Wikipedia

Aimaro Isola

Aimaro Oreglia d'Isola (born 14 January 1928), known commonly as Aimaro Isola, is an Italian architect, designer and urban planner.

Aimaro Isola
Born
Aimaro Oreglia d'Isola

(1928-01-14) 14 January 1928 (age 98)
Turin, Kingdom of Italy[1]
Alma materPolytechnic University of Turin
OccupationsArchitect, designer, urban planner

Life and career

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Aimaro Isola is the youngest son of Baron Vittorio Oreglia d'Isola and Countess Caterina Malingri di Bagnolo, and the brother of nun Leletta D'Isola [it]. At the age of 16, he joined the Italian Resistance, becoming a member of the 105th Garibaldi Brigade.[2][3] He graduated in architecture from the Polytechnic University of Turin in 1952, where he later also taught.[3]

In 1950, he established a professional firm with Roberto Gabetti, marking the beginning of a long and prolific partnership.[3] By the late 1950s, Gabetti and Isola had become key figures in the Neo-liberty movement.[4] Their most notable works include Casa Paravia in Turin, the Palazzo della Borsa Valori [it] (Turin), and the Alba Courthouse, as well as residential complexes, urban plans, religious buildings, and architectural restorations.[5][6][7]

Following Gabetti's death in 2000, he continued his architectural work by founding the Isolarchitetti studio with his son, Saverio.[8]

Isola's architectural philosophy is centered on the concept of ambientamento—the active reading of a site's historical and natural "traces" to achieve a harmonious integration of new design within its context.[9] Moving away from the "aseptic" industrial aesthetic of the International Style, his work with Gabetti catalyzed the Neo-liberty movement, emphasizing historicism, artisanal craftsmanship, and a "total decor" approach that prioritized the sentimental connection between the user and the space.[10] Central to Isola's practice is the ethics of abitare (dwelling), viewing architecture as a "concave" and protective shell—recalling animal shelters or the maternal womb—responding to human biological and psychological needs.[11][12] In his later career, he proposed the "Nature-City" (Città-Natura) model, advocating for urban regeneration that treats the city as an ecosystem where nature acts as a unifying force across fragmented territories.[13] This vision is underpinned by a critical inquiry into the relationship between tekne (technology) and logos (reason), where architecture serves as a "measure of reality" while navigating the ethical risks posed by modern technology.[12][9]

Isola has been a member of the Accademia di San Luca in Rome, and a member of the Academy of Sciences in Turin. Isola's design works are included in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York,[14] the Centre Pompidou in Paris,[15] and the MAXXI in Rome.[16]

Works (selection)

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Alba Courthouse

Works

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Writings

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  • Isola, Aimaro (2004). Violenza nell'architettura. Afterword by Sergio Givone. Florence: Aión Edizioni. ISBN 88-88149-13-9.
  • Isola, Aimaro (2011). Anche le pietre dimenticano. Preface by Giorgio Ficara. Florence: Aión Edizioni. ISBN 978-88-88149-82-0.
  • Isola, Aimaro (2013). Disegnare luoghi, scrivere architetture. Turin: Academia University Press. ISBN 978-88-97523-52-9.
  • Isola, Aimaro (2019). Ai confini del giardino. Florence: Aión Edizioni. ISBN 978-88-98262-83-0.
  • Isola, Aimaro (2020). La barba di Leonardo. Florence: Aión Edizioni. ISBN 978-88-98262-87-8.
  • Isola, Aimaro (2022). Archetipi abitati. Preface by Federico Vercellone. Florence: Aión Edizioni. ISBN 978-88-88149-70-7.

