ABSTRACT
The Italian architect Carlo Scarpa and his relationship with artists and artisans in his Venetian and European context has been the subject of numerous research projects and publications over the years. The role played by structural engineers in his work and the impact they had on design decisions has been examined by few. Fruitful collaborations between architects and engineers have strongly impacted 20th century architecture. Examinations of these collaborations might not only lead to a re-writing of the tectonic histories but also serve as inspiration and offer instructions for contemporary collaborative approaches. Carlo Scarpa worked closely with his craftspeople, valued constructive and non-hierarchical collaboration, and stated on many occasions how profoundly their skills and knowledge impacted his work. While the formal decisions Scarpa undertook are frequently linked to intensifying local craftsmanship and materiality, his work also reflects complex structural systems and details, forms that delineate paths and commentary on the forces at play. The construction techniques suitable for concrete, wood, stone, stucco, and glass are the basis of Scarpa's design decisions – similar importance falls to solving structural requirements and their generative forces. The creative discourse and collaboration that unfolded with artisans has taken place with Scarpa's structural engineers as well, resulting in a microcosm of structural information displayed in his buildings. Carlo Maschietto, an engineer trained in Padova Italy, was involved in Scarpa's projects for several decades. This study is based on the recent availability of Carlo Maschietto's professional archive at the Archivio Progetti of the IUAV (Istituto Universitario di Architettura di Venezia) in Venice, Italy and a first examination of the materials. Maschietto specialized in concrete construction, a material Scarpa used frequently for the projects they executed together after 1954. Maschietto's contributions shaped well-known buildings such as the Venezuela Pavilion of the Biennale (1954), the Olivetti Store in St. Mark's Square (1960), and the Cemetery Brion in San Vito di Altivole (1970). Based on project documentation, sets of structural drawings (specifically sketches and notes by both embedded) and personal correspondence from the Maschietto archive and other sources this paper analyzes their collaboration and the impact of Carlo Maschietto's input on selected projects and their details.
