The new platform of the Census of Italian Architecture from 1945 to the Present is online

After a careful selection and filing of significant buildings and urban areas, the new platform of the Census of Italian Architecture from 1945 to the Present is online: a mapping of contemporary architecture in our country, promoted by the General Directorate for Contemporary Creativity of the Ministry of Culture, with the aim of promoting its knowledge and enhancement.

The project, launched in 2002 by the then DARC - General Directorate for Contemporary Art and Architecture under the title of “National Census of the Architecture of the Second Twentieth Century,” counts to date almost 5,000 files and is continuously being expanded and updated through reconnaissance and documentation campaigns of the Italian contemporary architectural heritage, carried out in collaboration with the peripheral structures of the Ministry of Culture, local authorities, universities and different specialized research centers.

As the “zero point” of the census, the date 1945 was identified, the end of the world conflict, but also the beginning of reconstruction and, in some ways, a turning point in building production, technological innovation, housing policies, as well as a rethinking of architectural and urban planning discipline. A complex evaluation grid , based on bibliographical and historical-critical criteria, was developed for the selection of works. Specifically, bibliographical checks take into account a work’s “critical fortune,” citations in specific publications, and recognized national and international value, while historical-critical criteria consider elements related to historical and architectural events, the evolution of cultural and disciplinary debate, the significant role played by the work in the context, and the notoriety and relevance of its author.

In addition, data acquisition is also carried out through surveys and photographic reconnaissance, acquisition of photographic funds and archival material. Starting from the research activated in each region, the work proposes a general reflection on the state of the recent architectural heritage, in order to raise awareness of its interest and promote its preservation, with reference also to the recovery of suburbs and urban regeneration.

Between 2020 and 2022, the General Directorate of Contemporary Creativity carried out the revision of the platform, modifying its IT architecture, and implemented reconnaissance in seven regions. At the same time, bibliographic updating and normalization of all the records already in the platform was carried out in collaboration with the Foundation School of Cultural Heritage and Activities, which managed, through public notice, the selection of six PhDs in charge of the work. In order to share the outcomes of the research project related to the Census and initiate a table for discussion and reflection on the issues of knowledge, protection and enhancement of Italian architecture from 1945 to the present, the Directorate General for Contemporary Creativity and the Fondazione Scuola dei beni e delle attività culturali organized onOctober 11 and 12, 2022 the conference Inheriting thePresent, in which scholars and experts in the field were invited to discuss issues of method that affect the tools of knowledge (archives, catalogs, photographic documentation) as much as the tools of protection (with particular reference to regulatory and procedural aspects, between the Cultural Heritage Code and the Copyright Law), valorization and conservation education. In addition, the scientific heads of the Census in the different territories were called to an examination of some of the architectures selected for the platform, building a kind of narrative on the urban, architectural, and construction events from the years of reconstruction to the years of the economic boom and expansion, up to the major projects at the territorial scale and the redevelopment and of the existing city. The contents of the conference will soon be available in full on DGCC’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/direzionegeneralecreativitacontemporanea.

The platform

The new platform of the Census of Italian Architecture from 1945 to the present day currently contains 4948 records, broken down by region as follows: in the North: 453 records for Emilia-Romagna; Friuli-Venezia Giulia: 122; Liguria: 164; Lombardy: 730; Piedmont: 251; Trentino-Alto Adige: 181; Veneto: 280; Valle d’Aosta: 50 Center: 517 ballots in Lazio; Marche: 193; Tuscany: 392; Umbria: 124 South and Islands: Abruzzo with 202; Basilicata: 116; Calabria: 112; Campania: 336; Molise: 150; Puglia: 292; Sardinia: 114; Sicily: 169.

Types surveyed: Two-family dwellings | Multi-family dwellings | Single-family dwellings | Sports facilities | Libraries and archives | Research centers | Business centers | Cemeteries | Residential complexes | Military and public security buildings | Buildings for agricultural activities | Buildings for welfare and spiritual activities | Buildings for production | Buildings for transportation | Buildings for commerce | Buildings for worship | Buildings for cultural promotion | Buildings for catering | Buildings for entertainment | Office buildings | Multi-purpose buildings | Prison buildings | Public housing buildings | Trade fairs | Skyscrapers | Water plants, electrical or hydroelectric | Infrastructure | Settlements | Recovery and transformation projects | Credit and insurance institutions | Monuments | Town halls | Museums and archaeological areas | Exhibition pavilions | Courthouses and courts | Parks and gardens | Neighborhoods | Schools | Tertiary sector sites | Public and institutional sites | Public spaces | Bathing establishments | Spas | Hospitality facilities | Health facilities | Universities and campu

Selection Criteria: 1. The building/architectural work is cited in at least three historical-systematic studies on contemporary architecture of national and/or international level; 2. The building/architectural work is illustrated in at least two architectural journals of national and/or international level; 3. The building/architectural work has a recognized importance in the panorama of national architecture, of the years in which it was built, also in relation to contemporary developments both in the debate and in national and international architectural research; 4. The building/architectural work plays a significant role in the evolution of the relevant building type, offers a progressive interpretation of it, or experiments with innovations of a distributive and functional nature; 5. The building/architectural work introduces and experiments with significant innovations in the use of materials or in the application of construction technologies; 6. The building/architectural work was designed by a prominent figure in the national and/or international architectural scene; 7. The building/architectural work stands out for its particular qualitative value within the urban context in which it is built.

The platform can be accessed at this link: https://censimentoarchitetturecontemporanee.cultura.gov.it

“We are very pleased to be able to make the new platform of the Census of Italian Architecture from 1945 to the present day available to the public. It is the result of two intense years of revision, updating and implementation that have led the platform to census nearly 5,000 architectures of historical and artistic interest throughout the country,” says Director General Contemporary Creativity Onofrio Cutaia.

The new platform of the Census of Italian Architecture from 1945 to the Present is online

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