Master of science-level of the Bologna process in Architettura Costruzione Citta' - Torino Master of science-level of the Bologna process in Architettura Per Il Restauro E Valorizzazione Del Patrimonio - Torino
The course of History of Architecture has one privileged object of study: the application of the historical method and critical discourse, as developed between 19th and 21st century, to the analysis of architecture, the city and of built environment.
Two are the main goals. The first is the construction of a lexicon of keywords, which enables the understanding and interpretation of architectural and urban phenomena in modern and contemporary history. The second is the understanding of the complexity of the processes, the identity of the different actors and the multiplicity of cultural reasons (technological, economic, social, political) that have produced the architectures and cities in the West.
The course of History of Architecture has one privileged object of study: the application of the historical method and critical discourse, as developed between 19th and 21st century, to the analysis of architecture, the city and of built environment.
Two are the main goals. The first is the construction of a lexicon of keywords, which enables the understanding and interpretation of architectural and urban phenomena in modern and contemporary history. The second is the understanding of the complexity of the processes, the identity of the different actors and the multiplicity of cultural reasons (technological, economic, social, political) that have produced the architectures and cities in the West.
The course of Storia dell’Architettura / History of Architecture develops a dual structure of inquiry and knowledge. In the foreground are, on the one hand, the facts and, on the other, the interpretation of these facts.
First, the course focuses on a series of architectural and urban case studies, suitable to highlight some crucial themes, issues and concepts in the history of architecture. Secondly, through the analysis of written and iconographic documents, the course analyses and compares the different interpretations of these facts, as produced by a variety of social actors involved in the construction and/or reception of the built environment (architects, engineers and builders, clients and other users, critics and journalists), at different times.
Thus, at the end of the course, the students will be able to manage two essential cultural qualities, built in parallel: the analytic knowledge of the architectural and urban facts, but also the synthetic ability to distinguish the various interpretations, produced along a wide spectrum of time by a plurality of protagonists, and consequently shape their own original view.
The course of Storia dell’Architettura / History of Architecture develops a dual structure of inquiry and knowledge. In the foreground are, on the one hand, the facts and, on the other, the interpretation of these facts.
First, the course focuses on a series of architectural and urban case studies, suitable to highlight some crucial themes, issues and concepts in the history of architecture. Secondly, through the analysis of written and iconographic documents, the course analyses and compares the different interpretations of these facts, as produced by a variety of social actors involved in the construction and/or reception of the built environment (architects, engineers and builders, clients and other users, critics and journalists), at different times.
Thus, at the end of the course, the students will be able to manage two essential cultural qualities, built in parallel: the analytic knowledge of the architectural and urban facts, but also the synthetic ability to distinguish the various interpretations, produced along a wide spectrum of time by a plurality of protagonists, and consequently shape their own original view.
A solid historical culture is an essential requirement. The course will build upon the basic knowledge and skills acquired in the courses of History of Contemporary and Modern Architecture, during the bachelor’s degree.
As the course of History of Architecture will be thoroughly held in English, a good competence in the language is an essential prerequisite.
A solid historical culture is an essential requirement. The course will build upon the basic knowledge and skills acquired in the courses of History of Contemporary and Modern Architecture, during the bachelor’s degree.
As the course of History of Architecture will be thoroughly held in English, a good competence in the language is an essential prerequisite.
The course will be divided into two parts
Part 1 (2 credits). Part 1 will consist in a critical assessement of some key notions of modern architectural theory and in a discussion of the historical evolution of architectural and urban vocabulary. Adrian Forty’s Words and Buildings will serve as a reference text for this part. This part will be based on lectures centered on specific notions and keywords.
Parts 2a and 2b (2+2 credits). Part 2 of the course will observe the interplay between architectural and urban change in four cities: New York, Paris, Berlin, and London. These cities will serve as observation points in order to test the cultural informations acquired in part 1 and to critically discuss some fundamental issues of global architectural and urban history from the early 19th century to the early 21st. This part will be based on lectures focused on the selected cities (2a) and on a research paper on a specific case study of architectural/urban transformation within those cities (2b).
