''LaFenice'' (''The Phoenix'') is a public sculpture by the

Architecture and Vision Architecture and Vision (AV) is an international multidisciplinary design agency that was formed in 2003 by Arturo Vittori in partnership with Andreas Vogler, Andreas Volger. AV works in architecture, design, and art. The practice is mainly based ...

design team,

Arturo Vittori Arturo Vittori (born October 1, 1971, in Viterbo, Italy), is an Italian artist, architect, and industrial designer. He is co-founder and director of the architecture and design team Architecture and Vision. Biography Arturo Vittori was raised in ...

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Andreas Vogler Andreas Vogler (born January 15, 1964) is a Swiss architect, designer and artist. He is founder and director of the architecture and design firm, Andreas Vogler Studio. Early life Andreas Vogler was raised in Basel, Switzerland. After seve ...

, sited in the Piazza della Memoria of the waterfront in

Messina Messina (, also , ) is a harbour city and the capital of the Italian Metropolitan City of Messina. It is the third largest city on the island of Sicily, and the 13th largest city in Italy, with a population of more than 219,000 inhabitants in ...

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Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

. The sculpture for this memorial square was selected in a city-sponsored competition as part of a larger

urban renewal Urban renewal (also called urban regeneration in the United Kingdom and urban redevelopment in the United States) is a program of land redevelopment often used to address urban decay in cities. Urban renewal involves the clearing out of blighte ...

project started in 2003 to revitalize the public spaces between buildings built in the 1930s along the quay. The sculpture was unveiled on June 23, 2011.

Site and design

The sculpture is situated at the intersection of several important axises, connecting the busy port to the city, tracing the boulevard flanking the waterfront, and ultimately, between the Earth and sky. Its polished surface reflects the activity of people in the square as well as the surrounding civic and natural environment. The monolith consists of three and a half slightly skewed double pyramids stacked on each other. Between each pyramid, glass panels house lighting that produces a program of effects at night. The shape is integrated into the patterned stone and etched glass ‘time capsule’ base that reveals strata from the 1908 earthquake below the elevated square. The sculpture also takes inspiration from the geometric patterns in the multi-colored stonework in the Norman-Arab-Byzantine architecture of the nearby Church of the Annunciation of the Catalans (Annunziata dei Catalani), built during the 12th Century on the site of a pagan temple to Neptune. Artistic influences include

Anish Kapoor Sir Anish Mikhail Kapoor (born 12 March 1954) is a British-Indian sculptor specializing in installation art and conceptual art. Born in Mumbai, Kapoor attended the elite all-boys Indian boarding school The Doon School, before moving to the UK ...

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Cloud Gate ''Cloud Gate'' is a public sculpture by Indian-born British artist Anish Kapoor, that is the centerpiece of AT&T Plaza at Millennium Park in the Loop community area of Chicago, Illinois. The sculpture and AT&T Plaza are located on top of Pa ...

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Constantin Brâncuși Constantin Brâncuși (; February 19, 1876 – March 16, 1957) was a Romanian Sculpture, sculptor, painter and photographer who made his career in France. Considered one of the most influential sculptors of the 20th-century and a pioneer of ...

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Endless Column Endless or The Endless may refer to: Business * Endless (private equity), a British firm * Endless.com, an e-commerce website selling shoes and accessories * Endless Computers, an American operating system company Film * ''The Endless'' (film ...

Theme

The sculpture's upward thrust commemorates the collective memory of the citizens that have tenaciously rebuilt their city each time it has been devastated by war or natural disaster, most famously, the December 1908 earthquake. Nearly every building was leveled and thousands died. The mythological

Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

bird, magically ascending from its own ashes, is a symbol of hope and renewal. Phoenix detail from Aberdeen Bestiary

Construction

A central column provides structure over which the highly polished, prefabricated stainless shapes are stacked. Blue glass panels protect DMX controlled LED lighting between each pyramid element. Engineering services were provided by RFR Paris. The sculpture measures 0.5 x 1 meter, 4.1 meters high and weighs 800 kilograms.

References

Sources

* p. 164-5, Encyclopedia of Earthquakes and Volcanoes; David Ritchie, Alexander E. Gates, Facts on File, Inc., New York: 2007

External links

Architecture and Vision

Comune de Messina
{{DEFAULTSORT:LaFenice Outdoor sculptures in Italy 2011 sculptures Steel sculptures in Italy