Daniele Vadala’ get his bachelor and MSc in Architecture at University ‘Mediterranea’ of Reggio Calabria (2001) and PhD in Building Engineering and Renovation Projects at University of Messina (2010). Previously adjunct professor of History of contemporary architecture at University of Catania and Reggio Calabria, he was also in the teaching staff of the EMDIREB master course (European Master in Diagnosis and Repair of Buildings at University Mediterranea of Reggio Calabria) and has collaborated with the Pontifical University San Bonaventura (Rome) in the field of environmental and landscape protection. His research interests lay at the crossroads between contemporary practices and architectural history with a specific focus on landscape protection and restoration, architectural and urban heritage, traditional building technologies.
Recent scholarship has argued that in post-war Western Europe shopping centres were regularly fun... more Recent scholarship has argued that in post-war Western Europe shopping centres were regularly funded by governmental authorities and often formed integral components of urban reconstruction and urban development projects. In this context, the shopping centre’s role thus exceeded that of commercial entity as it was perceived as a potential building block of the welfare state, able to assist in the construction of a more egalitarian society. This hypothesis is to some extent confirmed in the case of post-war Italy. Even though the downtown department store model, which first emerged during the fascist regime, persisted in the country until the mid 1970s, changes did occur as it accommodated a new culture of consumption that expressed the ideals of a diverse group of actors, including entrepreneurs, designers and local municipal bodies. Their interests converged in a ‘democratic’ consumption space that reflected the values of the emerging middle-class, who became a key protagonist in this democratic phase in Italy’s history. Starting from the late 1950s, as consumer experience increasingly assumed a central role in Italy, retailers adopted new labour practices and opted for new architectural languages that could reflect emerging lifestyles, and convey ideals of freedom and modernity. Around this time, a new generation of young architects entered the profession contributing to a new phase of modern architecture that was in tune with the premises of post-war Neorealism. This chapter traces the post-war history of La Rinascente-Upim through the analysis of a select number of case-study department stores to demonstrate how the company – through its corporate image, employment policies, product pricing and, most importantly, through the architectural design of its stores – attempted to contribute to the formation of a novel, democratic Italy, while walking a fine line between tradition and modernity.
During the twenty years of Fascist rule, the diffusion and pervasiveness all throughout Italy of ... more During the twenty years of Fascist rule, the diffusion and pervasiveness all throughout Italy of the popularized image of the ancient roman symbol of fasces lictoriae well reflects the sense of a political crusade that had made from the very beginning a decisive appeal on the symbolic lure of a spatially based rhetoric. The emergent regime would be well prepared in emotionally involving the Italians through a complete arsenal of symbols and rites that, much more than autonomous elements, will come to form - in the course of twenty decisive years - a well displayed set of spatially based dramatizations, where the figurative aspect would have paved the way to a rising and robust popular consensus. It was then in the name of a mythical idea of Romanity, that the Fascist leaders will lay the basis of a complex cultural project aimed at discarding the young and still imprecise construction of the Italian national ethos, through genuinely aesthetically based actions, perfectly functional to the systematic fascistization of the liberal institutions of Italy. Among the most successful aspects of this ‘branding strategy’, should be considered the re-invention of the fasces lictoriae operated by Fascism and its diffusion throughout Italy, starting from 1923.
The Indian subcontinent is an undoubtedly complex environment in subtle equilibrium between ancie... more The Indian subcontinent is an undoubtedly complex environment in subtle equilibrium between ancient traditions and urgent contemporary needs. Then, the necessity of a correct conservation - in the High Court building as in the whole Chandigarh Capitol - needs to be tuned with the living tradition of concrete vaults, magically reinvigorated by Le Corbusier in the 20th century. This contribution, while giving out a critical analysis of a seminal masterpiece of modern architecture, it means to suggest a few basic principles for the future conservation of the Chandigarh Capitol in its larger context.
It seems evident how the prevailing production and consumption models have continued to generate ... more It seems evident how the prevailing production and consumption models have continued to generate negative effects (territorial unbalances, unemployment, pollution, unfair labor and sometimes real slavery) in both advanced economies and emerging markets. Moving from a set of diverse case studies in terms of spatial arrangement, geographical position and human development, it will be suggested that a kind of physical structure, defined in dialectical opposition to the "heavy infrastructure‟, may profoundly transform a given context relying on local resources an labor and so moving from unsustainable to sustainable communities
Radical Marble: Architectural Innovation from Antiquity to the Present, edited by J. Nicholas Napoli, William Tronzo, London: Routledge, 2018
While not having the functionality of steel and concrete, marble nonetheless played a central rol... more While not having the functionality of steel and concrete, marble nonetheless played a central role in modern architectural expression. Its physical and aesthetic qualities place the material among the most powerful of artistic media. The special favor that modernist designers gave to several kinds of marbles at the very beginning of the twentieth century, then, reiterates a deeply grounded aesthetic confidence in marble already gained in Greco-Roman antiquity when this raw material was extremely popular all around the Mediterranean basin and was evaluated, in all of its varieties, as a natural resource of economic significance. According to this wide historically identified distribution of geological resources in the ancient Mediterranean, it was not by chance that marble materials gained a decisive role in Europe at the very beginning of twentieth century, spurring the elaboration of entirely new and assertive design strategies.