IMPORTANT NOTE: At the time of writing, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic makes it difficult to predict to what extent the course will be held in presence or through a plurality of remote teaching instruments. The organization of the course might be subject to change in response to such variables and in relation with the number of students involved. A detailed program of course activities will be provided at the beginning of the semester.
The course will be divided into three parts
Part 1. Part 1 will consist in a critical assessement of some key notions of modern architectural theory and in a discussion of the historical evolution of architectural and urban vocabulary. This part will be based on lectures centered on specific notions and keywords and on Adrian Forty’s "Words and Buildings".
Part 2. This part of the course will observe the interplay between architectural and urban change in four cities: New York, Paris, Berlin, and London. These cities will serve as observation points in order to critically discuss some fundamental issues of global architectural and urban history from the early 19th century to the early 21st. This part will be based on lectures and a bibliography focused on the selected cities.
Part 3. This part will consist of a research exercise: a research paper on a specific case study of architectural/urban transformation within the cities discussed in part 2. The development of the paper will be closely followed by the professor during the weeks of the course.
Part 1 (eight lectures, each followed by a discussion) will be based on lectures on key notions of modern architectural theory. These will take the lead from specific entries in Adrian Forty’s Words and Buildings. Part 1 lectures will usually take place on Friday afternoon.
Part 2a (eight lectures, each followed by a discussion) will be based on lectures discussing specific aspects of the architectural and urban history of the four selected cities: New York, Paris, Berlin, and London. Part 2 lectures will usually take place on Thursday afternoon.
Part 2b (a paper, prepared through individual research work, public presentations and intermediate reviews). Each student of the course will be required to research and write a full paper on a specific building or urban transformation situated in one of the four cities. Specific methodological lectures and reviews will be dedicated to this exercise over the course of the semester. In particular, students will be asked to prepare two presentations of their ongoing research work. The sixth and the final week of the course will be entirely dedicated to a review of the papers.
All the activities of the course, including the final exam, will take place in English. The final paper can be written in English or Italian.
The course will be organized partly through lectures followed by discussions and partly through a research exercise that will require the active participation of the students.
Part 1 (eight lectures, each followed by a discussion) will be based on lectures on key notions of modern architectural theory. These will take the lead from specific entries in Adrian Forty’s Words and Buildings.
Part 2 (eight lectures, each followed by a discussion) will be based on lectures discussing specific aspects of the architectural and urban history of the four selected cities: New York, Paris, Berlin, and London.
Part 3 (a paper, prepared through individual research work, public presentations, and intermediate reviews). Each student of the course will be required to research and write a full paper on a specific building or urban transformation situated in one of the four cities. The paper can be written either individually or in a group pf two students. Specific methodological lectures and reviews will be dedicated to this exercise over the course of the semester. In particular, students will be asked to prepare two presentations of their ongoing research work. The sixth and the last week of the course will be entirely dedicated to a review of the papers.
All the activities of the course, including the final exam, will take place in English. The final paper can be written in English or Italian.
Essential references:
Part 1
Adrian Forty, Words and Buildings: A Vocabulary of Modern Architecture, London, Thames & Hudson, 2000
Part 2
Berlin:
Harald Bodenschatz, Berlin Urban Design: A Brief History, Berlin, Dom, 2010
Emily Pugh, Architecture, Politics, and Identity in Divided Berlin, Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Press, 2014, introduction and chapters 1, 2, 3, and 4
London:
John Summerson, Georgian London, London, Pleiades Books, 1945; Harmondsworth, Penguin, 1991; New Haven, CT, Yale University Press, 2003, chapters 1 (Air-view) to 13 (The plans and elevations of John Nash)
Peter Hall, Colin Ward, Sociable Cities: The Legacy of Ebenezer Howard, Chichester, Wiley, 1998, part I (chapters 1 to 6)
New York:
Hilary Ballon (ed.), The Greatest Grid: The Master Plan of Manhattan 1811-2011, New York, Museum of the City of New York, 2012 (all chapters with the exception of chapters 3, 10, and 12)
Hilary Ballon, Kenneth T. Jackson (eds), Robert Moses and the Modern City: The Transformation of New York, New York, Norton, 2007, pp. 65-133
Tokyo:
Hidenobu Jinnai, Tokyo: A Spatial Anthropology, Berkeley, University of California Press, 1995, introduction and chapters 2 and 3
Jordan Sand, Tokyo Vernacular: Common Spaces, Local Histories, Found Objects, Berkeley, University of California Press, 2013, introduction and choice of two chapters
These references might be subject to changes and adjustments.A detailed program will be published on the Portale della didattica in coincidence with the beginning of the semester.
