Viewed on Dec 15, 2 4: http://www. 41)writes in Casa Malaparte, "Given the strong function of self-representationwhich from the beginning he assigned to the house, his 'definitive' house,Malaparte could not have limited himself to a secondary role" in its designand creation. As Talamona (p. It is readily apparent that Malaparte achieved his goal of creatinga definitive dwelling that would embody his own values and ideas, alongwith acting as a repository for the ideas and values of others he admired.His building of Casa Malaparte is considered but one of another artisticachievements by an artist who refused to compromise or concede his ownvalues or beliefs to those of others. A showpiece...to embody, after the period of confinement, a new self-image, removed from the spirit of parochial traditionalism.In this manner, we can see how Malaparte's Casa Malaparte reads as muchlike a text of history, values, and ideas as much as it appears as acreation of architecture. 2). Malaparteedited a cultural journal known as Prospettive. As he writes in his essayabout the selection of materials for casa Malaparte, "There would not bebricks or cement, but stone, only stone, the sort that can be found in thearea itself and from which the cliffs and mountains are made" (Malaparte,p. As he maintainedabout outside influence on his decisions regarding Casa Malaparte: There were many people who had wanted me to make concessions to Capri's innate style, without considering that this was the very point - the question of making concessions to style or creating it - on which I was particularly intransigent and unwilling to compromise (Malaparte, p. Not one for compromise or concession in his personal orprofessional life; Malaparte did not consider making concessions to natureof established theories of architecture when creating Casa Malaparte. As long as Casa Malaparte continues to serve such a function,the legacy of its owner will continue to exist on a bluff in the wildnature of Capri. 76). The journal was used to disseminate the ideasand beliefs of a changing time, a time that had been turbulent and hadundermined the foundations of social and religious norms. 76) asserts, theFoundation wishes to not only "oversee the long-needed repairs" but to also"develop the house as a writers' and artists' retreat and cultural center." Such a fate seems only fitting for Casa Malaparte, a house that not onlyembodies the values and spirit of its owner but also his perspective on artand life. To Malaparte, everything from the home'slocation to the materials used in its construction were chosen with theutmost care in order to reflect his personal values and beliefs. Many outsiders tried to convince Malaparte to use Romancolumns, to blend Moorish, Romanesque, and Gothic styles, and toincorporate other aspects of design and architecture that were commonlyused in Capri architecture. He chose tobuild the house only twelve meters wide but sixty meters long, mirroringthe shape of the bluff as well as necessitating a 387 foot triangularstairway leading from the upper roof terrace to the shore down below(Malaparte, p. 1). 1) wrote in an essayexplaining his intentions for Casa Malaparte, "The day I started to buildmyself a house, I did not think that I would be creating a portrait ofmyself."Body Malaparte considered Casa Malaparte a portrait of himself in stone,one that he often called a "house like me" (Lang Ho, p. Going against established theories of architecture, such as abuilding should fit in with its natural surroundings, Malaparte wasdetermined to construct a house that would be his house, conveying hisvalues, beliefs, and personality. Heabandoned the notion that an architectural structure should fit in with itssurroundings, as far as style was concerned. Casa Malaparte'smaterials were also significant to Malaparte. However, over the past few years arestoration team of architects and designers has been responsible forrestoring both the interior and the exterior of Casa Malaparte, what LangHo (p. We see this element of Casa Malaparte in the impressions ofthe villa by John Hejduk, who maintains that Casa Malaparte is a house of rituals and rites, it is a house of mysteries, it at once brings forth the chill of the Aegean on the horn head of past sacrifices, it is an ancient play placed in an Italian light. Casa Malaparte became something more than a unique example ofarchitecture that married site and form. Casa Malaparte was often considered surreal by many who viewed andexperienced it. As much as Malaparte wished Casa Malaparte to mirror his own valuesand beliefs, he was also determined to construct the dwelling in a way thatwould not only be of nature but would also challenge it. 2). Malaparte: A House Like Me. The house was viewed as provocative by many in thesame way as were the works of its creator and owner. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.

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