The Architecture ofModern Italy AUSTRIA Italy Today SWITZERLAND Mogno Bolzano Gemona Trento Udine Como Possagno Pordenone San Vito d’Altivole Trieste Ivrea Novara Milan Brescia VeronaVicenza Venice Padua Turin Pavia Mantua Alessandria Broni Piacenza Parma Ferrara Modena Genoa Vesima Bologna Rapallo Ravenna Montecattini Campo Bisenzio Torre del Lago Lastra a Signa Florence Siena Corciano ADRIATIC SEA Assisi Terni Rome Ostia Lido Latina Cassino Bari Naples Pozzuoli Salerno Matera SARDINIA Eboli Capri TYRRHENIAN SEA Palermo Messina Reggio di Calabria Trapani Agrigento The Architecture of Modern Italy Volume II:Visions of Utopia,1900–Present Terry Kirk Princeton Architectural Press New York in memory ofgino valle Published by Princeton Architectural Press 37 East Seventh Street New York,New York 10003 For a free catalog of books,call 1.800.722.6657. Visit our web site at www.papress.com. © 2005 Princeton Architectural Press All rights reserved Printed and bound in Hong Kong No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission from the publisher,except in the context of reviews. Every reasonable attempt has been made to identify owners of copyright.Errors or omissions will be corrected in subsequent editions. Project Coordinator:Mark Lamster Editing:Elizabeth Johnson,Linda Lee,Megan Carey Layout:Jane Sheinman Special thanks to:Nettie Aljian,Dorothy Ball,Nicola Bednarek,Janet Behning,Penny (Yuen Pik) Chu,Russell Fernandez,Clare Jacobson,John King,Nancy Eklund Later,Katharine Myers,Lauren Nelson,Scott Tennent,Jennifer Thompson,and Joseph Weston of Princeton Architectural Press —Kevin C.Lippert,publisher Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Kirk,Terry. The architecture of modern Italy / Terry Kirk. v.cm. Includes bibliographical references. Contents:v.1.The challenge of tradition,1750–1900 — v.2.Visions of Utopia, 1900–present. ISBN 1-56898-438-3 (set :alk.paper) — ISBN 1-56898-420-0 (v.1 :alk.paper) — ISBN 1-56898-436-7 (v.2 :alk.paper) 1.Architecture—Italy. 2.Architecture,Modern. I.Title. NA1114.K574 2005 720'.945—dc22 2004006479 Contents Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Chapter 5 Architects ofthe Avant-Garde,1900s–1920s The International Exhibition of Decorative Arts, Turin,1902 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Stile Liberty:Pietro Fenoglio,Giuseppe Sommaruga, Ernesto Basile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Socialized Public Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Neo-Eclecticism:Giulio Ulisse Arata,Aldo Andreani, Gino Coppedè . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Titanic Visions of Industry:Dario Carbone,Gaetano Moretti,Ulisse Stacchini . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Antonio Sant’Elìa:Architectural Visionary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 Futurism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 FIAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 Paris 1925 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 Chapter 6 Architecture during the Fascism Regime,1922–1944 The Return of Neoclassicism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 Italian Rationalism:Gruppo 7 & Giuseppe Terragni, MIAR& Adalberto Libera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74 Marcello Piacentini,the Mostra della Rivoluzione Fascista, and the University of Rome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84 Fascist Party Architecture:Casa del Fascio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95 Mussolini Made the Trains Run on Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102 The Competitions for the Palazzo del Littorio . . . . . . . . . . . .109 Industry,Empire,and Autarchy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114 Fascist Urbanism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120 Foro Mussolini and the Fascist Culture of Sport . . . . . . . . . . .128 E42 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133 Fascist Architects and Modern Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137 Chapter 7 Postwar Reconstruction,1944–1968 War Memorials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .146 Continuity with Prewar Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149 Transforming Stazione Termini . