A book investigating the relationship between Scarpa and Japan, the country from which the Venetian architect inherited a deep sense of technique and tradition.
When in 1969 Carlo Scarpa (1906-1978) visited it for the first time, Japan was a still unknown country at the far edge of the world. Thanks to the many rare books he had on the subject, Scarpa knew Japan even before seeing it with his eyes. During his travel in the Far East, fantasy and imagination mixed with the real experience, deeply influencing his works among which his masterpiece Tomba Brion in San Vito d’Altivole, planned in those years. The many illustrations of the book represent places and people, revealing that the artist was interested not only in architecture. A picture of vast humanity, combined with a lively curiosity for what was new, never seen or experimented before. The book investigates the meaning and the role of this constant “presence” in Scarpa’s production. A presence that continually stimulated him and that he was able to harmonize with his roots and his personal way of living.