Modern attitudes towards vernacular architecture. Works by the Italians Luigi Angelini, Alberto Alpago Novello, Ottavio Cabiati, Alessandro Minali

Abstract

[EN] Among the many architects practicing between the two world wars, some looked at the so-called vernacular architecture - then referred to as traditional or local, primitive, and spontaneous - as a model of genuine functionality. For some of them, its revival also stands for a solid and reliable solution for preserving the continuity between past and present, local communities and their traditions, society and its generations, a place, and its materials. Architectural historians have widely explored the theme, highlighting figures, subjects, and currents. Nevertheless, investigation of the role of history and historic culture is still far from exhausted, not only for Modernists but also among the Avantgardes and the International Style too. As a response to this conference’s topics, some of the architects working in and around Milan the 20th century focused on the relationships between tradition and modernity. Here we look at some of their works to open a discussion on different scales: the landscape, the town, the building. We shall examine their proposals for a functionalist and modern design concept in traditional terms: the Mediterranean colonial house will illustrate the research by Alberto Alpago Novello and Ottavio Cabiati on local architecture; the modern pre-Alpine house proposed by the engineer Luigi Angelini for the Bergamo valleys and the building materials chosen by the architect Alessandro Minali show their respect for each place. The conclusions will – one hopes - lead to talking about typological and constructive building features, materials, and traditional techniques as a tool for preservation.