The curtain wall experimentation in italian building office: the sixties

As well known, experimentation with steel had a quite slow and difficult start in Italian architecture and construction history, especially in the building sector. Until the fifties of the last century, in fact, steel frame appears only in some almost prototypical works, which are significant for their experimental contribution, but clearly unable to boost competition to the traditional construction methodology, based on reinforced concrete and masonry. Particularly in the post-war reconstruction years, the industrial development in all other sectors is matched by the persistence of reinforced concrete in building, thus continuing the process of diffusion started at the beginning of the century. In this field the works of such contributors as Nervi, Morandi, Musmeci and others emerge, with their achievements of large concrete structures, in which technique is implemented by innovative architectural solutions. Reinforced concrete is, therefore, the main character in most of the Italian great works, and in residential construction as well, within national programmes that take place in this period throughout the whole national territory. At this stage, the artisan-like construction techniques of Italian modern tradition still prevail: the bearing structure realized by a reinforced concrete skeleton, seen as the evolution of masonry, and the construction site run by small business, with simple equipment and extensive use of manpower, both qualified and unqualified.