Pietro Porcinai

Conference: Planning the Future, Future of Planning - Budapest, April 26th 2013
Pietro Porcinai between tradition and innovation:
a legacy for the future of Landscape Architecture in Italy
Arch. Anna Sessarego - Landscape Architect - University of Genova, Italy
AIAPP - IFLA delegate - email: annasessarego@gmail.com
ITALIAN LANDSCAPE
is famous all around the world for its
NATURAL and HUMAN beauties
the layering of visible historical footprints
impressed on landscape suggests future
evolutions
Footprints if putted in value could be an
important resource for a new economical
development of our country
PIETRO PORCINAI
was the leader and developer of Landscape Architecture profession in Italy
Among about 1400 projects he points out the guide lines to the Italian Modern
Landscape Architecture, showing how we can be rooted in the tradition of the places
with original ideas for the actuality.
He applied the principles of the Renaissance Italian Garden translating them in his time
characterised by:
•social economic changes,
•re-construction after the world war,
•cultural affirmation of Modern Movement
His work was guided by:
harmony with nature
support of an expertise technique
continuous necessity to experiment and build.
His MESSAGE for FUTURE is to reflect on the history impressed on our landscape to
let it to be considered an essential value of our culture,
as it is expressed on art. 9 of the Italian Republic Constitutional Charter.
Pietro Porcinai (1910 -1986)
Porcinai was born at Settignano (Florence).
His father was the gardener at villa
Gamberaia.
His education began at the agrarian school in
Florence and after he did a training between
nurseries in Germany and Belgium.
In the beginning of the ‘30s he came back in
Florence and opened his office as a
Landscape Architect.
He used to write, from 1937, about landscape
on an important architecture magazine
DOMUS so it let him know by the architectural
world and he kept in touch with other
professionals.
The interest on italian garden shapes, in
fashion in those years, was integrated by
Porcinai with the attention at the social needs
of his time.
Aesthetic dimension + Social dimension
Villa Gamberaia - Settignano (Florence)
Villa Gamberaia a Settignano (Florence)
In 1948 he is one of the founders of
IFLA
in 1950 found AIAPP, together with
a few pioneers.
After the ’50 his work enlarged:
- from garden of Private Villas
to landscape architecture of
- manufacturing places
- public places
- archeology places
- infrastructures
acting always with the exactness of
a critic understanding of the place
and of the wellbeing of those who
live there.
Villa Rondinelli, Florence (1963)
Villa La Terrazza - Florence (1951-58)
Villa Il Roseto, Florence (1962 - 1965)
Villa L’Apparita, Siena (1965-67)
Villa Il Castelluccio, Santa Croce sull’Arno, Pisa (1972)
Villa Il Martello, Florence (1972-73)
Villa di Portofino, Genova (1969-84)
Villa Brion Doney, San Michele di Pagana, Rapallo, Genova (1960-83)
Gardens of Private Villas
Along the years Porcinai was the designer of the most
important Italian families, he realised gardens for them
villas and external places for them firms, he invented a
style always maintaining a close relation among the
characteristics of the place, the history and the
innovations.
Villa Rondinelli, Florence (1963)
It was the location of his office from 1957 until
1986.
It was the place of experimentation of his ideas
and innovative techniques.
Here is an modern interpretation of a formal
parterre.
Villa Rondinelli, Florence (1963)
Renovation of the citrus greenhouses: a green roof garden with a double
insole by an insulating hollow space, for energy saving.
The lawn has a series of circular elements: they are basins for aquatic
plants and roof lights for the underlying ninfeo.
Villa La Terrazza - Florence (1951-58)
The swimming pool is a constant element of the private gardens of Porcinai,
a theme that he developed in a large variety of formal and functional types.
This was inspired by Kandinsky paintings and by japanese gardens.
The rectangular shape of the swimming pool is partly concealed by 87 stone
wheels, and is inserted in a larger pool of aquatic plants.
Villa il Roseto, Florence (1962 1965)
The most interesting element is the roof
garden constructed 4 meters upper than the
original level of the site, that solves a double
requirement:
it gives a panoramic view on the landscape
and the underlying place could be used as a
garage or as an hall for celebrations.
Here, again the inspiring shape is the circle.
Villa il Roseto, Florence
The frame of the roof garden is realized by columns that
support a serial of lowered domes, that correspond at the
circles of the upper garden.
The shape of the vault determines the thickness of the
soil allowed, so along the circle perimeter there are
planted shrubs, while in the middle, where the thickness
is lower, there are lawns or ventilation holes.
Correspondence between function and aesthetics
Villa il Roseto,
Florence
The view of the garden
from the villa
Villa il Roseto, Florence (1962 - 1965)
A view of the other part of the garden, where olive
trees are cultivated, that are one of the main
features of the agrarian landscape of Tuscany.
Massive shrubs, define the various functions and
changes of level of the garden
Villa L’Apparita, Siena (1965-67)
Originally was a farm in the agricultural landscape of olive
and fruit trees.
The brick-house was attributed to an important architect of
Renaissance, Baldassarre Peruzzi.
By soil movements and the use of massive shrubs, Porcinai
defined the pathways, addressing the views, as the access
boulevard that leads to the car parking is not visible from the
house.
Villa L’Apparita, Siena (1965-67)
A view of the boulevard bordered by massive
shrubs that leads to the car parking
Villa L’Apparita, Siena (1965-67)
The Theatre is situated on a lawn area where you can get a panorama on the
landscape and on the city of Siena: so the garden becomes part of the landscape
Villa Il Castelluccio, Santa
Croce sull’Arno, Pisa (1972)
Farmhouse of the XVII century, on the
top of a hill.
The garden is separated from the whole
estate by a path, that surrounds the hill,
delimited by shrubs and trees.
Villa Il Castelluccio,,
Santa Croce sull’Arno,
Pisa (1972)
Inside the ring there is the
swimming pool area, reachable
from outside or from inside of the
house by an underground aisle,
which takes light from some
skylights on the lawn.
The swimming pool is partially
covered as a greenhouse with
sliding doors, so could be utilized in
winter, also.
Villa Il Martello, Florence (1972-73)
The garden has the characteristics of the agrarian
landscape with the olive grow, the orchard, the
vineyard, while the technological systems of the
house and the swimming pool are hidden by the
slopes planted with massive shrubs.
Villa Il Martello, Florence (1972-73)
The garden of aromatic plants realised as an Italian formal
parterre surrounded by olive trees.