Giancarlo de Carlo

Giancarlo de Carlo is a great architect of international fame, and an old friend of mine. He used to visit my family in the early 70s, when he was teaching at the Venice IUAV (Architecture University Institute), and although I was only a child then, he used to discuss with me about fascinating things from his endless travels around the world (he taught in several american universities among the endless string of other things he did in his life). He is the one that taught me about the stars, and instilled me with the love for Astronomy - I still have, framed and in good view in my children's bedroom, a map of the Heavens he gave me back then.

He used to send me long letters from the exotic places his job brought him, describing the world to me in a fascinating way, never treating me like a child but more as an adult. In a way, that was a way to keep in touch not only with me, but with my family - but it was a precious experience for me.

This, as it happens with all good things, stopped after a while, when his trajectories brought him away from Venice, and although I continued to be informed about his masterful projects and adventures around the world from friends and from the media, we basically lost touch. But in 1989 I managed to attend a ceremony at the Urbino University, when - in occasion of his 70th birthday - he was given honorary citizenship for the many beautiful projects he did for that city (see a blueprint he drew for the University college in Urbino in 1966). He did not recognize me at first, but it was a very moving encounter, which I remember dearly.

I have continued to hear about him occasionally since then. I have read some of his many books, but have not met him again.

Then, one new contact. In June last year I went to Paris for a weekend with Mariarosa, and visited the art gallery in Beaubourg - only to be happy to discover that there was an exhibit dedicated to him right there and then, with interviews shown on video, photos, models of his projects. I was enthralled to listen to him on video as he discussed his views on Architecture, as he described his works, and reading about him once again in the catalogue.

Then, yesterday, my father, who is putting order in his huge archive after finishing his latest book (Venezia Romanica, a titanic opus in two large volumes, 1200 pages about the history of Venice in the 13th and 14th centuries), brought me a letter from Giancarlo, which he found somewhere buried amidst tons of other papers. A letter dated November 19th, 1975 !, which he wrote to me during a trip by train to Lubjana.   

Reading that letter now, thirty years after it was sent, was an immense emotion. Because of its content; because of the eerie feeling of reading as an adult a letter written to a child, and finding it absolutely full of content and interest; and because of the memories it brought back to me - of the many evenings spent with him at our house, when he used to tell us tales of distant places or just play with me.

Giancarlo is now 85 years old. I just read in the internet that he was awarded a Laurea Honoris Causa from the Politecnico di Milano last December. Still going strong. I guess I will give him a call.

Comments

[Marjan]

>which he wrote to me during a trip by train to Lubjana.

I think you meant "Ljubljana" - its the capital of Slovenia (where i live:)

Nice story by the way.

[Tommaso Dorigo]

Hi Marjan,

yes, I meant your town, but the spelling in Italy is different....

T.

[kaif faquih]

hello there !

I have been trying to contact Mr. Giancarlo de Carlo since a long time but i do not have any access to an e-mail or telephone. I am an architect in Mumbai India with a growing practice and as India is in a great development phase i wanted to share a few of my thoughts and have his valued opinions on them. Would it be possible to have his e-mail or postal address sent to my e-mail account kaiffaquih444@hotmail.com thanking you and hoping for a reply - architect kaif faquih