Botta, Mario( 1943 )
Studies for the ground floor plan and verifications of the building’s volume and shape, 1996 ,
The Cymbalista Synagogue and Jewish Heritage Centre in Tel Aviv, Israel, 1998 ,
31 50 cm, Pencil on white sketching paperMario Botta’s reputation is international, his architecture is both modern and contemporary. Christian
Norberg-Schultz writes that he infuses his buildings with a strong sense of place and meaning (Botta,
1984 ).
Born in an area of Switzerland near the Italian border (Mendrisio, Ticino), Botta’s first experi-
ence with architecture was an apprenticeship in the architectural firm of Carloni and Camenisch in
Lugano. He left this office to attain further education at the Art College in Milan and the University
Institute of Architecture in Venice. He was directed in his studies by Carlo Scarpa and Giuseppe
Mazzariol, and had the opportunity to meet and work with Le Corbusier and Louis I. Kahn.^3
Beginning his own private practice in 1970 , Botta found distinction with his designs for houses,
museums, and churches near Ticino. Several of his most recent and celebrated projects include:
Theatre and Cultural Center André Malraux, Chambéry, France ( 1987 ); SFMOMA Museum of
Modern Art, San Francisco ( 1995 ); Kyobo Tower, Seoul ( 2003 ); and Office building Tata CS, New
Delhi ( 2003 ). Botta has been honored with awards such as the Merit Award for Excellence in Design
by the American Institute of Architects.
Botta likens his sketches to fragments of a large mosaic of possible designs, from early concepts to
the final details. They are the notes throughout the process, traces of particular solutions, and mes-
sages to help find conclusions. For Botta, sketches are the memories involving intuitions and alter-
ations behind a definitive design.^4
Botta clearly maintains a constant dialogue with his sketches. This image (Figure 8. 3 ) is a sketch for
the Cymbalista Synagogue and Jewish Heritage Centre in Tel Aviv. The organization of the project
was to consider two spaces of equal size and importance, a synagogue and a lecture hall. On the cam-
pus of Tel Aviv University, these two spaces, expressed on the exterior by two towers, speak of a com-
bination of the religious and the secular. On the plan are many changes and corrections that reveal
how Botta responded to the information the sketch provided. The rectangular shape has been divided
into symmetrical spaces. Many faint lines extend across the plan to indicate either elements above or
guidelines for the proportions of the parti. One can imagine how he visualized the space as he walked
through the sketch. Doors have been indicated with arrows for their movement, and walls are given
their thickness through many parallel marks. As he drew the plan, Botta was acutely aware of the
towers and their placement above, sketching them lightly over their locations.
The two perspectives to the right of the page demonstrate how easily Botta moved between the
plan and the rendering of volume. As variations for the exterior, the three-dimensional sketches illus-
trate how a plan can be interpreted in different ways. He recognized the need to move between the
two types of drawing conventions. It also shows how he was thinking, trying something in plan and
evaluating the ramifications with perspectives.
This sketch represents not the first thoughts, but the development of an idea. Beginning with the
clear program of two towers, Botta was able to refine and visualize the design with this sketch.
Although not an exact replica of the finished building, the concept developed here shows through
in the final outcome.H5719-Ch08.qxd 7/15/05 3:50 PM Page 215