93690 - Construction History M

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student is able to recognise, historically place and critically evaluate the major architectures of the contemporary period, from the 1920s to the present day, knowing the main construction aspects and having the ability to place them in the city and the territory in which they are located. In particular, the student is able to - carry out archival research - carry out bibliographical research - critically structure a course of historical studies - recognise the main systems of forms in relation to the said historical period - describe and comment, in verbal and written form, on architecture belonging to the said historical period.

Course contents

The course aims to focus on certain themes of international architecture and engineering temporally placed in the last century, from the 1920s to the present. The choice of works, designers and more generally case studies and typological themes is intended to encourage the study of aspects of contemporary history not addressed in the courses previously taken by students. The openness towards new geographies, languages and critical readings is intended to be a stimulus for the study and in-depth study of the themes proposed, while at the same time favouring further research proposals, also from an interdisciplinary perspective, in order to provide further stimuli and broaden the training pathway.

The 3 reference modules will be mainly organised with a view to a critical comparison between protagonists and works in sometimes local contexts and international perspectives, with particular reference to Italy, the Nordic countries and the rest of the world. The comparison and discussion on each topic of the course programme will make reference to Italian and international publications that will be punctually cited and made available to the students in order to facilitate the reading of the proposed topics.

 

MODULE 1. Geographies: the interpretation of the modern

Nordic countries. Nordic classicism, functionalism and neo-empiricism (Ragnar Östberg and Ivar Tengbom; Erik Gunnar Asplund and Sigurd Lewerentz; Arne Jacobsen and Kay Fisker; Eliel Saarinen and Alvar Aalto).
The United States and the link with Europe (McKim, Mead and White, Richard Neutra, Case Study Houses, SOM).
Italy (Gio Ponti between architecture and design; Ignazio Gardella and Giancarlo De Carlo: from the Thirties to CIAM to Team X; Mario Ridolfi, Luigi Moretti and detailing; Milan: from the Bbpr to Guido Canella; the post-earthquake in Gibellina and Friuli).
Brazil (Oscar Niemeyer and Lina Bo Bardi).
The Ticino context (from Rino Tami to Mario Botta).

MODULE 2. Themes: the city in the second half of the 20th century
Urbanism (London and Patrick Abercrombie's plan; Sven Markelius and the new Stockholm; The foundation cities: Brasilia and Chandigarh; Italy and post-war reconstruction).
The museum (Sverre Fehn; Beauborg vs Kulturhuset; Rafael Moneo).
The social housing (The INA-Casa plan; James Stirling; Ralph Erskine; Sven Backström and Leif Reinius).
The church (Rudolf Schwarz; Giovanni Michelucci; Giacomo Lercaro and the "Bologna case").

MODULE 3. Protagonists: architects and engineers between the 20th century and the new era
Finland in the second half of the 20th century: Juha Leiviskä, Reima Pietilä and the new generation.
Italian engineering from local dimension to international celebrity.
From Scandinavia to the world: Jørn Utzon and Ove Arup.
Ricardo Bofill: architecture, town planning and history.
England: from Berthold Lubetkin to Norman Foster and Richard Rogers.

Readings/Bibliography

Bruno Zevi, Storia dell'architettura moderna, Einaudi, Turin 1950

Sigfried Giedion, Spazio tempo e architettura. Lo sviluppo di una nuova tradizione, Hoepli, Milan 1954

Eduardo Torroja, La concezione strutturale. Logica ed intuito nella ideazione delle forme, Unione tipografica - Editrice torinese, Turin 1966

Francesco Dal Co (ed.), Storia dell'architettura italiana. Il secondo Novecento, Milan, Electa 1997

William J.R. Curtis, Modern Architecture since 1900, Phaidon, London 2006

Kenneth Frampton, Tectonics and Architecture. Poetics of Architectural Form in the 19th and 20th Centuries, Skira, Milan 2005

Other texts will be pointed out and made available at the end of each lecture.

Teaching methods

Lectures, monographic seminars and an exercise to be completed by the end of the course.

Assessment methods

Verification of acquired knowledge will take place by means of an oral examination on the syllabus and evaluation of the annual exercise.

Teaching tools

All course materials will be available on the ‘virtual.unibo’ platform.

Office hours

See the website of Giovanni Bellucci