CONTEMPORARY ARCHITECTURE II

The course is aimed at understanding the characteristics of contemporary architecture from the Twentieth Century until today, by exploiting the main changes, in particular the evolution of the concept of "modernity" in relation to social needs with the emergence of new functionalities of the buildings, and the transition from the era of mechanization to that of electronics with all that this has meant for the birth of new manifestations in the architectural field at different levels (compared to the adopted methods adopted, the proliferation of new languages and new theories), accompanied by an abnormal development of the contemporary metropolis.
Teaching objectives are:
To understand how a culture of contemporary design is formed; what are the approaches that at a historical level have contributed to a progressive identification of languages, to their recognition from an aesthetic point of view, such as to mark an era; how to orient yourself within the varied contemporary architectural landscape; being able to critically evaluate contemporary architecture and its evolution over time with respect to the physical characteristics of the buildings, the type of functionality developed, the action exerted on society, the relationship with the surrounding environment.

It is particularly important for students to become aware of contemporary architectural reality by learning to distinguish between the different theories, methods, the adopted approaches that lead to heterogeneous results from many points of view, ultimately capturing the individual characteristics of the current historical moment and the complexity of situations that characterize its becoming; complexity of which contemporary history architecture is one of the most tangible expressions. In the presentation of the topics the student must demonstrate sufficient critical spirit and adequate descriptive skills.

Knowledge of the basic features of the history of architecture, adquired through the basic teachings of the first three-years degrees.

The historical excursus spans the Twentieth Century until today through the analysis of a selection of topics related to the changes taking place at various levels (social, cultural, urban), the work of some of the main protagonists, the study of the different theories and buildings realized.

Basic manuals:
- William J. Curtis, L'architettura moderna dal 1900, New York, Phaidon, 2006.
- Josep Maria Montaner, Dopo il movimento moderno. L'architettura della seconda metà del Novecento, Bari, Laterza, 2013.
In-depth texts:
- Patrizia Mello, Twentieth Century Architecture and Modernity. Our Past, Our Present, Los Angeles, ORO Editions Publishers, 2022.
On the relation between contemporary architecture and urban space evolution:
- Patrizia Mello, Metamorfosi dello spazio. Annotazioni sul divenire metropolitano, Torino, Bollati Boringhieri, 2002.
A series of guide materials will be posted on the Moodle platform to retrace, deepen, fix and contextualize the topics covered during the course (bibliographical references, links, PDF).

The exam will be in the form of an oral interview and will focus on the topics developed during the course.
Non-attending students will refer to the basic manuals and materials deposited on the Moodle platform. For further clarifications on the parts of the basic manuals to be studied, please contact the teacher by e-mail or follow the updates on reception hours.

Lectures during which various materials will be indicated (interviews, exhibitions, short films online), as a further study of the topics covered.

Italian

Attendance is not mandatory but recommended.
Any cultural activities complementary to the topics covered in class will be communicated on the Moodle platform of the course.

oral

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Cities, infrastructure and social capital" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development