building the american landscape - Univerza v Novi Gorici

The Oklahoma Land Rush, April 22, 1889, by John Steuart Curry (1937‐39)
Building the American Landscape is the result of a theoretical reflection developed during the last years at the
University of Nova Gorica, international graduate school in Economics and Techniques for the Conservation of
the Architectural and Environmental Heritage.
At the beginning, I thought to study only some aspects linked to relationship landscape‐architecture in the work
of Frank Lloyd Wright. I was inspired by Reyner Banham’s researches in Scenes in America deserta (1982), more
the Getty Institute in Los Angeles authorized me to examine the Banham’s papers in the archive but,
unfortunately, I didn’t realize this project.
The journeys through Illinois and Wisconsin, in the footsteps of Wright suggested me to extend my interests
towards main theoretical and cultural basis of the great American architect. Many people and researchers had
travelled those territories. Therefore I thought it was more interesting to understand how Emerson, Thoreau,
Whitman, and the myth of American frontier had contributed to the organic language and to build the American
landscape.
In Rome, at Centro Studi Americani, I have had the opportunity to address my studies towards the literary and
philosophic aspects discussed in my dissertation. The services and electronic databases offered to members
allowed me to see hundreds of academic magazines related to landscape and other important issues in my
research.
American institution as Massachusetts Historical Society (in particular the archive dedicated to the Thomas
Jefferson Papers) and the Library of Congress have simplified my work providing valuable and evocative
documents immediately in digital form.
I was able to examine many 19 th century publications quoted and included in the bibliography by virtue of
project “Archive”, which connects many American University, making available scans of ancient books now
without copyright.
However this work couldn’t have been written without the suggestion of my mentor Renzo Dubbini and the
accurate observations of Angelo Maggi.
A special thanks to Robert McCarter for his interest in my interpretation of relationship between the
Jeffersonian grid landscape and Broadacre City project by Wright.
I am indebted to Francesco Coppolecchia for the time and assistance he dedicated at Canadian Centre of
Architecture to providing some information on the book La città americana.
Finally this work is dedicated to my parents: in fact they are my most regular reader who supported my studies
and researches.
Many energies are in these pages. I only regret that I have but many places to visit for my intellectual
satisfaction. I hope to go to these and other landscapes. Last but not least “Building the American Landscape” is
simply a chapter of a great history of contemporary landscape that I would like to write.
Disertacija je bila narejena v okviru sofinanciranja študija po Javnem razpisu »Inovativna shema za
sofinanciranje doktorskega študija za spodbujanje sodelovanja z gospodarstvom in reševanja aktualnih
družbenih izzivov – generacija 2011 Univerza v Novi Gorici«, ki ga delno financira Evropski socialni sklad.