Cer Magazine International n.20 - Tilmar Ceramics

Pino Musi
as symbols. Is that really the case?
MB. In the Babel of languages that
defines today’s operational context, I
consider primary form to be a key
architectural value for the very concept of
living. I believe it is important to be able
to recognise an image at a glance and to
understand that what we are looking at is
an apse, a church, a theatre or whatever.
Meaning - more semantic than symbolic -
is therefore fundamental. For this reason I
prefer to work with simple shapes as they
help to decode the quality of space.
Heidegger observed that man inhabits a
space when he has the capacity to orient
himself within it. I believe this is a
wonderful and very clear definition: a man
who is able to orient himself in a space
fully experiences the potential of his
surroundings. If instead he is immersed in
a labyrinth he will be condemned to move
without this awareness and will experience
a sense of malaise caused by his inability
to perceive and control his space.
One of the values that I see in the great
architectures of the past is their ability to
accentuate interpretational elements.
This is the exact opposite of what
happens with much of contemporary
architecture, which provides orientations
and cues not so much by means of its
own tools but by continuously drawing
from other fields (signage, advertising,
etc.). This is another reason why I prefer
Pino Musi
to work with simple shapes in which
geometry supports light and the final
shape becomes a clear image. The
“symbolic” factor (i.e. the ability to
identify a meaning within the context by
way of an image) is a direct consequence
of the capacity to create an easily legible
architectural form.
LS. In other words it is a way of using
extremely simplified shapes to
interpret complexity...
MB. Yes, it is a way of interpreting
complexity and in a certain sense of
opposing it. It’s a bit like when, in a
sprawling and monotonous residential
complex, we catch sight of an icon that is
capable of acting as a point of reference
for the whole. Today it is more important
than ever for architecture to play this role
because we have lost the identity of the
city and the urban fabric is increasingly
becoming a continuous agglomeration.
When the architectural construction
becomes a point of reference, the
connective tissue may become less
chaotic in spite of the multiplicity of
languages.
LS. Perhaps we could return briefly to
the language of materials. A
knowledge and skilful use of materials
has always distinguished your work,
your artisan skill in choosing and
selecting combinations. This is a
characteristic that was already clearly in
evidence during your early training
alongside masters such as Carlo Scarpa,
Le Corbusier and Louis Kahn. What role
do materials play in your architecture in
terms of construction, composition and
expression? And which materials do
you prefer?
MB. First and foremost, artisan skill is a
component that plays a crucial role in the
quality of the finished product. If I were to
choose between a structure created using
an artisan process and an industrial
product, I would have no doubt that the
first offers superior quality (a kind of
memory of the physical exertion
involved).
The problem we are currently facing is
how to coexist with dignity with the tools
of mass production (globalisation). This is
the real challenge facing today’s
architects, who are called on to find
expressive spaces to give new meaning
to creative and building activities. In any
case the artisan product (which becomes
visible as it is created) is a form of