Architetture arcaiche. Invarianti tipo-morfologiche e principi dello spazio nuragico

The thesis explores the distinctive condition of the Nuragic archaeological heritage through a predominantly architectural lens, aiming to extract enduring values and spatial interpretations that contribute both to an innovative understanding of prehistoric architecture and to the identification of particular archaic principles for contemporary design. Employing the theoretical-methodological category of the archaic, a poetic approach grounded in principles of rootedness and continuity, the thesis abductively delves into the topic of archaic architecture as a symbolic art form, pinpointing its spatio-temporal coordinates within the context of the megalithic phenomenon. It investigates modes of manifestation and primary operations, ultimately focusing on the case study of Sardinia, “the windy archaic land set between sea and sky,” the birthplace of the Nuragic culture’s architectural expressions. Architectural perspectives on Nuragic grammar, especially the comparative readings by the four masters - Zevi, Rudofsky, Rossi, and Venezia - have systematized a shared, albeit varying, emphasis on Nuragic space themes. This focus has been deepened from a typological-phenomenological standpoint, eventually undergoing an archaic reinterpretation through the insights of several culturally and intellectually aligned figures sensitive to these themes. The result is an anthology of fragments and thoughts, a collection of legacies in which spatial expressions of Nuragic culture emerge with remarkable intensity. At the heart of the research lies a twofold investigation of Nuragic architectures, utilizing the expressive tools of architectural representation and modeling, culminating in two distinctive outcomes: Nuragic Atlas, a drawn compendium brimming with hermeneutic insights, spatial perspectives, and typo-morphological analyses of Sardinian prehistoric architecture and its relationships; Nuragic Cubes, a project of plastic experimentation that interprets the physical construction of Nuragic void through the narration of three paradigmatic spatial recurrences.