Awards

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References

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  1. ↑ "Aimaro Oreglia d'Isola". Accademia delle Scienze di Torino.
  2. ↑ "I paesaggi e i loro Partigiani". Patria Indipendente. 2020-05-11.
  3. 1 2 3 Di Palma, Alessandra (12 February 2024). "Aimaro Isola, l'architetto partigiano". Elle Decor.
  4. ↑ Ciccarelli, Lorenzo; Melhuish, Clare (2021-10-14). Post-war Architecture between Italy and the UK: Exchanges and transcultural influences. UCL Press. pp. 57–60. ISBN 978-1-80008-083-6.
  5. ↑ "Postmodernism and the rise of Arte Povera". Meer. 14 February 2024. Retrieved 2026-04-22.
  6. ↑ Belluzzi, Amedeo; Conforti, Claudia (1985). Architettura italiana, 1944-1984. Rome: Laterza. p. 181. ISBN 978-88-420-2615-0.
  7. ↑ Lessico del XXI Secolo. Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana. 1994.
  8. 1 2 "Isola, Aimaro". Lessico del XXI Secolo. Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana. 2012.
  9. 1 2 Isola, Aimaro (1999). "Necessità di architettura". In De Rossi, Antonio (ed.). Linee nel paesaggio: Esplorazioni nei territori della trasformazione. Turin: UTET. pp. 14–15.
  10. ↑ "Design Masterworks: Gabetti and Isola". Wright20. Retrieved 2024-05-22.
  11. ↑ Durbiano, Giovanni (2020). "Un interno in forma di esterno". Firenze Architettura. 1&2: 103–104.
  12. 1 2 Isola, Aimaro. "L'architettura oltre la forma" (PDF). Cultura Urbana. Retrieved 2024-05-22.
  13. ↑ Durbiano, Giovanni (2017). NatureCity (PDF). Politecnico di Torino.
  14. ↑ "Aimaro Oreglia d'Isola". The Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved 2026-04-23.
  15. ↑ "Aimaro Oreglia d'Isola". Centre Pompidou.
  16. ↑ "ISOLA Aimaro". MAXXI.
  17. ↑ "Uffici giudiziari". Censimento delle architetture italiane dal 1945 ad oggi. Ministero della cultura. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  18. ↑ "Premi Antonio Feltrinelli finora conferiti" (PDF). Accademia dei Lincei. 2024. p. 176. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
  19. ↑ "Gabetti e Isola - Isolarchitetti. Una scheda biografica". TGcom. 8 April 2005. Archived from the original on 30 January 2018.
  20. ↑ "Architettura, ad Aimaro Isola il premio per la carriera della Triennale Milano e Maxxi". La Stampa. 13 July 2023.

Sources

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  • Cellini, Francesco; D'Amato, Claudio (1985). Gabetti e Isola: progetti e architetture 1950–1985 (in Italian). Milan: Electa. ISBN 88-435-1158-0.
  • Zermani, Paolo, ed. (1989). Gabetti e Isola. Serie di architettura (in Italian). Bologna: Zanichelli. ISBN 88-08-03990-0.
  • Ciucci, Giorgio, ed. (1989). L'architettura italiana oggi: racconto di una generazione (in Italian). Rome-Bari: Laterza. pp. 93–121. ISBN 978-88-420-3477-3.
  • Guerra, Andrea; Morresi, Manuela (1996). Gabetti e Isola: opere di architettura (in Italian). Milan: Electa. ISBN 88-435-5192-2.
  • Pace, Sergio; Reinerio, Luca (2005). Architetture per la liturgia: opere di Gabetti e Isola (in Italian). Milan: Skira. ISBN 88-7624-345-3.
  • Piva, Clara, ed. (2008). Paesaggi piemontesi. Gabetti & Isola + Isolarchitetti + 9 architetture "minori" (in Italian). Florence: Aión Edizioni. ISBN 978-88-88149-43-1.
  • Leoni, Giovanni (2009). Bruna, Filippo; Marzi, Tommaso (eds.). Isolarchitetti (in Italian). Milan: Skira. ISBN 978-88-6130-942-5.
  • Giacobino, Elena, ed. (2013). Isolarchitetti. I maestri dell'architettura (in Italian). Milan: Hachette.
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