220209 RD

Tower of Pisa is one of the most famous piece of architecture in the wold. Why is that ? Because of an anomaly. Tower of Pisa is the bell tower of the local romanesque cathedral. It has a very simple form with a regular facade, a rational composition matching its function. But people stare at it for hours because of a tilt. Because of something that puts the tower out of its very nature, becoming an accidental exceptional piece of architecture.

This situation tells many of our fascinations. (1)The imbalance, because of its fragility. The tower seems to be falling down, so (2)the instantaneity, because of the uncertain finitude of its time. A tower is suppose to be upright, so (3)the inconsistency, because it puts it out of the common sense. (4)The mismatch, because tilt is not part of the original structural language. (5)Singularity, because it makes it rare and unique.

As architects, it also tells us that our work is only a beginning. Events are sometimes more significant in a building’s life than birth.