Architectural Design and History

By exploring the ongoing evolution of some strategic areas and the experiences of selected architects – Atelier Deshaus, Atelier Liu Yuyang Architects and Original Design Studio –, the book analyses the fields, the reasons and the modalities of the transformations in contemporary Shangai, and outlines the raise of a counter-trend emerging from the most recent interventions on both existing and new buildings, which are experimenting with new relationships with the local history, cultural heritage and urban identity.

The book unfolds the lessons of four masters of Italian Modern Architecture – Franco Albini, Ignazio Gardella, Luigi Moretti and Ernesto Nathan Rogers – through their own words or those of preeminent scholars who have investigated their theoretical and professional work, with the aim to offer an insight on their key role in the development of the 1940s and 1950s architecture culture as well as to promote the ideas and visions which fostered contemporary architectural design.

Albert Kahn ha lasciato un segno indelebile nella storia dell’architettura industriale: i suoi progetti hanno contribuito allo sviluppo di nuovi principi e modelli operativi, e al potenziamento di efficienza, economia e flessibilità nel progetto dello spazio produttivo. Dall’applicazione dell’organizzazione scientifica del lavoro alla progettazione architettonica ha origine il «metodo Kahn», un utile esperimento per la logica culturale del Postmodernismo, e un significativo contributo all’evoluzione dell’architettura moderna.