Italy: Modern Architectures in History PDF
Preview Italy: Modern Architectures in History
Italy modern architectures in history Thisinternationalseriesexaminestheformsandconsequencesofmodern architecture.Modernistvisionsandrevisionsareexploredintheirnational contextagainstabackdropofaestheticcurrents,economicdevelopments, politicaltrendsandsocialmovements.Writtenbyexpertsinthearchitectures oftherespectivecountries,theseriesprovidesafresh,criticalreassessmentof Modernism'spositiveandnegativeeffects,aswellastheplaceofarchitectural designintwentieth-centuryhistoryandculture. Serieseditor:VivianConstantinopoulos Alreadypublished: Brazil RichardJ.Williams Britain AlanPowers Finland RogerConnah Greece AlexanderTzonisandAlkistisRodi Turkey SibelBozdog˘anandEsraAkcan USA GwendolynWright Italy modern architectures in history Diane Ghirardo reaktion books Thisbookisdedicatedtomygrandchildren,NatashaandDominic, andtothegrandchildrenofothersnearanddeartome,Alessandra andReganBalke,AdeleCaberletti,andBraedynDecker,inthehopes thattheyandtheirgenerationwillleaveacleanerandsaferenvironment totheirgrandchildrenthanourshastothem.Itisalsodedicatedtothe memoryofAldoRossi,aself-definedpilgrimwhoreallydidbelievein makingabetterworldbuiltuponthelessonsofthepast. PublishedbyReaktionBooksLtd 33GreatSuttonStreet Londonec1v0dx,uk www.reaktionbooks.co.uk Firstpublished2013 Copyright©DianeGhirardo2013 Allrightsreserved Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,storedinaretrievalsystem, ortransmitted,inanyformorbyanymeans,electronic,mechanical,photocopying, recordingorotherwise,withoutthepriorpermissionofthepublishers. PrintedandboundinGreatBritainbyBell&Bain,Glasgow BritishLibraryCataloguinginPublicationData Ghirardo,Diane. Italy.–(Modernarchitecturesinhistory) 1.Architecture–Italy–History–20thcentury. 2.Architectureandsociety–Italy–History–20thcentury. 3.Architecture–Environmentalaspects–Italy–History–20thcentury. I.Title II.Series 720.9´45´0904-dc23 isbn9781861898647 Contents 6 Introduction one 13 BuildingaNewNation two 43 TheExplodingMetropolis three 65 ArchitectureandtheFascistState,1922–1943 four 131 WaranditsAftermath five 155 TheEconomicMiracle six 185 OldCities,NewBuildingsandArchitecturalDiscourse seven 223 LandscapeandEnvironment eight 255 EnteringtheTwenty-firstCentury 303 References 322 SelectBibliography 328 Acknowledgements 329 PhotoAcknowledgements 330 Index Introduction In Francesco Rosi’s cinematic masterwork Cristo si è fermato a Eboli (‘ChristStoppedatEboli’,1978),setinItalyduringtheFascistperiod, thepainterCarloLevi,banishedtointernalexileforhisoppositionto theregime,departsfromthemodernMilanesemetropolistotraveltoa distantcornerofItaly’smostremote,underdevelopedregion,Basilicata. Inthefilm’sopeningscenesthejourneyproceedsfirstbyrail,onsleek, moderntrainsandthenonincreasinglyprimitiveones,finallyarrivingat placesnoteventherailnetworkreaches,traversingalandscapeevermore remoteandthinlypopulated,ifnonethelessstillintact.In1992,Gianni Amelio’sfilmIlladrodibambini(‘TheStolenChildren’)ledthevieweron aparalleljourney,fromthevastapartmentblocksinthedenseandgritty peripheriesofMilantothesqualid,speculativeandself-builthousesand apartmentsofsouthernItalyandSicily.Thetransformationchronicled bycomparisoninAmelio’sfilmwasappalling:ontheoutskirtsofItaly’s secondcity,thedegradationwasofapiecewithalargelyabandonedand ageingindustriallandscapeonlyafewdecadesold,shockinginitsvulgar indifferencetothegrimlivesofitsinhabitants.Inthesouth,formerly pristinebeachesandruggedlandscapessportedthefreshscarsofpoorly constructed,half-finishedapartmentblocks,emptyasphaltplaygrounds andparkinglots,streetsgoingnowhere.Thejourneysinthesetwofilms areinaveryrealsenseindicativeofthetransformationsItaly’scountry- sideandurbancentresunderwentoverthe150yearssinceunification in1871. ThisbookengagesItaliancultureandarchitecturefromunificationto thepresentdaybyconsideringtheproductionofbuildingsindynamic relationtocultural,socialandpoliticaldevelopments.Post-unification architecturalproductioncoincidedwithasustaineddrivetotransform into a modern industrial state a country still primarily rural, parts of whichhadforcenturiesbeenunderforeigncontrolorinthehandsofa papacyaversetomodernization.Atthesametime,Italyholdssomeof themostprizedarchitectureandartintheworld,fromantiquitytothe baroquetothemodern,oftenpackedintothedensehistoriccentresof thepeninsula’scities.Howto negotiatetheclaims ofthe moderncity againstthoseofancientartefactshasvexedplannersandpoliticianssince the1870s,astheystruggledtocopewithmassivemigrationfromthe countrysidetothecities.Althoughthedebatesthatragedoverthese150 yearsinthepagesofthecountry’sprofessionalandpopularpresstypi- callyconcernedmattersofarchitecturalstyle,inthisbookIarguethat suchdisagreementswerelargelyirrelevanttothebuildingprogrammes