27 - Architect goes global

Classical-trained designer has projects in China, Portugal, Siberia

What's an Italian architect with a solid classical background doing in Canada?
In this country, as in the United States, "real" architecture is hard to find. In fact, what one finds here for the most part can be called "pseudo-architecture," which abounds in Doric and Corinthian columns erected for questionable aesthetic reasons, with no practical function to justify their existence.
What one also finds, to one's chagrin, are houses made of yellow bricks and wood, which are supposed to reproduce the trabeations of the Parthenon. Here the ample, Renaissance-like spaces that distinguish luxury houses are traversed by unsightly black wood and by Tudor-style lime, whose upward rise is interrupted on the second floor by French mansards.
Returning to the original question, what is this architect doing in Canada?
The question draws a smile from Francesco Scolozzi, who hails from Bari but who grew up in Bologna and in Florence.
"I'm simply trying to do my job. At the same time, I'm trying to avoid making all the compromises I would have had to make if I were still in Italy," he answers.
"Here, people have a superficial sense of culture compared to our own, but their demands are less burdensome. All they ask you to do is work hard. And if you're good enough, you'll succeed. But if you're a hack, you'll starve," he concludes tersely.
Scolozzi, of course, did succeed. He's the head of one of the most prestigious architectural studios in Toronto, Scolozzi Architect Inc., with commissions pouring in not only from all over Canada, but also from the United States, Portugal, China, Siberia and elsewhere. Scolozzi has created some of the most important buildings in Toronto (the Banca Commerciale Italiana building, the Italian Institute for Foreign Trade building and the Yonge Balliol Centre, to name a few) as well as vast complexes throughout the world, such as the Reception Centre in Shanghai, China, created in collaboration with Project Planning, where within a one-and-a-half-square-kilometer area he has made five-million square meters of livable space-roughly the same as in all of Toronto.
Scolozzi also created Mississauga's Park Place, the Palazzo della Provincia in Catania, as well as commercial centers in Bologna and Tyumen (Russia); furthermore, he has designed great residential complexes in Seattle, as well as the International Airport in Yakutsk (Siberia). Scolozzi vaunts over 200 projects a career, spanning just under 30 years; projects that have all been cited in detail in Canadian magazines and in specialized architectural publications.
Scolozzi's father, an accountant, had wanted his son to pursue an economics degree, but Scolozzi himself had no intention of seeking a career in this field. He attended Liceo classico, a high school specializing in classical studies (which at the time was "compulsory for someone who wanted a complete education," as Scolozzi himself puts it). In the meantime, he was trying to make up his mind.
"Actually, it was my history professor who made the decision for me," Scolozzi recounts. "He saw some of the sketches I drew and told me I was cut out to be an architect. His words found echo in my own feelings. To make a long story short, I enrolled in the faculty of architecture in Florence and graduated in 1967."
And then?
"Then I had the stroke of luck of my life. I became part of a group of architects called Nuove chiese (New Churches), assembled by Cardinal Lercaro, the Archbishop of Bologna, with the intent of giving a new look, or to preserve the old look, of sacred architectural buildings. Lercaro was the typical Renaissance man with countless cultural interests, all of which he cultivated with an indefatigable fascination. For this reason, he was never satisfied, and from a man like him one could only expect the best."
What about the stroke of luck?
"The stroke of luck consisted in the fact that, while I was employed at the "court" of cardinal Lercaro, I was able to meet with famous architects, such as Le Corbusier, Alvar Aalto and Kenzo Tange, all people who have made the history of modern architecture. And it was precisely with Tange that I developed an interest in urban design, which is a discipline half way between architecture and urban planning. This interest allowed me to pursue and to obtain a Master's degree from Harvard, where I met Arthur Erikson, Canada's pre-eminent architect."
After graduating from Harvard, Scolozzi returned to Italy, where he was given a chair in the faculty of architecture both in Florence and in Bologna. However, he left Italy only a year later to return to Canada. The rest, as they say, is modern history.
Why are Italian architects so appreciated in North America?
"Because of their clarity and their attention to detail. Just think of the revolution that has taken place in this field, thanks to people like Rossi, Gregotti and Scarpa. It should come as no surprise, then, that Canadians greatly appreciate my blending of seemingly incompatible materials such as metal with either marble or granite.'
Is there a work of yours that is particularly special to you?
"I'm proud of all the work I do. You see, to me architecture is an experience that continuously renews itself. It gives me a chance to experiment new forms and new philosophical approaches. So every project is a new reality, with no past nor future. Of course, I try to establish a continuity of language, but as an artisan, I strive always to create something unique. Having said that, I can't hide the fact that I'm especially proud of the project of the Shanghai Reception Centre."
What distinguishes this project from the others?
"The modalities of its creation: it's a beautiful work, conceived without compromises. The only compromise we made was an economic one, in the sense that a certain monetary figure was established a priori, which therefore I could not exceed. As for anything else, they allowed me to give free rein to my creativity. And it was a great challenge because I had to contend with an immense and foreign culture, the Chinese culture. And yet there's one more project I am particularly proud of."
Which one?
"The site of the Banca Commerciale Italiana on St. Clair. No one had ever designed a bank using materials like granite, stainless steel and glass. I did it, and the project was so appreciated in this field that it opened all the doors to Toronto."
What do you regret about leaving Italy?
"Its culture. That's what I miss the most. I travelled extensively throughout Europe and North America, and I can tell you that all European countries share the same cultural hinterland. Take, for instance, construction on so-called ordinary homes: the work done in this field is of a significantly high quality, even though the materials used are not particularly expensive. It's imbued with profound meaning, and it's the result of ancient traditions. That's what modern architecture is all about, not the pseudo-modern stuff that is so popular here. In Canada, as in the United States, inspiration is drawn from past edifices, which are 'modernized' to suit contemporary needs. I'm referring to Georgian and Victorian models. This phenomenon is absurd and historically without precedent. Besides, North American culture is a nomadic culture: here the archetype followed is that of the cowboy, which entails building houses that can be assembled quickly with nails and hammers, and therefore with fragile materials like wood and plastic. That, in and of itself, might be fine by me since it is consistent with the history of the country. But what I don't accept, as I said, is the proposition of pseudo-classical models, which are extraneous to local culture. Unfortunately, by now a trend has been created, and the other side of the coin is that this non-culture has become a culture."
But isn't there a debate on architectural movements and styles?
"Actually, no. And that's the problem. There is no debate that can stop the aesthetic pollution of cities. It's obvious that this results in houses that look like photocopies and buildings made by architects with no inspiration and who end up becoming the material executors of the customers' desires, which are often motivated by nothing more than money. This means that they are convinced that they can buy anything, including culture."
How do you find yourself in this environment?
"Sometimes well and sometimes not so well. You see, I consider my work a mission. To me, urban space and architectural edifices are a livable environment; and aesthetics, in the Aristotelian sense, is what invigorates the spirit. You see, this kind of background is missing here. On the other hand, I'm comfortable here because, unlike in Italy, I'm not bound by any political affiliation, and there are no policies of preferential treatment to overcome. There are no hierarchies here. All these things I have known and endured in Italy, and that's why I left. In Canada I'm free, and this freedom allows me to forgive the vast cultural shortfalls I encounter on a day-to-day basis. Which are still there, but which don't prevent me from infusing into what I do the culture of my country."

Publication Date: 2002-12-22
Story Location: http://tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=2202