Medieval Brutalism: The Entrance of Switzerland's Castelgrande Captured by Simone Bossi
2021.01.12
Situated on Ticino's rocky peaks are the historic Medieval Castles of Bellinzona: Montebello, Sasso Corbaro, and Castelgrande. And while all three castles and their fortifications have become part of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites, it is not only the ancient walls that leave visitors enchanted, but the gateways that leads to them.
Architectural photographer Simone Bossi decided to solely capture the castle's entrance, displaying how a dialogue between the organic forms of nature and refined man-made walls can be as majestic as a historic fortress.
The fortified Castelgrande is a UNESCO World Heritage site which rests on the Alpine foothills of Bellinzona. The brutalist intervention, which was built by Swiss architect Aurelio Galfetti and is considered one of his most acclaimed projects, was part of a larger renovation project completed in 1991. The sculpted entrance leads visitors into an elevator which takes them up to the fortress. The entrance has been compared to that of a bunker, possessing the same geometric and brutalist characteristics.
"Respecting the complexity of such a majestic project, I felt the need to focus only on this specific moment: the prologue of the space experience, the entrance... Eventually, I definitely realized that there is something about this powerful space that cannot be said, something special that cannot be limited to a photograph. - SImone Bossi"
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***Source: https://www.archdaily.com/954646/medieval-brutalism-the-entrance-of-switzerlands-castelgrande-captured-by-simone-bossi
***Author: Dima Stouhi
