It has been 20 years since Giancarlo De Carlo’s death on June 4th, 2005. In his life, De Carlo believed architecture to be an effective tool only if weaved into every aspect of the environment it operated in, including its communities. These opinions were considered to be deeply controversial as Postmodernism was on the rise.

Who is Giancarlo de Carlo?

Giancarlo De Carlo was a marine official, architect and engineer who graduated with a degree in engineering from the Politecnico di Milano. After a brief period in the military, he was called to teach at IUAV, the Architectural Institute of Venice. He later became the only Italian member of Team Ten, also known as Team X, that helped him develop most of his ideas throughout his career. In his work, he focused on architecture’s dialogue with its surroundings and how the role of the architect was fundamental in promoting real change.

Team 10

Team 10 was an informal group of architects that formed during the last meeting of the Congrès Internationaux d’Architecture Moderne also known as CIAM. Founded in 1928, CIAM’s aim was to promote Modernism and advocate for architecture as a tool for improving everyday life. Their impact is largely recognized thanks to the Athens Charter. A proposal stating that all cities should be organized according to four basic functions: housing, working, recreation and transportation. This proposal, published in 1933, became a fundamental piece of the functionalist planning model created in the mid 20th century. 

De Carlo’s Philosophy of Architecture

Giancarlo De Carlo’s philosophy was developed in an Italy living its post-war economic boom. This saw the rise of Postmodernism and rationalist architectural movements that Team 10 was opposed to. Their arguments being that such movements did not take into consideration what the people needed from their surroundings. Thanks to Team 10 and his travels, De Carlo understood that architecture could function as an answer to societies’ demands. Past, present and future then became central to creating culturally relevant architecture that could withstand the test of time, not just physically, but contextually.

Universities For Giancarlo De Carlo

In a quote published in the latest issue of VESPER dedicated to the architect, IUAV’s architectural magazine De Carlo discusses his perception of the architect. He begins by stating his belief that architects have developed an ‘(…)intellectual superiority (I would say symmetrically: practical inferiority)’. That is why the planning and construction of universities was central to De Carlo. It was a means of shaping a new generation of architects that aligned with his ideas.  During his years as a professor at IUAV in the 1960s. De Carlo suggested a wholly new approach to the study of architecture by placing experience and dialogue with society at its center. Consequentially, students would be encouraged to form a purposeful understanding of the environment they will operate in. Therefore shifting the practice onto the creation of new habitats which hold society and its surroundings at its fulcrum.

Architecture Today

It may seem surprising to find that such ideas caused De Carlo to become a controversial figure in the world of architecture. His ideas were largely ahead of their time and were not met with approval by others, often causing disagreements and conflicts between him, administrations and even the general public. Today minimalistic, functional architecture has become a symbol of cheap, poorly built architecture to much of the public. De Carlo’s views seem to have become more relevant than ever, as more people have started demanding decorative architecture that feeds their need for beauty. 

Featured by Centro Studi Liberitari – Archivio G. Pinelli