A list of suggested additional readings will be provided during the course.
The slides supporting the lectures for parts 1 and 2a and most of the required readings will be made available to students in electronic format on the Portale della didattica.
Essential references:
Part 1
Adrian Forty, Words and Buildings: A Vocabulary of Modern Architecture, London, Thames & Hudson, 2000
Part 2
Berlin:
Harald Bodenschatz, Berlin Urban Design: A Brief History, Berlin, Dom, 2010
Emily Pugh, Architecture, Politics, and Identity in Divided Berlin, Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Press, 2014, introduction and chapters 1, 2, 3, and 4
London:
John Summerson, Georgian London, London, Pleiades Books, 1945; Harmondsworth, Penguin, 1991; New Haven, CT, Yale University Press, 2003, chapters 1 (Air-view) to 13 (The plans and elevations of John Nash)
Peter Hall, Colin Ward, Sociable Cities: The Legacy of Ebenezer Howard, Chichester, Wiley, 1998, part I (chapters 1 to 6)
New York:
Hilary Ballon (ed.), The Greatest Grid: The Master Plan of Manhattan 1811-2011, New York, Museum of the City of New York, 2012 (all chapters with the exception of chapters 3, 10, and 12)
Hilary Ballon, Kenneth T. Jackson (eds), Robert Moses and the Modern City: The Transformation of New York, New York, Norton, 2007, pp. 65-133
Tokyo:
Hidenobu Jinnai, Tokyo: A Spatial Anthropology, Berkeley, University of California Press, 1995, introduction and chapters 2 and 3
Jordan Sand, Tokyo Vernacular: Common Spaces, Local Histories, Found Objects, Berkeley, University of California Press, 2013, introduction and choice of two chapters
These references might be subject to changes and adjustments.A detailed program will be published on the Portale della didattica in coincidence with the beginning of the semester.
A list of suggested additional readings will be provided during the course.
The slides supporting the lectures for parts 1 and 2 and most of the required readings will be made available to students in electronic format on the Portale della didattica.
Modalità di esame: Prova orale obbligatoria; Elaborato scritto individuale;
The final grade will be based upon an evaluation of:
1. An oral exam on Part 1 (33,3%). This will consist of a discussion of the required readings from Adrian Forty's book (see above). Students will typically be asked to present and discuss one of the keywords presented during the course.
2. An oral exam on Part 2 (33,3%). This will consist of a discussion of the required readings concerning ONE of the four cities presented during the course. Students will typically be asked to present and critically discussed the themes and historical facts emerging from the bibliography.
3. The written paper (33,3%). The paper will be prepared during the course, with the direct assistance of the Professor, and will have to be submitted two weeks before the exam session that the student(s) wishes to attend. The evaluation of the paper will focus on its originality, on the precision of bibliographic research, on the clarity of its organization, and on the quality of the critical discussion provided by the author(s).
The paper is optional and can be replaced with additional readings for the oral exam (selection of two cities for Part 2 instead of one)
The evaluation will assess:
a) the capacity of the students to report historical facts with accuracy and precision;
b) the capacity of the students to forge connections between the various elements of information acquired during the course and to critically discuss the historical problems raised by the bibliography;
c) the capacity of each student to clearly express herself/himself through oral presentations and writing.
Active participation in the course activities and discussions over the course of the semester will be much appreciated.
Further details concerning the organization of the course and the final evaluation will be given in the detailed version of the course program.
