The lecture, in Italian, is introduced by Alba di Lieto, architect and head curator of the Carlo Scarpa Archive at the Museo di Castelvecchio in Verona, Italy.

Goffi gives an overview of her research and the core questions that emerged from it, which she developed into the book proposal. The book, expected at the end of 2021, has 36 authors and covers archival conditions of architecture media in 15 countries.

“Architectural drawings and models are instruments of imagination, communication, and historical continuity,” she says. “The role of drawings and models, their ownership, placement, and authorship in a ubiquitous digital age deserve careful consideration.

“Despite them being the first handiwork of the architect, not enough attention is given to discussions about the sites of drawing activity, and importantly to the matter of housing them, which is essential to the active relations between drawings and building, nor just before, or during, but also after construction.”

Routledge, the publisher, says the book “fills a blind spot in current scholarly publications, questioning the significance of the lives of drawings and models—after construction.” 

Mantovarchitettura is an international lecture series dedicated to the themes of architecture, urban planning, and landscape organized by the Mantua campus of the Polytechnic University of Milan in collaboration with the city of Mantua and Sabbioneta, the Ducal Palace of Mantua, the Mantua Association of Architects and Casabella. The series features a daily YouTube lecture from May 9 to June 9, 2021 in both English and Italian.