San Carlino’s Re-presentation: Between The Geometric Lines, the Blurry Space of the Architectural Project.
Author(s): Myriem Saoud
Contribution to the Design Communication Association 2024 Conference (DCA). Between The Lines, Montana State University School of Architecture, Bozeman, Montana, USA, September 2024.
Abstract:
This research explores the intricate relationship between geometric ideals and practical realities in Baroque architecture through the act of re-presentation, a methodological approach that goes beyond simple redrawing to engage deeply with the material qualities of historical architectural documents.
Focusing on Francesco Borromini's iconic San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane (San Carlino) in Rome, the study examines original drawings from the Albertina archives in Vienna, employing copying as a research tool to unveil new insights into the design process. Rather than solely analyzing the building's well-known geometric composition, this investigation delves into the materiality of the archival drawings themselves, the graphite smudges, overlapping strokes, and iterative marks that reveal the architect's working method.
Through meticulous re-presentation of key documents spanning from 1634 to 1660, the research traces how Borromini navigated between canonical geometric principles (such as equilateral triangles and canonical ovals) and the constraints of the actual site. The study reveals that even in the earliest design phases, the church grappled with the tension between geometric perfection and constructive reality, as evidenced by dense graphite markings in experimental areas of the drawings and subsequent modifications to the building's proportions.
The investigation contributes to ongoing debates about whether San Carlino was conceived as a perfect geometric design or pragmatically adjusted on-site, suggesting instead that the interplay between ideal forms and practical constraints was integral to the design process from the very beginning.