Exam: Compulsory oral exam; Individual essay;
The final grade will be based upon an evaluation of:
1. An oral exam on Part 1 (33,3%). This will consist of a discussion of the required readings from Adrian Forty's book (see above). Students will typically be asked to present and discuss one of the keywords presented during the course.
2. An oral exam on Part 2 (33,3%). This will consist of a discussion of the required readings concerning ONE of the four cities presented during the course. Students will typically be asked to present and critically discussed the themes and historical facts emerging from the bibliography.
3. The written paper (33,3%). The paper will be prepared during the course, with the direct assistance of the Professor, and will have to be submitted two weeks before the exam session that the student(s) wishes to attend. The evaluation of the paper will focus on its originality, on the precision of bibliographic research, on the clarity of its organization, and on the quality of the critical discussion provided by the author(s).
The paper is optional and can be replaced with additional readings for the oral exam (selection of two cities for Part 2 instead of one)
The evaluation will assess:
a) the capacity of the students to report historical facts with accuracy and precision;
b) the capacity of the students to forge connections between the various elements of information acquired during the course and to critically discuss the historical problems raised by the bibliography;
c) the capacity of each student to clearly express herself/himself through oral presentations and writing.
Active participation in the course activities and discussions over the course of the semester will be much appreciated.
Further details concerning the organization of the course and the final evaluation will be given in the detailed version of the course program.
Modalità di esame: Prova orale obbligatoria; Elaborato scritto individuale;
The final grade will be based upon an evaluation of:
1. An oral exam on Part 1 (33,3%). This will consist of a discussion of the required readings from Adrian Forty's book (see above). Students will typically be asked to present and discuss one of the keywords presented during the course.
2. An oral exam on Part 2 (33,3%). This will consist of a discussion of the required readings concerning ONE of the four cities presented during the course. Students will typically be asked to present and critically discussed the themes and historical facts emerging from the bibliography.
3. The written paper (33,3%). The paper will be prepared during the course, with the direct assistance of the Professor, and will have to be submitted two weeks before the exam session that the student(s) wishes to attend. The evaluation of the paper will focus on its originality, on the precision of bibliographic research, on the clarity of its organization, and on the quality of the critical discussion provided by the author(s).
The paper is optional and can be replaced with additional readings for the oral exam (selection of two cities for Part 2 instead of one)
The evaluation will assess:
a) the capacity of the students to report historical facts with accuracy and precision;
b) the capacity of the students to forge connections between the various elements of information acquired during the course and to critically discuss the historical problems raised by the bibliography;
c) the capacity of each student to clearly express herself/himself through oral presentations and writing.
Active participation in the course activities and discussions over the course of the semester will be much appreciated.
Further details concerning the organization of the course and the final evaluation will be given in the detailed version of the course program.
Exam: Compulsory oral exam; Individual essay;
The final grade will be based upon an evaluation of:
1. An oral exam on Part 1 (33,3%). This will consist of a discussion of the required readings from Adrian Forty's book (see above). Students will typically be asked to present and discuss one of the keywords presented during the course.
2. An oral exam on Part 2 (33,3%). This will consist of a discussion of the required readings concerning ONE of the four cities presented during the course. Students will typically be asked to present and critically discussed the themes and historical facts emerging from the bibliography.
3. The written paper (33,3%). The paper will be prepared during the course, with the direct assistance of the Professor, and will have to be submitted two weeks before the exam session that the student(s) wishes to attend. The evaluation of the paper will focus on its originality, on the precision of bibliographic research, on the clarity of its organization, and on the quality of the critical discussion provided by the author(s).
The paper is optional and can be replaced with additional readings for the oral exam (selection of two cities for Part 2 instead of one)
The evaluation will assess:
a) the capacity of the students to report historical facts with accuracy and precision;
b) the capacity of the students to forge connections between the various elements of information acquired during the course and to critically discuss the historical problems raised by the bibliography;
c) the capacity of each student to clearly express herself/himself through oral presentations and writing.
Active participation in the course activities and discussions over the course of the semester will be much appreciated.
Further details concerning the organization of the course and the final evaluation will be given in the detailed version of the course program.