HISTORICAL USE OF

CONCRETE AND

INNOVATION IN

ARCHITECTUREMaria Bostenaru, Researcher, Foundation ERGOROM ’99

and “Ion Mincu” University of Architecture and Urbanism

Structure-architecture can relate through

-Structural plan

-Free plan

-Raumplan

Concrete makes this possible.

Housing – preferential programme of the Modern Movement

PIANO project – zoning – flexibility in skeleton structures

Early reinforced concrete – Auguste Perret

Raumplan – Adolf Loos

Rationalism of Giuseppe Terragni – conservative interiors, innovation in the

volumetry

Novecento – innovative zoning, classical facades

Both – blocks of flats for the middle class

Different from Siedlungen at the periphery – see also Sonne

Introduction

Historical use of concrete and innovation in architecture

Maria Bostenaru

Architecture: space, shape, function, material texture and surface

Load bearing structure contributes to architectural quality

Morphological systemic analysis:

-Container (load-bearing scaffold, physical level)

-Contents (activities, phenomemological level)

Such a view is more spread in urban theory.

Basis on tectonics: difference between ornament and constructively needed structure

Sincerity aspect in architecture.

Example of the study of a Raumplan (structure follows space) (next slide figure):

-Space – structure

-Shape – function

-Texture – modenature

Example of Raumplan: Villa Müller in Prague

Architectural Space – Load-bearing Structure. The Systemic Of The

Interface

Historical use of concrete and innovation in architecture

Maria Bostenaru

Space-structure (a) and shape-function (b) exercise. M. Bostenaru, 1992-93

Historical use of concrete and innovation in architecture

Maria Bostenaru

Contents-container spaces-feelings , the role of history and education

The space opens to perception with all senses: spatio-temporal parcour through

movement

Method for space building from De Stijl/Neoplasticism: volume as composition of

different surfaces

Different colours result in shades of grey

Shades of grey result in different heights of the spaces

Piet Mondrian, Tableau No. IV, Lozenge Composition with Red, Gray, Blue, Yellow, and

Black, 1924/1925

Stratification as at

Peter Eisenman House III, Lakeville/Connecticut (1969-1971)

Employed earlier by Giuseppe Terragni:

-Casa del Fascio, Como (1932-36)

-Casa Giuliani Friggerio, Como (1939-40)

Italian Rationalism – distanced from the free plan principles of Le Corbusier and other

5 principles of Modern Architecture, including the expression of the structural

skeleton

Architectural Space – Load-bearing Structure. The Systemic Of The

Interface

Historical use of concrete and innovation in architecture

Maria Bostenaru

“De Stijl” architecture: Rietveld-Schröder Haus, Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Photo: M. Bostenaru, 2009

Historical use of concrete and innovation in architecture

Maria Bostenaru

Layering concept in Casa del Fascio, Como, architect Giuseppe Terragni,

1932-36. Photo: M. Bostenaru, 2005 and 2009.

Historical use of concrete and innovation in architecture

Maria Bostenaru

Layering concept in Casa Giuliani Frigerio, Como, architect Giuseppe

Terragni, 1939-40. Photos: M. Bostenaru, 2009 and 2005.

Historical use of concrete and innovation in architecture

Maria Bostenaru

Systemic approach: time and space

The container may display material stratification illustrating the passing of time

Space transitions

Treatment of historic materials

Ex. Carlo Scarpa

De Stijl

Instead of ornament, scenographic process in layering

Space is best defined by the entrance, the door

The door calls feelings associated to the space (Loos: function, Libeskind: “spaces of

encounter”, “made and fallen spaces”)

another „archaeological‟ approach than the material stratification: the archaeology of

the space itself

Architectural Space – Load-bearing Structure. The Systemic Of The

Interface

Historical use of concrete and innovation in architecture

Maria Bostenaru

Novecento innovated the floor plan

Giuseppe de Finetti worked with Adolf Loos

Influence of the Raumplan

Casa della Meridiana, Giuseppe de Finetti (1924-25) – stappeled villa

Finetti: house in Via Calimero – Horia Creangă Elena Ottulescu building Bucharest

Experiments on artists‟ residences, Novecento and Romanian preocupations

Journalists‟ houses

Example of zoning

block of flats in Via Domenichino, architects Lancia and Ponti (1928-30)

Combination of stappeled villa and floor seriality

New technologies

Example for Romania:

Horia Creangă, Elena Ottulescu building (1934-35)

Example for Greece:

Zaimi and Stournari streets, architects T. Valentis and P. Michailidis (1933 – 1934)

Also Budapest

Links to Amsterdamer school and Prague

Not covered by Sonne (2009)

Zoning

Historical use of concrete and innovation in architecture

Maria Bostenaru

Casa della Meridiana, Giuseppe de Finetti (1924-25). Photo: M. Bostenaru, 2010

Historical use of concrete and innovation in architecture

Maria Bostenaru

The architectural program of studios employed for innovation in the villa (a) and in the multistorey block of flats in

Bucharest and in Milano: (a) Marcel Janco: Vila Paul Iluţă and the laboratory Str. Olari nr. 23(1931-1935). Photo: M.

Bostenaru, 2002. (b) Alberto Alpago-Novello, Ottavio Cabiati, Guido Ter-razza, Marazzi, and Alessandro Minali

Residential and studio house. Via Melzi d‟Eril, Milano (1930). Photo: M. Bostenaru, 2005.

Historical use of concrete and innovation in architecture

Maria Bostenaru

The architectural program of studios employed for innovation in the villa (a) and in the multistorey

block of flats in Bucharest and in Milano: (c) Giovanni Muzio: House for Journalists Via Sandri

(1938-1940). (d) Gio-vanni Muzio: House for Journalists Via Monte Santo (1934-1936). Photos: M.

Bostenaru, 2005.

Historical use of concrete and innovation in architecture

Maria Bostenaru

Block of flats in Via Domenichino, architects Lancia and Ponti, 1928-30 (after

Bostenaru 2009).

Historical use of concrete and innovation in architecture

Maria Bostenaru

Apartment block at Zaimi and Stournari Streets, architects Valentis and

Michailidis, 1933 – 1934 (after Bostenaru 2009).

Historical use of concrete and innovation in architecture

Maria Bostenaru

Elena Ottulescu building, architect Creangă, 1934-35 (after Bostenaru 2009)

Historical use of concrete and innovation in architecture

Maria Bostenaru

PIANO project: middle and high-rise buildings

Innovation started at low-rise artists‟ residences, an example is also the exercise

Lessons spread to multi-storey buildings

Low-rise buildings today endangered by speculative development (the other

presentation)

Multi-storey buildings endangered by earthquakes

Discussion

Historical use of concrete and innovation in architecture

Maria Bostenaru

Useful for the PIANO project, as it presents not only the floor plan, but also the

spatiality which led to it

Mostly Italian movement, but parallels to Romania and Greece

First abstract exercise on space-structure relationships derived from the Raumplan,

inspired by the De Stijl movement, as the Milanese Novecento is related to the Dutch

architecture as well as to the Viennaise of Adolph Loos

Conclusions

Historical use of concrete and innovation in architecture

Maria Bostenaru

The financial support of the European Commission, in form of a Marie Curie

Reintegration Grants, for the project PIANO “The innovation in the plan of the current

floor: Zoning in blocks of flats for the middle class in the first half of the 20th

century”, grant agreement MERG-CT-2007-200636, at the host institution Foundation

ERGOROM ‟99, are gratefully acknowledged.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!

Acknowledgements

Historical use of concrete and innovation in architecture

Maria Bostenaru