themselves.Farmoredeeplyrooted,intractableandcontentiousforces help explain the shape and character of Italian architecture and cities today.Successivewavesofearlyindustrialization,theheadyyearsof fascistdictatorshipsandwichedbetweentwodevastatingworldwars, thecorporatizationofagriculture,secularizationandglobalizationmore generallyhavealldeeplymarkedthebuiltlandscapeofItaly.Thisstudy examinesthemodalitiesofhowthistransformationtookplaceandthe architecturalformsittook. TwotypesofstudiescommonlyaddressmodernItalianarchitecture. Book-lengthstudiesofparticularperiodssince1871generallyfocuson individualmasterworksandmajorarchitects,inperiodsspanningten to40yearsatatime,withoccasionalexplorationsofurbanprojectsin thecountry’smajorcities–Rome,Turin,Milan.Broadhistoricalsurveys covertheleadingarchitecturalaccomplishmentsofthepastcenturyand ahalf,andguidebookstothemodernarchitectureofawiderrangeof cities,suchasFerrara,FlorenceandBologna,provideaccountsoftheir mostprestigiousprojectsandarchitects.Bothtypesofstudyconstitute importantcontributionstoarchitecturalhistory,althoughneithertends togobeyondspecificarchitecturaltrendsordebatesamongthearchitec- tural elite. Here I will focus on more broadly conceived cultural and politicalissuesandmakenoattempttoofferastandardarchitecturalsur- vey;forthosesointerested,thebibliographyisrichwithotherreadings. Althoughmostlychronologicalinsequence,particularlyinthefirstthree chapters,inthisstudythematicallyarrangedchaptersoverlapchronolog- icalperiods. Theopeningchaptersfocusonthetwomostsignificantearlyphases ofItalianpublicbuildingprogrammes:thefirstspanstheperiodfrom unificationtotheoutsetoftheFirstWorldWar,whenattentioncentred ontransformingRomeintothenation’scapital.Aseriesofcompetitions selecteddesignersfornewgovernmentministries,militaryheadquarters andmonumentsinRome.Givingthenationalcapitalamodernappear- anceandinfrastructure,politiciansbelieved,wouldhelpforgeunityout oftheformerlydisparateregions.Atthesametime,politiciansbelieved thatparticipatingininternationalexhibitionsandhostingsomeofits ownwouldpresentthenewlyformedcountrytotherestoftheworldas anemergingindustrialstate.Notableexamplesofthenewnation’searly 7 Introduction buildingsincludethePalaceofJustice,theNationalMonumenttoVictor Emmanuelii,theministriesofjustice,educationanddefence,thoseof the1911internationalexhibitioninTurin,andinfrastructuralworkssuch asmajornewhospitals.Thisperiodofarchitecture,markedbyornate excessandmassivescale,islargelysupplantedintheliteraturebythelater Fascistperiod,whenthestatebegantosupportRationalistormodern architectureandtoextendbuildingcampaignsoutofthemajorcities intoregionalandprovincialcentres,aswellastotheshort-livedcolonial empire.ThesebuildingshousedorganizationslinkedtotheFascistParty toengageyoungpeople,workers,womenandtheretiredinstateand para-stategroups:FascistPartyheadquarters,youthorganizations,mother- hoodandinfancyclinics,after-workandleisureclubs,sportsfacilities, postoffices,andgovernmentcomplexesinNorthAfricaandEthiopia.The well-knowndebatesamongvariousarchitecturalfactionscanbeunder- stoodessentiallyasbattlesoverstyleandaseffortsonthepartofallofthe groups,especiallytheRationalists,topromoteasinglestyleasemblem- aticoftheFascistParty.Althoughdifferingwidelyinstyleandseeking modelsindifferentplaces,thearchitectureofthetwoerasnonetheless fulfilledthesamegoalsandcanbeunderstoodaspartofthesame,nation- alizingprocess. Population movement, industrialization and deindustrialization constitutetheleitmotifofItalyoverthelast150years,issuesthatnever disappear,neverrecedeintothebackground.Asaresultofthemassive efforttoindustrializethecountry,citiesswelledwithimmigrantsfrom towns,villagesandruralbackwaters.Thisbookconsiderstheinfrastruc- turaltransformationsandadditions(includingcinemas,culturalfacilities andadministrativeoffices)undertakeninthepeninsula’smajorpopula- tionmagnets;themasterplansdevisedfortheburgeoningmetropolises; andthespeculativeandplannedhousingdevelopmentsofMilan,Turin, NaplesandRome.Italsoexplorestheshantytownsthatpoppedupon urbanperipheries;thefinancingoflow-cost,cooperativeandstateem- ployee housing; and the establishment of new towns near Rome, in Sardinia,inSicilyandelsewhere.Examplesincludebuiltandproposed projects for suburbs such as Testaccio and e.42 (Rome) and others in Naples,TurinandMilan;publichousingintheseandsmallercities;garden suburbs;andthetransformationofhistoriccitycentressuchasBrescia andBergamo.Ialsoconsiderthemodificationstohistoricurbancentres inthestruggletoaccommodate(howeverpoorly)thedemandsofcars, busesandtrains.Thediscussionofpublichousingandsuburbssetsupa contrastwithsingulardesignprojects,fromindividualhousessuchas theCasaMalaparte,Capri,tomulti-familyresidencessuchastheNovo- comuminComo. 8
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