Recently my wife and I traveled to Milan to check out the 20’s and 30’s Moderne Architecture, along with the usual tourist sites of the city. This was something that wasn’t high on my bucket list, but appealed to my curiosity. Milan doesn’t seem to be one of the most visited cities in Italy – we didn’t bump into any Americans the entire week we were there. That said, we had a great time wandering the old city center, taking in the influences of the various invaders and observing the evolution of a busy industrial city as it moves into the 21st Century. Milan certainly isn’t frozen in time, but it’s a modern city steeped in history.
Photo credit: Creative Commons Milano Centrale Entrance Hall 2012 by Bjorn Christian Torrissen licensed under CC Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported.
I must confess, I was not familiar with the history of Italy pre- World War II other than a passing knowledge of Mussolini (and after about 20 years of rule he met a grizzly end near Milan). As with most dictators he thought he would have a lasting impact on Italian history, however, probably not the version that finally made the history books. Nonetheless, part of that legacy includes the buildings erected during this period.
Again, I must confess I knew little of the inventory of Moderne buildings in the city until I arrived. Obviously there is the Milano Centrale Railway Station, which is certainly on the ‘must-see’ list, but many of the lesser-known buildings were more interesting, in that they were less grandiose. They were of a more manageable scale that fit seamlessly into the existing fabric of the winding streets of the city. As a fan of American Art Deco it was very easy for me to appreciate the Italian version, because to my eye there were many similarities. However, the Moderne buildings do have that certain Italian edge that sets them apart.
Despite their obvious place in the history of Italian Architecture, they have this black spot – they were built during the fascist period and, as such, seem to be discounted. The obvious analogy is the work of Albert Speer, who had a more sinister patron. His work is more of an historic curiosity, viewed through the lens of Nazi Germany. But the buildings of the same period in Italy, designed by numerous architects, for me, transcended the politics of the period, and just seemed, for the most part, to be great pieces of architecture.
Which got me thinking, is architecture and the politics of their time inherently connected and, if so, does one reflect on the other? In America it is difficult to associate buildings with political movements, short of perhaps the WPA (Works Progress Administration 1935-43). The WPA was created during the Roosevelt Presidency to deal with creating work and rebuilding the country’s infrastructure, amongst other things, during the Great Depression. If you have been on the Merritt Parkway in Connecticut you have passed under many Art Deco bridges built by the WPA. Please note, no two are alike.
So, what is your favorite period of architecture or architect? What was going on politically while your favorite buildings were designed? Does the Viceroy’s House design by Lutyen’s during the 20’s in New Delhi smack of British Imperialism? What of Corbusier’s city of Chandigarh for post-independent India? Was it a vision of what the newly created country should emulate or just the ego trip of a European architect imposing western values in the East? The list goes on with architects like Lucio Costa and Oscar Niemeyer in Brasilia. What about the public housing blocks with streets in the sky promoted by Alison and Peter Smithson in socialist post-war Britain? How about New Urbanism, Celebration and Seaside in Florida? Do they represent Disneyfication of suburban life for the wealthy or a better way to develop small towns? Or, is it all interesting and in some cases wonderful architecture regardless of a political subtext?
Can we separate architectural design from the socio/economic environment in which they are designed and built? Or, are you what you ‘eat,’ so to speak? Is our design work a direct reflection of the society within which we live and work? Or, do the ebbs and flows of design as one ‘ism’ becomes another, without defined dates of transition, march to a different drummer? Design as a reaction to what has gone before, layering on layers, or simply throwing out the past and reinventing itself? I, for one, always assumed that what we design, be it buildings or toasters, reflect the complete multifaceted culture of the period, but, after my trip to Milan, perhaps not.
For me, the Moderne Architecture in Italy, with a couple of notable exceptions, is much more about design and less about fascism. It’s more about making space and less about political agenda. For the most part, great design has transcended some of the more murky history of the period. In a wonderfully rich and vibrant city, I had a truly eye-opening experience. Albeit, with a footnote regarding Il Duce.
And, if you are interested in researching notable Italian architects of the period, check out: Piero Portaluppi, Gio Ponit, Giovanni Muzio and Emilio Lancia.
