Trasformazioni culturali e sperimentazioni costruttive nelle architetture del ’900. La “Casa del Mutilato” di Bari

Between the 1920s and 1940s the rise of fascism marked a radical urban development with the application of “regime architecture” which, characterized by monumental gigantism and a more severe architectural language, revisited the splendors of a “lost Romanity.” Impressive buildings characterized by columns, pilasters and solid stone foundations were built throughout the coun- try especially on the waterfront of cities that, for expansionist aims, expressed the power of an “open” nation and, in the case of Bari, a “bridge to the East.” The research analyzes the Casa del Mutilato, a specific architectural typology that emerged in the early postwar period as a temple of sacrifice and as a container of services for the care of war veterans. From this typological exami- nation, the case study of the Casa del Mutilato in Bari, by architect P.M. Favia, is analyzed, which is part of the vast registry of works symbolizing the regime’s autarchy highlighted by historical events and innovative construction techniques as an expression of “Made in Italy” industrial experimentation (think of the dichotomous, as much as recurrent use at the time, of traditional natural stone juxtaposed with the innovative use of laterocementitious slabs such as “Stimip” and “Perret”). The research aims to highlight the need to recover and restore modern architecture by defining a methodology that must aim to improve knowledge of the architectural heritage (through documentary and archival analysis), building handbooks (which help to understand the most recurrent building construction solutions) and on-site surveys. The result of the research, in fact, is to demonstrate that the design approach, which starts from an organic organization in which historical, architectural and technical-constructive information converge, is an efficient guiding tool for the preservation of the historical identity of these architectures.