La Chiesa del Villaggio del Sole a Vicenza incontro tra cultura scientifica e architettura

Gasparini, Luciano

Matematica, cultura e società, Série 1, Tome 1 (2016) no. 2, pp. 161-171

Résumé

"How do scientific knowledge and practical use of the space interface with each-other, what is the relationship between rational control of the endless issue of extended space and creative (shaping) formality, in other words between geometry and architecture?". Following the conference "Spirals in space" organized by the association Villaggio insieme in the occasion of the 50th anniversary of San Carlo Church in Vicenza, this work intends to approach in details some of the specific subjects relating to formal genesis, which can be found in Sergio Musmeci's performance for this original architectural work. San Carlo Church is to date sited in the middle of Villaggio del Sole urban settlement, on the north-west side of the city, in the vicinity of Monte Crocetta. The settlement concept, which was established last century in the late fifties, featured a central road enclosing the area allocated for the construction of the church, where it was actually built some years later. Mr. Sergio Ortolani, the Architect who planned the entire neighborhood, is subsequently joined in the project development by Mr.Antonio Cattaneo and Mr. Sergio Musmeci as Design Engineers of the church. Sergio Musmeci does then propose and develop the structural morphology of the roofing being described. The main subject of our study is in fact the original building process of the roofing, defined by three sets of logarithmic spirals forming a network. The role of some scientific-related concepts, specifically referring to differential geometry, is being considered in details to appreciate their impact on the creative process and formal development. It is also crucial to consider the importance of a "scientific knowledge of the space" when defining structural elements.