Roberto Podda: Chronicle of a Research: Opening editorial

This chronicle details the multi-decade intellectual journey behind the monograph *Luigi Moretti: Lessons of SPAZIO* (Routledge, 2024). It began in 2009 with a doctoral assignment from Professor Ernesto d’Alfonso to study the Italian Rationalist architect Luigi Moretti. The initial research led to a seminal discovery at the Politecnico di Milano library: the complete run of SPAZIO, the journal founded and edited by Moretti between 1950 and 1953. The publication was immediately recognized as a unique cultural artifact, distinguished by its striking visual and intellectual content.
A pivotal moment occurred upon reading Moretti’s editorial “Abstract Forms in Baroque Sculpture,” which revealed striking conceptual parallels with Peter Eisenman’s later theoretical work. This initial insight evolved from a short critical paper into the foundational nucleus of the present book. The volume makes a meaningful contribution to contemporary architectural theory by arguing for a fertile dialogue between past legacy and present demands. Its core is a dedicated analysis of Moretti’s theoretical writings from SPAZIO and a later essay on parametric architecture, presented in dual format: facsimiles of the original layouts and carefully translated English versions, each accompanied by a critical commentary.
The book positions Moretti as a singularly receptive and interdisciplinary figure whose complex, often elliptical thought was long misunderstood or overshadowed by ideological resistance. It seeks to move beyond studies of his built work to reactivate the profound theoretical potential of his writings, demonstrating their continued relevance for envisioning architecture’s future. The research’s significance was notably affirmed by renowned architectural historian Kenneth Frampton, who engaged in a detailed correspondence with the author, providing extensive handwritten notes and a public endorsement that recognized the work as an "impactful and important study" compelling enough to reconsider established positions within architectural history.