Western Architecture 1836-1939
Alex Antoniou
Giuseppe Terragni’s Casa Del Fascio and its relation to Western fascist attitudes and propaganda.
Fascism is the ideology of a collection of needs of different social groups and their relation to the needs of the state, political party or 1
society . It attempts to enforce a feeling of national unity based on cultural, racial, ethnic, or religious beliefs. It relies heavily on Nationalism, Img. 1
Totalitarianism, Collectivism and Militarism, to name a few. As an authoritarian political system, it also opposes Political and Economic liberalism and Communism. It glorifies the state and total subordination of the individual to it, embodies elements of Darwinism as a system of th
social selection, and borrows in part, from the 14 century romanticism of Friedrich Nietzsche to build a glorified image of a leader as a hero and superman. This type of thinking flourished in Western Europe after the end of World War I and continued to grow, especially in Italy, Germany, Spain and later Austria-Hungary. As a political movement, it first appeared in Italy, in 1919, when Benito Mussolini founded the Fascist Party. The Italian name of the movement, fascismo, is derived from fascio, "bundle, (political) group," but also refers to the movement's emblem, the fasces, a bundle of rods bound around a projecting axe-head that was carried before an ancient Roman magistrate by an attendant as a symbol of authority and power. In the arts, the terms fascism and modern art seemed opposed to each other, but the last two decades of scholarship in history, art history, and literature have radically revised that postwar view. An understanding of the profound interrelation of these two terms is now a precondition for a review of modernism. Thus, to the extent that Casa Del Fascio was built within
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The Seizure of Power – Fascism in Italy 1919-1929, Adrian Lyttelton
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this fascist political, economic and ideological context, its architecture is a reflection of this environment.
The Casa Del Fascio, Giuseppe Terragni
Built by 1936 in Como, North Italy, near Milan and the Swiss border, the Casa Del Fascio was used as the Local Headquarters for the Fascist party by housing administrative offices and acting as a hub for propaganda Img.2
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and social ‘education’ . It was, and still is, located opposite the large square in front of the Como Cathedral, and its inner atrium space was designed purposely to relate to this (Img. 1). In plan, it is visible how the rear of the building has a glass façade which provides the direct relation between the inner atrium and the courtyard behind (Img. 5-8). The building is raised by 3 steps so as to immediately state its importance in the surrounding fabric, as well as making a clear transition between the inside and the outside. The image of the façade, as well as the arrangement of the plan, provides a tension between modern and classical which carries on into the selection of the materials and the proportioning system of the overall building. It represents a rational approach to Modernist architecture through its focus on geometry and form, with references to historical typologies. There is a clear integration between Classicism and Modernism and served as a key element into the introduction of Modernism into Italy as the House of the People (Img. 4). The building is square in plan (Img 5-8), the apparently perfect shape, and its façade height is equal to half of one side, making the mass of the building half a cube. It is rigid and linear in design, with a clear definition between thin planes and voids. It finds itself being both symmetrical and asymmetrical, as it puts the visitor on an indirect Img. 3, 4 2
Plans, Sections an Elevations, Richard Weston, p.74
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approach to the building through an off-axis entrance (Img 5). The roof of the atrium is symmetrical to the plan to allow light in, and the structural members are placed around the central axis of the building (Img. 2), and an axis which carries on outwards to the square beyond. It has been said that this is a metaphorical move where “…the ‘axis of the state’ 3
and the ‘axis of the people’ become one and the same ”. This creates a connection between the urban space and the building which is reenforced by the polished stone cladding on the interior ceiling over the lobby, acting like a mirror, and drawing ones eye to the square outside. The building is clad in finely cut Bolticino marble which avoids mechanistic reference and suggests an implied importance, however it is detailed in such a way that it avoids any Fascist neo-classicism. It is a
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modern building made of modern materials and construction methods, which still maintains the feel of a solid block with openings being removed from the form; a subtractive architecture. There is a feeling that great effort has been put into the detailing of this building, all which reenforces its overall being, setting and function. Terragni wrote the following about this building: “Here is the Mussolinian concept that Fascism is a glasshouse into which everyone can peer giving rise to the architectural interpretation that is the complement of that metaphor; no encumbrance, no barrier, no obstacle, between the political hierarchy and the people.” This is a concept that is clearly apparent in the design of the building. It was visualised as a classical palazza centred on a glass atrium. The central building referenced Classical buildings of the Italian Renaissance, yet the
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Modern Architecture Since 1900, Richard J. R. Curtis, p. 366 Img.5 - 8
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numerous windows represent a more Modernist design. In examining the relationship between Modernism and Classicism it is also important to note that the context of this building serves an important role in defining its purpose. Despite its non-central location, Terragni still intended this building to become the new political centre of Italy. He built the Casa Del Fascio so as to juxtapose “antique” and Modern architecture. By placing it directly in front of the axis of the Como Duomo, he strikes a
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comparison between the organising principles of old and new architecture. Modernism was used to metaphorically display the ‘political machine’ of the country that was Fascism. As a literal translation, glass serves as a transparent boundary between spaces, for example separating government offices from public areas, representative of the connection between government and the people, a view visible from the main lobby area to the government meeting room above. In addition, windows lining the interior courtyard and the girded window system covering the exterior façade create an open symbol of the fascist regime. The Casa Del Fascio also follows Le Corbusier’s principles of purism through the use of a square plan which is placed diagonally on the axis of the Duomo (Img. 10). The square serves as the principle order of organisation, as it is the formal and conceptual centre of the building, linking the individual parts into an ordered whole. As an example of the unity of the individual parts, Terragni derived the dimensions of the doors and windows from the dimensions of the structural supports. Such diverse elements which combine to create a unified whole, exemplified Terragni’s ordering notion of “the part to whole” in his design. Not only did this building serve a political purpose, it served a moral purpose of commemorating martyrs of Fascist revolution, evident in its use of rich materials such as white marble, crystals
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Img. 1113
and black opaline. The country didn’t need a Fascist ‘den’ or ‘fort’, rather a ‘house’, a ‘school’ or even a type of ‘Temple’.
