Swiss architect influenced by Le Corbusier and Louis Kahn. For this reason his architectural vocabulary evolved to design pure imposing geometric forms.
Image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Botta#/media/File:MarioBotta.JPG
About his life
Born in Mendrisio in 1943, Mario Botta graduated with a degree in architecture from IUAV in Venice, where he met and started working with Le Corbusier and Louis Kahn. He designed his first buildings at age 16, a two-family house at Morbio Superiore in Ticino. While the arrangements of spaces in this structure is inconsistent, its relationship to its site, separation of living from service spaces, and deep window recesses echo of what would become his stark, strong, towering style.
image source:https://search.creativecommons.org/photos/979d6a24-d26d-454b-b046-26cc57cd4787 by Premio Chiara
What are Botta’s style main features ?
Brick is a key material in his designs, used as a covering to underline the severity of the volumes he designs.
Every one of his works is covered with a mantle of sacredness, through which he demonstrates the importance of architecture as a means of expression of human memory.
image source: https://search.creativecommons.org/photos/8567bf29-c75c-4561-a5c8-11990396a008 by James Willamor
image source: https://search.creativecommons.org/photos/81b2f205-87a5-4473-8f89-288428190e64 by travelmemo.com
His designs tend to include a strong sense of geometry, often being based on very simple shapes, yet creating unique volumes of space. His buildings are often made of brick, yet his use of material is wide, varied, and often unique.
images source: https://search.creativecommons.org/photos/8a504560-bc65-41d6-8341-5cc2a714bc5c by mabi2000
images source: https://search.creativecommons.org/photos/55814d37-89f1-4088-a677-46c97b3332db by Time.Captured.
What are his most famous works?
- Granato Chapel, Penkenjoch, Zillertal (Austria), 2013
- Hotel Twelve at Hengshan, Shanghai (China), 2012
- Library for Tsinghua University, Beijing (China), 2011
- “Ethniki” National Insurance Company, Athens (Greece), 2006
- Bergoase Wellness Centre, Arosa (Switzerland), 2006
- New parish church of Santo Volto, Turin (Italy), 2006
- New Casino, Campione d’Italia (Italy), 2006
- Renovation of Teatro alla Scala, Milan (Italy), 2004
- Church, Seriate (Italy), 2004
- Torre Kyobo, Seoul (South Korea), 2003
- MART museum of modern and contemporary art of Trento and Rovereto (Italy), 2002
- Pilotta garden, redevelopment of the Pilotta district, Parma (Italy), 2001
- Noah’s Ark Sculpture Garden, Jerusalem (Israel), 2001
- Cymbalista Synagogue and Jewish Heritage Centre, Tel Aviv (Israel), 1998
- Jean Tinguely Museum, Basel (Switzerland), 1996
- SFMOMA Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco (USA), 1995
- Beato Odorico Church, Pordenone (Italy), 1992
- Library of the Cappuccini Monastery in Lugano (Switzerland), 1979
Image source: https://search.creativecommons.org/photos/4afd9a0f-1505-44d7-8369-651c1cc59b0d by corno.fulgur75
Image source: https://search.creativecommons.org/photos/f5976bb5-8f03-49bf-8149-0cd56212fee1
Image source: https://search.creativecommons.org/photos/1f0c715e-f370-482d-a040-0cb1fe67a56d by tongeron91
Info sources:
http://www.archdaily.com/tag/mario-botta
http://www.floornature.com/mario-botta-5/
