Nolli Plan of Rome

The 17th-century plan of Rome by Giambattista Nolli, used as an archetypal example of positive space where every bit of street, building mass, and public interior has definite positive shape

Neighborhood — ranked by edge-count

Concepts (1)

concept

Positive Space
associated_with
The property that every bit of space swells outward, is substantial in itself, and is never the leftover from an adjacent shape; every single part of space has positive shape as a center with no amorphous meaningless leftovers

Chapters (1)

chapter

Chapter 5: Fifteen Fundamental Properties
cites
The chapter that catalogs and analyzes the fifteen recurrent geometric properties found in systems that have life, connecting them to the deeper theory of centers and wholeness

Related by similarity (6)

cosine ≥ 0.65 · no typed edge

Entities in the same semantic neighborhood but without a typed relation to this one — candidates for new edges or unrecognized duplicates.

The Nolli plan of Rome shows a completely different kind of structure, generated by adaptation, which is better and more comfortable than modern planning.claim0.842
Historic urban fabric is evidence of a morphogenetic process that modern architecture cannot replicate through design.
We directly perceive that the Nolli plan of Rome has a geometric character formed gradually by successive adaptations, and we cherish that vitality.claim0.818
Direct perception of historical unfolding in the geometry of Rome.
Plan of St. Gallconcept0.717
Ninth-century idealized monastery plan, archetype of simplicity in complex organization; every element drawn as simply as possible.
Cost Planmethod0.677
A financial tool used from the earliest design stage, specifying percentage allocations to different work categories to shape the building's feeling.
Diagrammatic writing transfers Alexander's latent centers concept to typography.claim0.653
Four-step cycle (context, latent centers, possible action, new construction)method0.653
An iterated design process: 1) observe current configuration, 2) identify latent centers, 3) decide where to build to strengthen a latent center, 4) construct, take the whole to a new plateau.