A tale of two cities: Milà–Barcelona, urbanisme als anys cinquanta–seixanta del segle XX

Abstract

It was not the best of times, it was not the worst of times. In the 1950s and the 1960s, while Catalan culture tried to re-emerge from the disaster of war, architecture in Barcelona found a reference in the architecture of Milan to re-establish the interrupted modernism and Europeism. Contact among architects was continuous, and the design solutions were mutually enriching, producing a significant episode for European architecture. This article is part of a study in which the authors compare architectural works from the immense collection produced in these decades. The aim is to explore the relationship between town planning in Milan and Barcelona and its key role in the creation of the great modern metropolis. Between 1950 and 1960 Barcelonian architects, keen to create culture close to or belonging to the Grup R, had few occasions to be involved in urban design. In typological terms, more attention was given to building type than to urban type. However, in Milan the events related to the INA-House Plan meant that many parts of the city could be designed on the basis of rational culture. Models from the Modern Movement and from the principles of the Congressos Internacionals d’Arquitectura Moderna (CIAM) found a new synthesis within the social conditions and the building techniques, resulting in an interesting collection of new neighbourhoods that modified the urban landscape on the outskirts of both cities.