Mario Botta, a contemporary architect, was born on April 1st, 1943 in Medrisio. He had never liked going to school, and at the age of 15 he quit school and got a job in the architectural studio as a draftsman. After three years of working as a draftsman, he was put in charge of his first major design project, designing for a new complex to replace the parish house of Genesterio.
In 1961, he decided to study at a college in Milan, Italy. He preferred to learn by himself, so he did not attend classes but sat for the final exams. After finishing his school, he attended the most prestigious architect school in Italy, the Instituto Universitario di Architettura. Through hard work and persistence, he was able to meet three architecture legends, Le Corbusier (1965), Louis Kahn (1969) and Carlos Scarpa who taught and guided him in his thesis project. From the buildings that Mario designed, I can see that Louis Khan has influenced him the most.
The beautiful details, the strong structure, the natural light of Botta's buildings can be seen in these pictures taken by an Italian photographer, Pino Musi. His pictures are extraordinary, they depict various stories about the buildings. The geometric shape of his buildings seem natural and blend together well with the nature and became a memorial structure in the middle of the city. I hope to see more his great work and would like to wish him a pleasant 67th birthday.
Church
Pordenone, Italy
1987-1992
Chapel
of Monte Tamaro
Ticino, Switzerland
1990-1996
Church in Mogno
Vallemaggia, Switzerland
1986-1996
Cathedral in Evry
France
1988-1995
Union Bank of
Switzerland
Bael, Switzerland
1986-1995
Gotthard Bank
Lugano, Switzerland
1982-1988
Museum of Modern Art
San Fransico, USA
1989-1995
Administration Building
Caimato
Lugano-Cassarate
1986-1993
Mediathque
Vileurbanne, France
1984-1988