Fascism, Propaganda and their relation to the Casa Del Fascio
Early Fascism was not the logical, well-constructed set of guidelines of organising social and political relations. It was a composite, unstable grouping of the needs of various social groups. It seems that initially, Fascism was more about the collection of new ways of inspiration. However, the underlining theme was constant between the German and Italian attitude towards Fascism, which was to gain power through the manipulation of the masses; using psychology towards the collective. However, initially, Fascism was vague at best. However, this open-endedness of Fascism is what made it so successful in winning over the masses. Its ‘originality’ was that it manipulated the irrational instincts of people. It was sold as a belief for the intellectuals, where it was hard to explain its principles, and hence the individual had the inability to criticize it. Italian Fascism however was slightly different. Mussolini presented Img. 14
himself as a thinker of what it is to be Fascist, rather than as a man of blind faith. He made conscious use of fashionable slogans of relativism and matter-of-factness. He saw this new ‘tool’ as a weapon. Fascism was seen as a modern rejection of the idea that social belief can be a pre-determined factor, as well as a rejection of historical trends. As said by Mussolini: “History does not have fixed rails like a railway”. Propaganda is the intentional manipulation of media to affect the opinion of masses. Considering how important it is to the Fascist movement, it is surprising how long it took Mussolini and his government to make an efficient organization and control over the mass ‘programming’. At first, the party was haphazard and uncoordinated. Not until the 1930’s did
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this become a unified system, around the same time the Casa Del Fascio was built. At this time, steps were taken to censor public voice; initially, by issuing a press censorship. The fascist belief in youth was another important factor that was being influenced by the government. The structure of the educational system was greatly manipulated. Primary education was considered the most Img. 15
important. Idealists described Italian education as having principal failures: 1) it failed to select and form a qualified elite few, because the higher educational schools and universities had become facilities for handing out diplomas and certificates to the select few of the middle class, and 2) there was a lack of enforcement of the feeling of nationality at all educational levels, due to the belief that education should be neutral when it comes to teaching ideologies, and should instead focus on teaching factual information. All this can be linked back to the Casa Del Fascio. It has to represent the attitudes of Fascism as it is the central hub of political movement. The use of glass gives the illusion that people are free to look into the building and monitor the actions of these political leaders. They are able to freely move throughout the entire building as to have a direct relationship with the various offices. In reality, the people had very little say in any political decisions. By allowing people this freedom to wonder into the building and have a solely visual link, there would be no problems with public order, as they are “free” to oversee all that happens. A visual link, as well as the orientation to the existing Duomo gives the impression of a building sensitive to its surroundings. Spaces are designed to be occupied by the enrolled public. There are however more moves and design statements that indicate a supreme and powerful stance. Raising the building on a plinth of sorts automatically increases the importance of the building. Also, as seen in Img. 18, the front elevation of the building has been ‘decorated’ with an image of Mussolini’s face. This is a clear political statement as to the importance of the buildings, the functions and the person behind this fascist movement. The ordering of this façade, with the visitors having to walk through the colonnade to get to the entrance, are all Classical moves to indicate a building of importance. Cladding in white marble, an expensive
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material, also makes this building appear to have great stature. The organization of the space reflects the great importance of the federal Secretary’s offices, as well as their relationship with the public. The Architecture, with its laws of proportion and harmony, succeeds in uniting these complex, diverse elements into a single collection of work.
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This building is a prime example of the way buildings can enforce and represent a political view and message. By making smart, subtle and clean-cut moves, a certain point of view can be clearly illustrated. It also shows the importance of choosing the look and feel of a building very carefully. Terragni could have made either a fully classical or a Modernist building. Either would have received a very different response to those generated by the final integrated result. A Classical building would have felt very imposing and domineering, whereas a Modernist building would have probably been rejected based on its similarity to other Modernist buildings in non-Fascist Europe. The balance of the two is what makes this building an open yet politically unambiguous designed piece of architecture.
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Bibliography
Lyttelton, A. 1973. The Seizure of Power, Fascism in Italy 1919-1929, Wiltshire: Antony Rowe Ltd
Cheles L. and Sponza L. 2001. The art of persuasion – Political communications in Italy from 1945 to the 1990s, Manchester: Manchester University Press
Zevi B. 1989. Guiseppe Terragni, London: Triangle Architectural Publishing
Schumacher L. T. 1991. Surface & Symbol – Guiseppe Terragni and the Architecture of Italian Rationalism, London: Architecture Design and Technology Press
Etlin A. R. 1991. Modernism in Italian Architecture, 1890-1940, London: The MIT Press
R. Weston 2004. Casa Del Fascio p. 74-75 from Plans, Sections and Elevations, Key Buildings of the Twentieth Century, London: Laurence King Publishing
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Curtis J.R. W.1996 3rd edition. Totalitarian Critiques of the Modern Movement p. 351-369 from Modern Architecture Since 1900, New York: Phaidon Publishing
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