Part 1: Piranesi Research
Background information and notes
Personal:
Studies:
In his artworks:
Piranesi has an Italian background, and from a young age he fell in love with architecture and Roman Ruins. He is a very artistic individual, who incorporates architectural ideas and synthesises it with his artistic etchings and drawings. Hebefriended many contemporary architects of his time, and it would be a possibility that he would incorporate their ideas into his etchings. There were many intricate pieces of architecture emerging from that time, and with his initial sketches of Rome, he had a very knowledgeable idea of real and unreal. His early drawings were of Rome Ruins, but he redrew the ruins as what they were when they were whole building. Piranesi thus, seems to be an architectural drafter rather than an artist, but his occupation is still under the banner of artist because of this imaginative element within his works.
He has a concise understanding of architecture, and would most definitely have a house that invokes both the key elements of an architecturally sound house/ building, but also a house that pushed the boundaries OF architectural traditions. In his Prison etchings, there are many paths and manyarchways that define a change in spaces and many different rooms and locations smattered all around the framed view in his drawings. They are not real, but they seem very architecturally possible to make. With analysis of architectural works from his Rome etchings and influence from hisarchitectural friends, he creates a convincing fantasy and grandiose space, but detailing in regards to structural support and space usage make them very convincing as architectural etchings of an existing building.
Some requirements he may need:
Part 2- Piranesi Brief
Some ideas synthesised during this lesson would be the style of the building. Piranesi does not have a recoded immediate family, so he would live in a bachelor’s apartment. His home would reflect his artistic personality, but retain a large and grandiose style of detailed architecture and contain many architectural elements. The house would be built upwards towards the sky, rather than outwards as Piranesi utilised a large and sublime space with a single roof. In his home, I alsobelieve that there should be a very high ceiling that containsmany smaller spaces that are divided up with diverging paths, stairs and bridges, elements which are also evident in his prison etchings.
A curious thing would be, even though his etchings are under the banner of “prison” etchings, they are very open and spacious, not what one would associate with a prison (usually that of confinement, gloom and dark) Thus, the rooms will be large and spacious, linking with the style shown through Piranesi’s artworks.
Light would be debatable, as in Piranesi’s etchings, they are huge, high ceiling spaces that contain lamps and other artificial lighting, but despite the definition of ‘prison’, there is much natural light penetrating the spaces, illuminating theprisons. The archways also direct the lights through particular spots and cast many shadows through the spaces. Glass would be used for the facades, and an abundance of windows wouldexist in the design.
Because of his love for the grandiose and the diverging paths, the house would be built upwards and all the rooms and spaces would be above each other. The various pathways would circulate the person up and around the spaces, and with the high, single roof, then the spaces would be very open and public. However, rooms such as the bathroom, his bedroom. The guest room and the study/studio rooms would be enclosed and private. Because he is living as a bachelor, many of his spaces would be very open and the room relationships would be very open as Piranesi would live by himself.
Room list:
Reasons for rooms:
Gallery
The reason I included a gallery is that Piranesi is a very artistic person, and it would be good for him to display his works for his visitors to see or for him to meander around andlook at his artworks and designs. Most of his drawings are very grandiose and big, and it would not be a surprise if hehad his sketches as very large drawings and pinned them to large parts of the walls in the gallery area. It also would be a good place if he collected some design from his architecturalfriends or from other artists to look at them and appreciate them (ie because he befriended many contemporary architects, he could collect their models, and since he really loved the artworks of Palladio, he could pin them up.)
Studio/ Study
These two rooms could be merged together or placed next to each other. This is because in his life, he began his own artistic studio when he was in Venice, and a large work space would definitely be necessary for his creative line of work, ie.Contain easels, materials and other workshop equipment. Because he had his own studio, he would have had taken on a few apprentices, so a large studio would be required if there were many people frequenting the space. I think this space should be semi detached from the house due to the public nature of the building.
With this in mind, it would not be odd if there were tow studio rooms in his house: one right next to the studio, for him and his apprentices to use, and a more intimate one next to his room for his own personal use.
Guest Room
With the idea that an apprentice or a visitor would visit him, a guest room would be an appropriate room to add into the design of the house. It would be next somewhere near the studio and the study area, but it would not be right against each other due to noise regulation and noise pollution if anyone was working on anything in the studio if a guest was sleeping, apprentice or otherwise. It would also serve as a room for repose if the master bedroom wasn’t nearby and if Piranesi was working late nights (or whatever)
Library
Being a scholar, a library would not be a very odd room to add into his house. It would be both be a private library and a reference library for him to assist in his work. It would most likely go at the centre of the house, for easy access and one would not have to traverse too far or cut through any unnecessary rooms to reach the library.
I imagine the library to be within close proximity to the study of the master bedroom and the studio, so probably in the middle of the house and in between these two rooms would be a very good location for the library.
