L’opera e il suo contesto. Paesaggio e identità nell’architettura moderna della villa von Saurma a Termini di Massa Lubrense / The Building and its Context. Landscape and Identity in the Modern Architecture of Villa von Saurma in Termini, Massa Lubrense

Abstract

Villa von Saurma in Termini, Massa Lubrense, was designed between 1962 and 1964 by Bruno Morassutti in collaboration with Aldo Favini. The villa represents an exemplary case of mid-twentieth-century architecture capable of engaging with the complexity of the Mediterranean landscape of the Sorrento-Amalfi coast. The project offers an erudite reinterpretation of the local building tradition through the calibrated use of both traditional and modern materials and techniques, while adopting the landscape as a cultural and design framework. However, in the second half of twentieth century, building transformations in Termini compromised the original relationship between the villa and its context. Starting from this case study, the paper reflects on the heritagization of modern architecture. Beyond the building itself, attention should be given to the preservation of the spatial and symbolic relationships that informed the original meaning and identity of the project.