I SERRAMENTI METALLICI NELL’ARCHITETTURA MODERNA IN ITALIA DEL PERIODO 1930-40: PROBLEMI DI CONSERVAZIONE E RESTAURO

Virginia Bernardini

Architetto, Dottore di Ricerca, Specialista in Restauro dei Monumenti, Roma virginia.bernardini@libero.it

ABSTRACT

The aim of this contribution is to consider the conservation problems of the metallic window frames of the modern Italian architectures of the years 1930-40.

In Modern architecture, the details, the finishing and in particular the door and window frames achieved an important peculiar funtion. The selection of the window typology by the Modern Movement architects relates to their aim to give horizontality or verticality to architectures, to the transparency level to be reached and to the hygienic standard to be obtained inside the buildings: often the metallic window frame is used with a thin profile.

This study has been carried out through researches on the period technical literature and the direct observation of the buildings.

Several modern architectures in Italy, most of them still in use, need to be modified to ensure the comfort standards to their users. The metallic windows of these architectures are often in serious decay conditions: their conservation problem concerns the profiles corrosion and the movement and driving opening systems.

As time goes on the lack of consideration of the importance of these technical elements under the morphologic point of view frequently caused the substitutions of the profiles: this practice has radically modified the proportions in these façades between openings and plain walls.

The relationship between the conservative problem of the technical element and the comprehension of the whole original architectural organism under the stylistic and morphologic point of view may be the key to elaborate a careful restoration intervention, because minimal changes can completely modify the image of these architectures.

Parole chiave/Key-words:

modern architecture, metallic window, maintenance, conservation, restoration