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A sketch by Alberto Campo Baeza for PIBA Marmi pavilion at 2009 Marmomacc

“La Idea Construída” has already been used as the title of a recent Alberto Campo Baeza essays’ collection and is now the name of PIBA Marmi’s exhibition space conceived by the Spanish architect for the 2009 edition of Marmomacc. The link between mind, language and action concentrated in this title has actually been Campo Baeza’s main object of theoretical elaboration for several years, since his first didactical experiences in 1986 as projecting professor at Madrid Escuela de Arquitectura. So “La Idea Construída” becomes the expressive sign of a method repeating in reflection after reflection, work after work, and based on the assertion of a concept related to shape and light, and on the consequent “construction of an idea” in order to give life to a structure and a place. Each step in his career as a projecting designer shows, analyses and declares, like in a motto, the visions and models, often archetypical, that are the bases of his activity: light and gravity, hortus conclusus, looking at the sea, light impluvium.
In this context also PIBA Marmi new pavilion will take shape starting from two fundamental conceptual inspirations/projecting themes: the composition of an archaeological antiquarium and the valorization of the relationship between stone and light through a dynamic and changeable luminous approach (“eppur si muove – yet it moves”, according to Campo Baeza). The setting will show in its inside the design elements of PIBA Marmi collection ‘Saturnia’, disposed as in a wall gallery, like finds of an antiquity collection, and accompanied by historical reproductions of classic sculptures lent for the occasion by Florence Accademia delle Belle Arti.
The interior space of the structure will appear to the visitors as a void space for stopping-by and meditating, completely dominated by penumbra and signed by the slow passage of luminous rays on the natural surface of the stone.

The antiquarium of Musei Capitolini in Roma and some design elements of PIBA Marmi in a graphic re-elaboration by Alberto Campo Baeza.

ALBERTO CAMPO BAEZA’S BIOGRAPHY
Campo Baeza was born in Valladolid but installed in Cadiz, city of Phoenician and Latin origins well-known for being the oldest city in Western world. His architectural works have been exhibited at the Academy of Spain in San Pietro in Montorio (Rome), at Basilica Palladiana in Vicenza, at the Crown Hall of Mies van der Rohe in Chicago and at Hagia Irene Dome in Istanbul. He’s given lectures at Philadelphia Penn University, ETH in Zurich, EPFL in Lausanne and in other educational and cultural institutions all over the world. He has collected in his library more poetry books than architecture essays. He owns no car, no mobile phone, no television and nor a watch, but he still lives happily.

By Davide Turrini

See also:
Alberto Campo Baeza
Pibamarmi