NOWNESS - Constructed Views:
Giancarlo De Carlo

An architectural marvel provides the perfect setting for an eerie philosophical debate

Resting in a natural amphitheater in central Italy,
the University of Urbino is a feat of modern design
by Italian architect Giancarlo De Carlo.
Long semi-circular lecture halls are graced by grand skylights
that face interconnected terraces and hidden mezzanines.
In this conceptual project directed by Milanese filmmaker Michele Foti,
the university serves as an isolated backdrop for a mysterious debate
between two people about perception and the nature of God.

With fashion brand Cabinet Milano providing the concept
and art direction for the project, Giancarlo de Carlo revisits
the university as a place of contemplation
and an “emotional topography” that transforms physical spaces into territories of participation through meetings, assemblies and protests.
Moving from morning to evening, the film meditates on the purpose-built,
mid-sixties architecture and the empty spaces
where students should be milling, learning and talking.

The words projected on the screen allude to the processes of communication, and the potential gestures of bodies moving around them—defining the two chapters of this story.