Recent scholarship has argued that in post-war Western Europe shopping centres were regularly fun... more Recent scholarship has argued that in post-war Western Europe shopping centres were regularly funded by governmental authorities and often formed integral components of urban reconstruction and urban development projects. In this context, the shopping centre’s role thus exceeded that of commercial entity as it was perceived as a potential building block of the welfare state, able to assist in the construction of a more egalitarian society. This hypothesis is to some extent confirmed in the case of post-war Italy. Even though the downtown department store model, which first emerged during the fascist regime, persisted in the country until the mid 1970s, changes did occur as it accommodated a new culture of consumption that expressed the ideals of a diverse group of actors, including entrepreneurs, designers and local municipal bodies. Their interests converged in a ‘democratic’ consumption space that reflected the values of the emerging middle-class, who became a key protagonist in this democratic phase in Italy’s history. Starting from the late 1950s, as consumer experience increasingly assumed a central role in Italy, retailers adopted new labour practices and opted for new architectural languages that could reflect emerging lifestyles, and convey ideals of freedom and modernity. Around this time, a new generation of young architects entered the profession contributing to a new phase of modern architecture that was in tune with the premises of post-war Neorealism. This chapter traces the post-war history of La Rinascente-Upim through the analysis of a select number of case-study department stores to demonstrate how the company – through its corporate image, employment policies, product pricing and, most importantly, through the architectural design of its stores – attempted to contribute to the formation of a novel, democratic Italy, while walking a fine line between tradition and modernity.
During the twenty years of Fascist rule, the diffusion and pervasiveness all throughout Italy of ... more During the twenty years of Fascist rule, the diffusion and pervasiveness all throughout Italy of the popularized image of the ancient roman symbol of fasces lictoriae well reflects the sense of a political crusade that had made from the very beginning a decisive appeal on the symbolic lure of a spatially based rhetoric. The emergent regime would be well prepared in emotionally involving the Italians through a complete arsenal of symbols and rites that, much more than autonomous elements, will come to form - in the course of twenty decisive years - a well displayed set of spatially based dramatizations, where the figurative aspect would have paved the way to a rising and robust popular consensus. It was then in the name of a mythical idea of Romanity, that the Fascist leaders will lay the basis of a complex cultural project aimed at discarding the young and still imprecise construction of the Italian national ethos, through genuinely aesthetically based actions, perfectly functional to the systematic fascistization of the liberal institutions of Italy. Among the most successful aspects of this ‘branding strategy’, should be considered the re-invention of the fasces lictoriae operated by Fascism and its diffusion throughout Italy, starting from 1923.
The Indian subcontinent is an undoubtedly complex environment in subtle equilibrium between ancie... more The Indian subcontinent is an undoubtedly complex environment in subtle equilibrium between ancient traditions and urgent contemporary needs. Then, the necessity of a correct conservation - in the High Court building as in the whole Chandigarh Capitol - needs to be tuned with the living tradition of concrete vaults, magically reinvigorated by Le Corbusier in the 20th century. This contribution, while giving out a critical analysis of a seminal masterpiece of modern architecture, it means to suggest a few basic principles for the future conservation of the Chandigarh Capitol in its larger context.
It seems evident how the prevailing production and consumption models have continued to generate ... more It seems evident how the prevailing production and consumption models have continued to generate negative effects (territorial unbalances, unemployment, pollution, unfair labor and sometimes real slavery) in both advanced economies and emerging markets. Moving from a set of diverse case studies in terms of spatial arrangement, geographical position and human development, it will be suggested that a kind of physical structure, defined in dialectical opposition to the "heavy infrastructure‟, may profoundly transform a given context relying on local resources an labor and so moving from unsustainable to sustainable communities
Radical Marble: Architectural Innovation from Antiquity to the Present, edited by J. Nicholas Napoli, William Tronzo, London: Routledge, 2018
While not having the functionality of steel and concrete, marble nonetheless played a central rol... more While not having the functionality of steel and concrete, marble nonetheless played a central role in modern architectural expression. Its physical and aesthetic qualities place the material among the most powerful of artistic media. The special favor that modernist designers gave to several kinds of marbles at the very beginning of the twentieth century, then, reiterates a deeply grounded aesthetic confidence in marble already gained in Greco-Roman antiquity when this raw material was extremely popular all around the Mediterranean basin and was evaluated, in all of its varieties, as a natural resource of economic significance. According to this wide historically identified distribution of geological resources in the ancient Mediterranean, it was not by chance that marble materials gained a decisive role in Europe at the very beginning of twentieth century, spurring the elaboration of entirely new and assertive design strategies.
