Italian architect Aldo Rossi (1931–1997), the 1990 Pritzker Architecture Prize recipient—the highest honor in architecture—was a leading figure in the architectural movements of the latter half of the 20th century. Rossi offered a distinctive new interpretation of the relationship between architecture and the city. His creative scope spanned architectural design, theory, drawing, and industrial design. He was also a significant educator. The renowned Swiss architectural duo Herzog & de Meuron were among his students when he taught at the ETH Zurich in Switzerland.
In 1983, Rossi collaborated with Jamileh Weber, the gallery owner who exhibited his drawings, to publish Il libro azzurro - I miei progetti 1981. The book features 48 hand-drawn sketches from Rossi’'s sketchbooks, accompanied by handwritten notes. It encompasses drafts for various of Rossi’s major projects, such as the Venetian Theater (Il Teatro del Mondo), the San Cataldo Cemetery, and the Monument to the Resistance in Cuneo. alongside observational sketches of urban and everyday scenes.
The book is bound in a 16 x 27 cm notebook format and divided into two volumes: the main volume faithfully reproduces Rossi’s sketchbook—from the weathered edges of the cover to the traces of colored pencil bleeding through to the reverse side—presenting the original object authentically. The supplementary volume compiles the architect’'s handwritten notes alongside the drawings, translated into German, English, French, and other languages. Thus, the editorial approach of Il libro azzurro - I miei progetti 1981 allows readers to come exceptionally close to the creator. Through the “handwritten notes” format, spatial experiences and design elements are interconnected. Between the words and drawings, the architectural aura seems faintly visible.
The final page of the book, titled “Interior with Shadows,” features a red floral wallpaper adorned with photographs of a Venetian theater and a Madonna portrait. Rossi traces the shadows cast by still lifes onto the wall with bold black lines. “Shadows are related to architecture; they mark time and seasons.” For Rossi, the buildings and still lifes depicted in the book often feature clearly visible shadows. Beyond creating a sense of spatial depth, these shadows also symbolize memory and time. Rossi uses this to highlight the interdependent relationship between architectural drawings and built structures: from sketches illustrating urban experiences and design manuscripts to the spaces themselves, the book guides readers through an architectural creative journey that blends memory, text, and drawing.
