'800 - '900
After the creation of the Cisalpine Republic, with the capital of the unified state being Milan, a new idea of town starts to be shaped: a model of economic, administrative and cultural growth which will last for almost two centuries.
With the realization of works such as Arco della Pace (The Peace Arch), the new town doors and their tollhouses (or Caselli) built on the demolished Spanish Walls, the opening of Naviglio di Pavia (one of the canals of Milan canal system) and, later, of the connection between piazza Scala and piazza Duomo - Vittorio Emanuele Arcade (Galleria Vittorio Emanuele) - surely a new urban “dimension” emerges – materializing into the national unification - through original town plans. One of the most impressive examples was the construction of the rail system, which influenced the town growth pattern, thanks also to the extraordinary realisation of Stazione Centrale (Milan central railway station).
Even though during the XIX century the town will adapt to the prevailing architectural languages of the big European capital cities, it is during the XX century that it will succeed in generating architectural models able to witness the existence of a school of thought near to Rationalism, with a particular attention towards the new construction materials spread by the Industrial Revolution.
We cannot avoid mentioning Palazzo della Triennale and Palazzo dell’Arengario, as well as Grattacielo Pirelli (Pirelli skyscraper) or Marchiondi Institute. During this period, Architecture will face, at least in the beginning, an undeniable cultural confrontation with the start of the great restoration works that triggered, also in this field, the search for a new school of thought, supported by interventions such as the restoration of St.Maria delle Grazie or of Sforza Castle.
This is nowadays raising major reflections on the meaning of restoration, and creating the prerequisites for a confrontation on the idea of “restoration of the restoration”.
By Arch. Libero Corrieri
Commission for the Architectural and Landscape Heritage of Milano
Highlights
The aim of the project was the restoration of Cattaneo Palace façade, currently hosting the headquarters of the Carabinieri station of via Moscova in Milan. The building is located in the center of the capital of Lombardy and shows a court plan with two street fronts. The supporting structure consists of solid brick masonry placed on continuous foundations always made of bricks.
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The Shrine of San Camillo de Lellis is a project developed by Eng. Mons. Spirito Maria Chiappetta, who was inspired by the neo-Gothic Nordic style and gave great attention to the balance of every detail of the sacred place.
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Il recupero della memoria storica di questi spazi è il motivo attorno a cui ruota tutto il progetto di restauro: da un lato la conservazione della memoria attraverso la salvaguardia delle poche tracce originali e dall'altra l'affermazione della nuova vocazione sociale dell'edificio. L'esistente è costituito da un piano seminterrato, un piano rialzato, un piano primo ed un piano sottotetto. Nel seminterrato, caratterizzato da belle volte in mattoni a vista rinforzate con un'innovativa struttura in acciaio e calcestruzzo è stato ricavato il Centro Anziani. Per consentire l'ingresso diretto della luce naturale a questi suggestivi ambienti il terreno esterno è stato ribassato e raccordato al giardino in modo da aprire ampie vetrate tra le spalle delle volte.
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The building is located in the area between the historical center and viale Cesare Battisti, near the Villa Reale in Monza. It was built in 1928 according to the project and the art direction of engineer Carera and architect Maggi, who also took care of the interior design solutions in order to turn it into the representative seat and offices of the textile company "Pastori e Casanova", known worldwide at that time.
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