Piero & Gloria                                                         Gallery

WHEN DID YOU COME
TO AUROVILLE?
We arrived in Auroville at the beginning of March 1968.

BACKGROUND, OR SOME INFO ON YOUR TRAINING
Qualified Architects from University of Firenze (Italy)
Training in Finland (2 years)
Professional activity in Italy (6 years)
Teaching experience.

THROUGH YOUR WORK, WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO FIND, OR EXPRESS?
The more the years accumulate, and one can see things in a larger perspective, the more we have today the feeling that quality references for architecture are similar to qualities attributed to human beings, seen from the outside as well as from the inside. We think here of qualities defined by adjectives like sober, honest, correct, simple, sincere, intelligent, amiable, bright, elegant, wise, solid, alive, dynamic. As designers and sadhaks we try to express these attributes through our work.

When we arrived here in 1968, we were struck by the beauty and fine detailing of the Golconde building in the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. The fact that the construction of this building was almost daily followed by the Mother, has been for us both the main force and inspiration to participate - with many other Aurovilians - in the construction of Matrimandir.

For more than 20 years, from 1971 onwards, Piero has followed, designed, organised, overseen, and solved the details of the work pertaining to the construction of the Matrimandir, starting from the laying of the foundations to the erection of the structure, the triangular space frame, and the finishing of the Inner Room, till finally in 1992 the sun ray started to shine on the crystal globe in the Chamber.

Projects realised from 1968 onward, besides Matrimandir:

Family or individual residences:
1. Aspiration Community for 80 people + community kitchen 1970-72
2. Auroson's Home (Certitude) 1969-70
3. New Community I (Francois-Natalie) - Certitude 1976-77
4. New Community II (Ellen) 1977-79 - Certitude
5. New Community III - 1977-78 (apartments) - Certitude
6. Cluster of 3 houses - Piero-Dorothee-Kenneth 1972-73 - Certitude
7. Shyamsunder - 1975-76 - Certitude
8. Andy - 1975 - Certitude
9. Navoditte - Certitude
10. Ed, Mauna - 1983-84 - Forecomers
11. Pierre-Charles - Dana
12. Rika - 1992-93 - Certitude
13. Ilse - I998 Gaya's Garden

Buildings of public interest:
14. Health Centre - I phase 1972 - II phase 1994 - Aspiration
15. Gymnasium dome - 1987 - Certitude

As part of Transition School campus:
16. Classrooms + common hall + art and craft - 1985
17. Library + computers + 4 classrooms - 1996
18. 4 classrooms - 1998
19. Dining and body awareness hall - 1999
20. High-school - 2000 (under construction)

21. Music Centre - Cultural Zone AV - (project only)
22. Unity Pavilion - 2001 - International Zone AV - (project)

Outside Auroville:
Cottage Industries - guest house - Pondicherry
Thiruchelvam House - Chennai

Design summary (submitted only):
House for Brook Bond Chairman - Bangalore
Extension of Art school - Pondicherry
Tagore Museum - Shantiniketan

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Russian translation