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .153 The Housing Crisis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .156 Neo-Realism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .159 Luigi Carlo Daneri and Le Corbusier’s Influence . . . . . . . . . .161 Adriano Olivetti’s Last Efforts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .164 Two Towers for Milan:Ponti’s Pirelli vs.B.B.P.R.’s Velasca . . . . .166 History’s Challenge to the Modern Movement . . . . . . . . . . .174 Giovanni Michelucci’s Sacred Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .185 Pier Luigi Nervi’s Engineering Solutions for Architecture . . .190 1960s Urbanism and Megastructures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .196 Carlo Scarpa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .199 Chapter 8 Italian Architecture for the Next Millennium,1968–2000 After Modernism:Aldo Rossi,Gino Valle,Paolo Portoghesi, and Mario Botta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .208 Between Theory and Practice:Franco Purini,Vittorio Gregotti,and Manfredi Nicoletti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .223 Archeology and Abusivismo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .229 Rebuilding La Fenice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .233 Architecture in the Service of Culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .237 Renzo Piano Building Workshop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .244 Rome 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .253 Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .258 Credits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .273 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .274 acknowledgments The author would like to thank by name those who supported the gestation of this project with valuable advice,expertise,and inspiration: Marcello Barbanera,Eve Sinaiko,Claudia Conforti,John Pinto, Marco Mulazzani,Fabio Barry,Allan Ceen,Nigel Ryan,Jeffery Collins,Lars Berggren,Elisabeth Kieven,Diana Murphy,Lucy 9 Maulsby,Catherine Brice,Flavia Marcello,and Andrew Solomon. Illustrations for these volumes were in many cases provided free of charge,and the author thanks Maria Grazia Sgrilli,the FIATArchivio Storico,and the Fondazione Ente Cassa di Risparmio di Roma;the archives of the following studios:Albini Helg & Piva,Armando Brasini,Costantino Dardi,Mario Fiorentino,Gino Pollini,Gio Ponti, and Aldo Rossi;and personally the following architects:Carlo Aymonino,Lodovico Belgioioso,Mario Botta,Massimiliano Fuksas, Vittorio Gregotti,Zaha Hadid,Richard Meier,Manfredi Nicoletti, Renzo Piano,Paolo Portoghesi,Franco Purini,and Gino Valle. The author would also like to acknowledge the professional support from the staffs of the Biblioteca Hertziana,the Biblioteca dell’Istituto Nazionale di Archeologia e Storia dell’Arte,the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale Vittorio Emanuele II,and the generous financial support of The American University of Rome. introduction “Modern Italy”may sound like an oxymoron.For Western civilization,Italian culture represents the classical past and the continuity of canonical tradition,while modernity is understood in contrary terms of rupture and rapid innovation.Charting the 10 evolution of a culture renowned for its historical past into the modern era challenges our understanding of both the resilience of tradition and the elasticity of modernity. We have a tendency when imagining Italy to look to a rather distant and definitely premodern setting.The ancient forum, medieval cloisters,baroque piazzas,and papal palaces constitute our ideal itinerary of Italian civilization.The Campo of Siena,Saint Peter’s,all ofVenice and San Gimignano satisfy us with their seemingly unbroken panoramas onto historical moments untouched by time;but elsewhere modern intrusions alter and obstruct the view to the landscapes of our expectations.As seasonal tourist or seasoned historian,we edit the encroachments time and change have wrought on our image of Italy.The learning of history is always a complex task,one that in the Italian environment is complicated by the changes wrought everywhere over the past 250 years.Culture on the peninsula continues to evolve with characteristic vibrancy. Italy is not a museum.To think of it as such—as a disorganized yet phenomenally rich museum unchanging in its exhibits—is to misunderstand the nature of the Italian cultural condition and the writing of history itself.To edit Italy is to overlook the dynamic relationship of tradition and innovation that has always characterized its genius.It has never been easy for architects to operate in an atmosphere conditioned by the weight of history while responding to modern progress and change.Their best works describe a deft compromise between Italy’s roles as Europe’s oldest culture and one of its newer nation states.Architects of varying convictions in this context have striven for a balance,and a vibrant pluralistic architectural culture is the result.There is a surprisingly transparent top layer on the palimpsest of Italy’s cultural history.This book explores the significance of the architecture and urbanism of Italy’s latest,modern layer.