Biography

Riccardo Segradin is an architectural historian and a postdoctoral researcher at the Politecnico di Torino. He earned his PhD from IUAV University of Venice with a thesis on the early 20th century infrastructural transformation of Venice. His research examines the role of building knowledge and experimentation in urban development and the contribution of engineers and constructors to today’s cities, from both technical and cultural perspectives. Recent and forthcoming publications include an essay in Oltre la linea del Piave: Architetture, macchine, paesaggi in transizione (Anteferma, 2026); Fenêtres en longueur in Venice. Tale of a modern frame in Venetian glass (CHG working papers); and Radici del moderno. Progetto, medicina e controllo (Vesper journal).
 

Project Summary

This research aims to investigate the persistence, in contemporary bridges, of a construction tradition rooted in Renaissance stereotomy, taking as its starting point Paul Séjourné’s Grandes Voûtes (1913-18), a pivotal 20th century summary of vaulting theory. It traces a tradition developed between the 16th and 19th centuries - particularly in France, with authors such as Delorme, Derand, and Frézier - that continued to influence bridge design even in the age of new materials. This context provides the setting for the case study of the Ponte degli Scalzi (1931-34), designed by engineer Eugenio Miozzi, which provides a key insight into the continuity, within contemporary engineering culture, of the stone bridge building methods developed between the 16th and 18th centuries. The Ponte degli Scalzi, built entirely of stone and designed with explicit reference to the model of the Rialto Bridge (1587), is in fact a conscious choice to maintain continuity with Venetian Renaissance culture, reinterpreted considering 20th century engineering expertise. Therefore, the research aims to clarify why and how an engineer fully versed in contemporary techniques chooses to engage with this heritage and how it shapes the form and expression of the structure. The main goal is the definition of a critical framework for understanding the continuity of Renaissance technical knowledge in contemporary stone bridge design, looking at Venice as a monographic example and a potential framework for analyzing other similar instances.