Rationalism (architecture)

Rationalism ( rationalist ) is an architectural style movement of the late 1920s and 1930s in Italy, which is characterized by rationalization in the sense of abstraction by reduction of basic architectural elements as well as the conscious use, then revolutionary building materials such as reinforced concrete, steel and glass. Rationalism was developed after World War II largely of northern Italian architects (including Giuseppe Terragni and the Gruppo 7). He sees himself as a revolutionary attitude towards the academic styles that were taught, inter alia, in the universities and academies ( historicism, neo-classicism, eclecticism, Novecento ). The rationalist architecture can be generally understood as a partial movement of architectural modernism in the early 20th century. It marks Italy's architectural advent of modernity. This is even more true, especially Italy, as Bruno Zevi noted, " neither Wright nor a Gropius, a Le Corbusier, one Mendelsohn, a Mies or Aalto " has.

In political terms, architecture is notable among other things, that the movement of the rationalists in Italy soon come to a point to see themselves as the architecture of fascism. Ernesto Nathan Rogers, a member of the group BBPR and protagonist of Italian modernism has, in retrospect, noted that this solidarity that has been shared by Terragni, Pietro Maria Bardi and large parts of the Gruppo 7, was a mistake: " I think that our mistake lies in a philosophical misunderstanding. We summoned us to a logical conclusion that this was about. Fascism is a revolution that modernist architecture is revolutionary, it must therefore be the architecture of fascism "

A basic architectural type of rationalism is the skeleton, achievable without curtain decorated facade with a Vierkantpfeilerkolonnade on the ground floor and spacious stairs mezzanine floor, regular window structure in the static grid or formed in a perforated facade and orthogonal steel or aluminum profile frame subdivision of the window panes. Often concrete facades were despite high abstraction claim yet painted, plastered or with natural stone ( travertine and Others ) disguised.

The aim of the rationalists

The aim of the movement was the modernization of Italian architecture through a rationalization, that is, the renunciation of applied ornamentation, the reduction of the basic plan layout with the help of simplification to basic architectural types (also with respect to types of buildings of Roman and Greek antiquity and the Renaissance: Temple, Basilica, rotunda, dome, as well as their style elements, such as the arcade ). A Quote historic architectural styles in terms of eclecticism, but was deliberately refused. So archetypes have been rationalized by a process of abstraction and adapted to the current construction conditions. For example, the type of the Roman arcade was reduced to an orthogonal portico with kapitelllosen square pillars, or pilasters, which can meet load-bearing or non-load bearing function in its application were deliberately designed as a load-bearing elements and not to the required as ornamental application of a building part of the rationalists functional performance of the architecture to meet. In all this was the rationalist architecture of the self-understanding according to his protagonists not free from historical, especially classical references. In line with its abstracting moments he was referring to conscious in ancient Roman times, show such as the quality of order and rhythm in the works of Giuseppe Terragni. As a ' rationalized ' Classicism it is based on " the purity, the Absolute, the proportions, the mathematical relationships " that are ultimately the characteristics of classical architecture.

The movement of the rationalists was from 1930 until its dissolution by the National Fascist Association of Architects on May 9, 1931 MIAR ( Movimento Italiano per l' Architettura Razionale ) organized and chaired by Adalberto Libera. This association was founded in 1926 emerged from the Gruppo 7.

Manifesto of the Group 7

The main points of the Razionalismo were spelled out in the note 4 of the manifesto of the Gruppo 7. Gruppo 7 consisted of seven graduates of the Milan Polytechnic: Gino Pollini, Giuseppe Terragni, Adalberto Libera, Luigi Figini, Sebastiano Larco, Carlo Enrico Rava and Guido Frette.

The 4 parts of the manifesto were published in stages, one after the other:

• Part 1: Architettura (Architecture), December 1926,
• Part 2: Gli Stranieri ( Foreigners ), February 1927,
• Part 3: Impreparazione, incomprensione, pregiudizi ( Lack of preparation, lack of understanding, prejudice ), March 1927
• Part 4: Una nuova epoca arcaica ( A new era of classical) May 1927.

Quotes

The new architecture, the true architecture must result from a close relationship with logic and rationality. We have no claim to the creation of a new style, but we always use the rationality. [ ... ] The beauty arises by means of the refinement of the not yet appearing as a noble, the abstract perfection of a pure rhythm and the simple construction that alone would not include beauty. [ ... ] The desire for honesty, the desire for order and logic and especially the clarity, these are the real properties of this new spirit. ( Rassegna Italiana, 1926)

" The essence of classicism rationalist is not in a mimetic recourse to a particular era - it was the Renaissance or another - founded. Rather, it is a timeless, universal classicism that looks for an order that a degree of modulation, which looked at in light of the architectural forms makes their nature and according to their relations with each experienced as parts of a unit. "

" In the critical terminology of modern architecture, the term ' organic ' now crucial the term ' rational ' replaced. These two views corresponds to the between ' organic ' and ' constructive ' appropriate antithesis. The European architecture, the figurative experience of Cubism has made ​​his own, called rational: only to lead their highlights, I call the architecture of Le Corbusier and Gropius. No doubt the architectural rationalism carries a strictly ocular, antitraditionalistische attitude the: that is transmitted such that he is looking for an absolute value beyond all historical meanings in the geometric form. But to obtain the essential reality one must go beyond the decomposition of certain empirical values ​​, return the nature of the confused collection of externals to mathematical laws. They want so do not rule the naturalistic of the manifestations, but reform according to the basic rules of reason; not disprove a belief, but correct their mistakes; not pose the problem of conscience and life anew, but the absurdities straighten. Even the opposition of the story is more than ever actionable because sooner or later every great artist of the past is revealed to be a rationalist or cubist. ( ... ) We can consider the so-called architectural ' rationalism ' as a logical analysis or critique of the tradition that is focused on discovering the authentischenund original principles on the restoration of essential values ​​: That's why it is, even if it is against the academic classicism, traced back to an ideal classicism and naturalism against a habit to the basics of the idea of ​​nature. "

Buildings (selection)

• Angiolo Mazzoni: Rosa Maltoni Mussolini holiday home in Calambrone (Pisa), 1925-26.
• Giuseppe Terragni: Novocomum, housing in Como, 1926-29.
• Giuseppe Pagano and Gino Levi Montalcini - Palazzo Gualino, housing in Turin, 1928-30.
• Gino Pollini and Luigi Figini: Casa Elettrica, Monza, 1930.
• Giuseppe Capponi: Botanical Institute on the campus of La Sapienza in Rome, 1932-34.
• Giuseppe Terragni: Casa del Fascio, Como, 1932-1936.
• Giuseppe Terragni: Kindergarten Sant'Elia, Como, 1936-37.