Italian rationalism was born in the period of Fascism and was intended as a regime architecture, at first it was accepted by the order of Fascist architects and by Mussolini, but later it was opposed by the regime itself.
At this moment we find ourselves at the end of the First World War, a dreamy and dreamy classical language develops like that of De Chirico's metaphysical painting (which paints typical elements of classical cities, in particular empty arcades or with very few figures, with a schematic and prospective organization).
In this climate of novelty, although in the classical version, he finds himself in Giovanni Munzio, with his first work in Milan, which is called the Ugly House (1919-22); a young designer who works in a stylistic recovery studio. In this first work he uses elements of the classical language, assembling them in a free manner, they are two blocks connected by a portico to a seriana (this too very simplified). On the facade he places niches and other elements taken from a classical repertoire, and can be considered a precursor of what will be rationalism.
Italian rationalism was born 10 years later than northern Europe, precisely because of the political and social conditions of the moment, was born under the impetus of young graduates or not yet graduates of the Polytechnic of Milan, which in 1926 are called the "group 7" (because there are seven). The main character is Carlo Enrico Rava (son of a Fascist hierarch, which allows him to plan a lot), the others are Larco, Frette, Figini, Pollini, Terragni, at first Castagnoli, then replaced by Libera.
Of these Rava and Larco will work together until Larco returns to Chile (where he was born), as well as Figini and Pollini (who will work for Olivetti), Terragni is perhaps the most interesting, has as a collaborator for a long time Lingeri, and finally Libera who works in Rome, a key figure because in contact with the centers of central power, as Piacentini, architect of the regime.
At first, the group would like to have no visibility, so as not to clash with the world of classical designers or those of the Littorio and Piacentini style; in fact, in this phase the regime wants to refer mainly to classicism (such as ancient Rome), which is diluted with elements taken for example from the secession, with elements of greater innovation.
Group 7 presents itself to the public with 4 articles in the magazine "Rassegna italiana", these articles can be considered the manifesto of Italian rationalism. He writes on behalf of the Rava group, which says that the new architecture must refer to logic and rationality, but you must have a certain continuity with the tradition and are not shared extremist tendencies, and finally the new architecture must not be compared to ancient times seeking a mediation between the twentieth century and the dynamic legacy of futurism.
Obviously the members of group 7 know all the avant-garde movements and as far as futurism is concerned they also say that they are interested, even if with some restrictions, because the architect of futurism, Sant'Elia, has never designed a plan or a prospectus. They are interesting to constructivism, to the Deutscher Werkbund and all the ideas it brings, in 1927 they are also invited to the exhibition of the werkbund in Stuttgart and present themselves with a project for a small mountain hotel in Libera, which together with Rava and Pollini go to Stuttgart and during this trip are influenced by the new ideas of the European movements.
Their works were published in various German magazines (such as the "Moderne Bauformen"), then they were also published in Italian magazines such as "Natura" and "La casa bella", a magazine that since 1930 has been edited by Pagano and Persico, architects who were extremely involved in the problems of new architecture and who tried to propose a rationalist architecture.
In 1928 the first exhibition of Italian rationalist architecture at the Palazzo delle Esposizioni in Rome, sponsored by the union of fascist architects. These were mainly projects (because in reality, as a group, they only built one building, which would be the electric house) and asked for the party's help in order to be able to build.
The themes of reference are always public and social housing, the factory and all the themes of the Weissenhof. Interesting are the projects for the gas workshop si Terragni, the project for an office building in Larco and Rava; the only project carried out was the hotel at the excavations of leptis magna ad homs in Libya (1928-29) because Rava had held various positions in the construction of the colonies (because his father was governor of the territory); other projects are those of the workers' type economic house, also by Larco and Rava; the hotel in the middle of the mountains of Libera; interesting deconstructivist speech for the tower of the restaurants of Ridolfi and the Vietti's harmonic theatre.
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