On the voices of Venice

a question of memories, specters and space

Abstract

This article prioritizes the concept of public space as a virtual domain rather than focusing on its physical attributes. Through Peter Eisenman’s Cannaregio Town Square (1978), the text seeks to question the notion of “space,” using a project that engages with absences rather than presences within the urban context of Venice. Just as the elements utilized are not presented in their physical state, the project itself is not intended to be constructed. In this sense, it can be understood as an architecture that originates from a virtual context and returns to it, positioning drawing as the tool capable of manipulating these absent elements (sometimes referred to as mnemonic or spectral throughout the article) and of realizing it as architecture in its own right. To do so, the text is divided into three parts: first, it addresses the circumstances surrounding the project’s development; then, it explores its conceptual contributions; and finally, it discusses its formulation as space. The aim is to critically examine the creation of this “space,” framing it as an urban memorial, even if not a tangible one.