An acute interpreter of the lesson of Le Corbusier, Mario Botta has built a vast series of projects. The book documents his activities from 1960 to 1985.
[Mario Botta. Architecture 1960-1985] An acute interpreter of the lesson of Le Corbusier, Mario Botta has built a vast series of projects that have captured the attention of international observers of architecture. His style is highly original, with striking overtones of the influence of Louis Kahn and Carlo Scarpa. Mirko Zardini, in his essay, identifies four themes connected with Botta’s work: the place, seen as a given geographical entity that requires architecture to achieve precise identification; the volume, an elementary geometric form with a dialectical relationship to the landscape; the facade as a priority vantage point; and the concrete block, which permits subtle chiaroscuro effects. Works illustrated include the Crafts Center of Balerna, in Canton Ticino (1977-79), the André Malraux Cultural Center in Chambéry (1982-85), many private homes (single-family house at Cadenazzo, Canton Ticino, 1970-71), and furniture (“Prima” and “Seconda” chairs, 1982).