Context 152 - November 2017

C O N T E X T 1 5 2 : N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 31 References ³ Superfetazione is defined by Dizionario La Reppublica.it as the ‘architectural body added to an existing structure, which disfigures the aesthetic point of view of a building or the surrounding environment’ (translation from the Italian). ⁴ Fernández González, M (2014) Matar al Chino: entre la revolución urbanística y el asedio urbano en el barrio del Raval de Barcelona, Virus Editorial, Barcelona Marc Piqué i Gascón is an architect at Philip Hughes Associates. In 2016 he was awarded a commendation in the Gus Astley Awards for his MSc work on ‘Giovannoni’s historic building and planning development conservation theories’ at the University of Bath. lead to higher population density, which could contribute to diminishing the living conditions of its inhabitants. As a result, and firmly opposed to the sventramento , Giovannoni proposes the so-called diradamento ( éclaircis- sage in French, ‘lightening’ or ‘thinning out’ in English) as a way to reconcile the issues of modern circulation, hygiene and enhancement of the heritage. He describes this as an irregular development where selected and scattered buildings are demolished to form or enlarge new spaces that would allow buildings to breathe.This would produce movement and contrast effects associ- ated with the historic urban layout, and new minimal reconstruction with non-linear developments. The planner would choose the areas that were more likely to be improved and the ‘minor’ buildings to be demolished following specialist historical research. Giovannoni differentiates ‘major’ from ‘minor’ buildings according to their historic, artistic or social importance. He considers that the secondary buildings as a whole (that is, the urban context of a historic town), would have a higher overall value than the principal monuments. He emphasises the importance of the historic environment and the relationship of the monu- ment with its setting, which was a new concept at the time. He encourages scientific conservation and opposes the isolation of major buildings and the stylistic unifica- tion promoted by Violet-le-Duc, which was a current practice in Europe. However, Giovannoni’s view on minor buildings is more relaxed. He considers that the historic environment could be enhanced by the removal of the so-called superfetazioni ³ (damaging accretions) and recreating the aesthetic conditions of the historic setting. Giovannoni considers that the revalorisation process should begin with the interior of the isolatti (building blocks), which would provide better hygienic conditions than the widening of the streets.This could be achieved by demolishing the top and rear extensions of a building, opening up lanes to increase the space between buildings, and banning the use of floors less than 600mm above street level for dwelling purposes. A similar conclusion has been reached by Miquel Fernández González in 2014⁴ in relation to the recently opened Rambla del Raval in Barcelona, where the demolition of the 1920–1960s internal extensions might have made it unnecessary to demolish whole blocks. Giovannoni believed that the success of the dirada- mento would require a reorganisation of social values to guarantee modernisation. This could be achieved by mixing traditional and artisan businesses with middle-class accommodation. He gave the examples of Florence, Siena, Venice and Rome as places where the historic centre was still populated by traditional families and businesses (how much these towns have since changed due to the impact of tourism). Only in that way, Giovannoni wrote, could historic town centres be successfully conserved and developed. Please see our website for galleries and much more information www.toppandco.com enquiry@toppandco.com • +44 (0)1347 833173 We create and restore fine architectural metalwork for some of the most architecturally sensitive sites in the world. We thrive on the demanding technical challenges set by the heritage sector. We implement the National Heritage Ironwork Group (NHIG) Conservation Principles. Specialists in Historic Ironwork Restoration and Replication Online ordering - pay securely by credit card or PayPal Next day delivery on a huge choice of stocked items Take-off service, quotes and technical advice Unrivalled customer service 0800 644 44 26 www.rainclear.co.uk THE HOME OF METAL GUTTERING HIGH QUALITY LONG LAST ING CONSERVATION OR REFURB TRADITIONAL & CLASSIC COPPER Ad_Context_Apr2017.indd 1 21/04/2017 12:31:56