A Reflection on Peter Eisenman’s Virtual Diagram: An Example of Palladio’s Villa Sarego

Peter Eisenman postulated the existence of a topological spatial dynamic within Palladio’s villas, conceptualizing it as an autonomous “virtual villa” diagrammatic system. Nevertheless, this framework falls short in enhancing understanding and, ironically, exacerbates misconceptions regarding Palladio’s design philosophies. In the context of Villa Sarego (Santa Sofia), this paper offers a meticulous graphic analysis rooted in The Four Books on Architecture to uncover the pivotal aspects of Palladio’s design, marking a significant paradigm shift in his villa typology: the demise of the villa’s solid core and the dissolution of the traditional classical façade, fostering a “no façade” aesthetics; the congruence between plan and section drawings underscores a reversal of conventional circulation patterns; furthermore,the profound corridors emerge as the pivotal structure, orchestrating the architectural space and assuming the villa’s core identity. It becomes evident that Eisenman’s virtual diagrams merely offer a superficial manipulation of form and space, fostering a distorted interpretation of Villa Sarego, a consequence of the self-referential illusion fostered by his undue emphasis on formal autonomy.