The Concepts of Space in the Spanish Translations of Vitruvius (1564, 1582, 1761 and 1787). Their Differences from Gottfried Semper’s Idea of Space as Developed in Der Stil (1860, 1863)

The meanings of the term ‘space’ in four translations into Spanish of De architectura by Vitruvius are analysed here in order to clarify a piece of the ‘prehistory’ of the concept of space in Architectural Theory before Gottfried Semper. The texts studied here are: the first translation of Vitruvius into Spanish, by Lázaro de Velasco (1564); the first edition of Vitruvius in Spanish, by Miguel de Urrea and Juan Gracián (1582), the one by Joseph Castañeda (1761) and the most complete and thorough edition, by Joseph Ortiz y Sanz (1787). The aim of this study is to analyse these Spanish translations in order to recognize the meanings, uses and importance of the space between 1564 and 1787, a period which belongs to the so called ‘prehistory’ of the concept of space in Architectural Theory. Finally, an overview of Semper’s idea of space and its use is offered in order to better recognise the leap forward his theory implied as regards this key concept in Architectural Theory.

Abstract licence: CC BY-NC

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