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This hypothesis is to some extent confirmed in the case of post-war Italy. Even though the downtown department store model, which first emerged during the fascist regime, persisted in the country until the mid 1970s, changes did occur as it accommodated a new culture of consumption that expressed the ideals of a diverse group of actors, including entrepreneurs, designers and local municipal bodies. Their interests converged in a ‘democratic’ consumption space that reflected the values of the emerging middle-class, who became a key protagonist in this democratic phase in Italy’s history.
Starting from the late 1950s, as consumer experience increasingly assumed a central role in Italy, retailers adopted new labour practices and opted for new architectural languages that could reflect emerging lifestyles, and convey ideals of freedom and modernity. Around this time, a new generation of young architects entered the profession contributing to a new phase of modern architecture that was in tune with the premises of post-war Neorealism.
This chapter traces the post-war history of La Rinascente-Upim through the analysis of a select number of case-study department stores to demonstrate how the company – through its corporate image, employment policies, product pricing and, most importantly, through the architectural design of its stores – attempted to contribute to the formation of a novel, democratic Italy, while walking a fine line between tradition and modernity.
The emergent regime would be well prepared in emotionally involving the Italians through a complete arsenal of symbols and rites that, much more than autonomous elements, will come to form - in the course of twenty decisive years - a well displayed set of spatially based dramatizations, where the figurative aspect would have paved the way to a rising and robust popular consensus.
It was then in the name of a mythical idea of Romanity, that the Fascist leaders will lay the basis of a complex cultural project aimed at discarding the young and still imprecise construction of the Italian national ethos, through genuinely aesthetically based actions, perfectly functional to the systematic fascistization of the liberal institutions of Italy.
Among the most successful aspects of this ‘branding strategy’, should be considered the re-invention of the fasces lictoriae operated by Fascism and its diffusion throughout Italy, starting from 1923.
Then, the necessity of a correct conservation - in the High Court building as in the whole Chandigarh Capitol - needs to be tuned with the living tradition of concrete vaults, magically reinvigorated by Le Corbusier in the 20th century.
This contribution, while giving out a critical analysis of a seminal masterpiece of modern architecture, it means to suggest a few basic principles for the future conservation of the Chandigarh Capitol in its larger context.
Moving from a set of diverse case studies in terms of spatial arrangement, geographical position and human development, it will be suggested that a kind of physical structure, defined in dialectical opposition to the "heavy infrastructure‟, may profoundly transform a given context relying on local resources an labor and so moving from unsustainable to sustainable communities
This hypothesis is to some extent confirmed in the case of post-war Italy. Even though the downtown department store model, which first emerged during the fascist regime, persisted in the country until the mid 1970s, changes did occur as it accommodated a new culture of consumption that expressed the ideals of a diverse group of actors, including entrepreneurs, designers and local municipal bodies. Their interests converged in a ‘democratic’ consumption space that reflected the values of the emerging middle-class, who became a key protagonist in this democratic phase in Italy’s history.
Starting from the late 1950s, as consumer experience increasingly assumed a central role in Italy, retailers adopted new labour practices and opted for new architectural languages that could reflect emerging lifestyles, and convey ideals of freedom and modernity. Around this time, a new generation of young architects entered the profession contributing to a new phase of modern architecture that was in tune with the premises of post-war Neorealism.
This chapter traces the post-war history of La Rinascente-Upim through the analysis of a select number of case-study department stores to demonstrate how the company – through its corporate image, employment policies, product pricing and, most importantly, through the architectural design of its stores – attempted to contribute to the formation of a novel, democratic Italy, while walking a fine line between tradition and modernity.
The emergent regime would be well prepared in emotionally involving the Italians through a complete arsenal of symbols and rites that, much more than autonomous elements, will come to form - in the course of twenty decisive years - a well displayed set of spatially based dramatizations, where the figurative aspect would have paved the way to a rising and robust popular consensus.
It was then in the name of a mythical idea of Romanity, that the Fascist leaders will lay the basis of a complex cultural project aimed at discarding the young and still imprecise construction of the Italian national ethos, through genuinely aesthetically based actions, perfectly functional to the systematic fascistization of the liberal institutions of Italy.
Among the most successful aspects of this ‘branding strategy’, should be considered the re-invention of the fasces lictoriae operated by Fascism and its diffusion throughout Italy, starting from 1923.
Then, the necessity of a correct conservation - in the High Court building as in the whole Chandigarh Capitol - needs to be tuned with the living tradition of concrete vaults, magically reinvigorated by Le Corbusier in the 20th century.
This contribution, while giving out a critical analysis of a seminal masterpiece of modern architecture, it means to suggest a few basic principles for the future conservation of the Chandigarh Capitol in its larger context.
Moving from a set of diverse case studies in terms of spatial arrangement, geographical position and human development, it will be suggested that a kind of physical structure, defined in dialectical opposition to the "heavy infrastructure‟, may profoundly transform a given context relying on local resources an labor and so moving from unsustainable to sustainable communities