Proporzione Mediterranea: Annarita Aversa’s homage to the scenic Amalfi Coast

The Amalfi Coast in Italy is dotted with precipitous cliffs plunging into the sea, pastel piazzas and abodes that run along the vertical scenery—a fitting example of the scenic Mediterranean landscape. In addition to the picturesque backdrop of rugged mountains, the architecture with its soft shapes and vaulted ceilings, ensconced on the coastline reflects the Mediterranean vernacular design. The scenic setting acclaimed by UNESCO serves as a muse for Italian architect Annarita Aversa's latest body of work. Titled Proporzione Mediterranea, the limited-edition collection of seating and vases builds on her vernacular architectural study of Mare Nostrum, specifically the vaulted houses of the Amalfi coast. On view from September 30 to October 29, 2022, at the Giustini / Stagetti gallery in Rome, it reiterates the architect’s ethos of the singularity of space, light and material by uniting design and architecture. “Conceiving internal and external space and its furnishings as a total unicum, strongly linked to the context, has always steered my work, particularly in this collection. The purpose of the project is to remind architects of the reasons behind our very delicate task in an era often littered with disorienting images,“ says Annarita Aversa.

Aversa is the founder of Architetti Artigiani Anonimi, an Amalfi-based architecture, interior design and product design studio. Founded in 2013, the studio works on the different scales of architecture, highlighting the nuances of the architectural and cultural context in each project, and calling attention to the identity of each place. As part of her latest collection, Aversa explores the deep connection between humans and their inhabited spaces by tracing the origins of architecture. The artistic ensemble aspires to internalise and evoke harmony of human proportions by speaking of architecture in terms of a singular product of human needs, desires, dreams and abilities. Enveloped in the raw materiality of the coloured terracotta and hand-worked wrought iron, the rhythmic composition of solids,voids and the soft shapes that define Mediterranean culture take the centre-stage in her collection.

The vases and furniture designs that make up Proporzione Mediterranea are informed by the characteristic houses with vaulted ceilings that embellish the Amalfi Coast. The limited-edition ensemble adorning the art gallery includes a daybed, a sofa, a bench and a series of vases. An intrinsic part of the architectural body of work is the natural play of light and shadows in the pieces that reinforce Aversa’s idea of blurring the boundaries between architecture and design.

Through each design, the product designer pays homage to the visual and sensorial impact of the pure and harmonious forms that define Mediterranean vernacularism. The seating, for instance, is suggestive of benches that line the edges of coastal terraces. Composed of ceramic and metal, the creations challenge the segregation between architecture and landscape. The modular designs created in Vietri sul Mare, the Amalfi Coast's epicentre of ceramic art and design, have a striking delicate balance of craftsmanship, technique and form as a natural extension of the space. The vases, on the other hand, are conceived as ‘architectural dreams’ and reproduce similar harmonious proportions. Their ‘skin’ splits open in a perfectly balanced amalgamation of space, light, and water, sculpting a clandestine place from which to observe the world. The design exudes the intimacy of vaulted spaces, highlighting the dexterity behind modelling of raw materials, imparting grace and meaning to creative decisions.

Aversa's continued research project based on the recovery of empathy between humans and living spaces for the ‘Molino Nuovo’ project in Salerno is an extension of her mission to preserve the natural and architectural landscape of the Amalfi Coast. For this she collaborated with the Centro di Cultura e Storia Amalfitana on a handbook of drawings, photographs, and research illustrating the importance of heritage conservation.

Vernacular design and architecture have carried cultural knowledge and identities through generations. It is not merely heritage but a distinctive language that speaks of cultures and their journeys, a unique expression that sets them apart from one another. In times of innovation, modernisation, and replication of a cliched ‘modern’ expression across geographical boundaries, designers like Aversa recall the treasures that the past holds. Drawing from the wisdom of the Mediterranean, the collection is a souvenir of heritage preservation—its indispensable worth and its exemplary value. Proporzione Mediterranea is a gentle reminder to the fast-paced world racing towards the future to look back in admiration, and to look back for inspiration.

Proporzione Mediterranea will be on display from September 30 to October 29, 2022, at Giustini / Stagetti gallery in Rome, Italy.