Manfredi Nicoletti facts for kids
Manfredi Nicoletti (born June 16, 1930 – died October 29, 2017) was an important Italian architect. He was famous for designing buildings and cities in a way that worked with nature. He thought about how buildings could use natural elements like sunlight and wind.
Contents
About Manfredi Nicoletti
Manfredi Nicoletti was a leader in what's called bioclimatic design. This means he designed buildings and cities to fit in with the local climate. He wanted them to use natural resources, like sun and wind, to stay comfortable.
In the 1970s, he wrote a book called L'ecosistema urbano. This means The Urban Ecosystem. He even came up with the term "urban ecosystem." This book talked about how cities are like living systems. It showed how environmental issues connect with people's feelings and culture. Experts from many fields, like psychology and biology, helped discuss this idea.
Nicoletti started special courses at the La Sapienza University of Rome. In 1972, he began teaching Urban Morphology and Ecology. Later, in 1995, he started the course Ecosystemic Architecture. He also advised the Italian Government and the European Community on urban ecology. He won an international award called WREN for his work.
Early Life and Education
Manfredi Nicoletti was born in Rieti, Italy. He started his artistic journey very young, working in the studio of Giacomo Balla. In Rome, he studied with Pier Luigi Nervi and became an architect in 1954.
That same year, he received a special scholarship to study in the United States. He went to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). There, he earned his master's degree in 1955. During his time in the US, he learned from famous architects like Buckminster Fuller and Walter Gropius. He also worked with Minoru Yamasaki.
Return to Italy and New Ideas
After returning to Italy, Manfredi Nicoletti worked again with Pier Luigi Nervi. He helped start the National Institute for Architecture with Bruno Zevi.
In 1963, he taught architecture at the Rhode Island School of Design. He also traveled a lot, studying buildings made in caves. His research on cave architecture later won him an international prize.
In 1965, he helped create a group called GIAP. This group explored new ideas in architecture. He is known for being a pioneer of Megastructural architecture. This means designing very large, connected buildings that could house many people and functions. He taught architecture in Palermo and Rome for many years.
Nicoletti also studied the Art Nouveau style of architecture. He helped bring attention back to the work of Italian architect Raimondo D'Aronco. He wrote the first book about D'Aronco's drawings and buildings.
Manfredi Nicoletti was a founding partner of Studio Nicoletti Associati. He was a respected professor at Rome La Sapienza University. He was also a member of many important architectural academies around the world. He received the title “Commandeur de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres” from France. He won the Dedalo Minosse Prize twice. His work included designing many public buildings in Europe, the US, Africa, and Asia.
A lot of his drawings and plans are kept in art collections in France.
Main Projects
Here are some of the main projects Manfredi Nicoletti worked on:
- Social Housing, Rieti (1965)
- Artificial Peninsula in Fontvieille, Monaco (1968)
- Helicoidal Skyscraper, New York (1968)
- Airport of Reggio Calabria (1974)
- Seafront of Reggio Calabria (1976)
- Social Housing, Gela (1976)
- Urban Plan, Gela (1978)
- Airports of Trapani, Lampedusa and Pantelleria (1978)
- Airport and Control Tower, Catania (1978)
- Moncada House, Bagheria (1987)
- University Campus, Udine (1990)
- General Hospital, Agrigento (1991)
- Urban Plan, Rieti (1992)
- Scientific Greenhouse, University of Catania (2000)
- Zoological Museum, Catania (2000)
- Sport Palace, Palermo (2001)
- Italian Parliament Conference Centre, Rome (2002)
- Police Headquarters, Rieti (2002)
- Millennium Park, Abuja Nigeria (2003)
- New Courthouse, Lecce (2004)
- Unità d’Italia Square, Rieti (2004)
- New Courthouse of Arezzo, Arezzo (2008)
- Kazakhstan Central Concert Hall, Astana Kazakhstan (2009)
- Millennium Tower, Abuja Nigeria (expected 2014)
- Petaling Jaya "The Pod" Pavilion, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia (2010)
