Walter Angonese, architekt/architetto

Walter Angonese exerts a force of energy, passion, and ethical belief in his practice and teaching. Known for his crafted, thoughtful, sophisticated buildings mostly carried out in his own region of Bolzano, Italy, a region to which he is dedicated, Angonese believes in the role of the architect within small communities and happily carries out work at all scales. As a teacher he inspires dedication, curiosity and courage.
In this Biennale Architettura he collaborates with three former students, now architects themselves. He speaks about “gifting others with one’s own knowledge”, about ‘the passing of the torch’ as being the true role of teaching in architecture. The exhibit involves a strategy for the re-working of a visitor centre he completed some years ago. It is a process of the rectification, reclaiming the dignity of spaces damaged by commercial interests. In parallel the graduate student work of these three architects is contained in the same space. It is a call for the need to care for architecture and that misuse can destroy the heart of a building. The presence of the installation is monumental, stoic, assuming the persona of warriors standing firm, standing proud. There is a poignant sense of battling together in unison for the protection of architectural values.
YF+SMcN