Tradizione Radicale

Urbino served as the privileged urban laboratory for Giancarlo De Carlo, allowing him to engage with the ducal city through its project in all its scales - starting with the restoration of the Rettorato of the Università libera di Urbino, commissioned by Carlo Bo, to the development of two urban plans spanning from the 1960s to the 1990s, along with notable university buildings such as the Magisterium and the renowned Collegi. Consequently, Urbino becomes an extensive monographic work for De Carlo, providing insights into the architect's cultural and theoretical positions, subject to scrutiny through his projects. 'This Renaissance-inspired body of work positions De Carlo in parallel with the Italian radical avantgardes, while also engaging in dialogue with the secessionist wing of CIAM, ultimately leading to his role as a founding member of Team 10. As is well-known, his association with the latter culminated in the establishment of the ILAUD (International Laboratory of Architecture and Urban Design), representing the pinnacle of De Carlo's radical exploration. On one hand, his positions are programmatically opposed to the foundational principles of CIAM, as evident in "Questioni di architettura e urbanistica". On the other hand, these positions are deeply rooted in the traditions of Italian urban design. The instruments developed in the groundbreaking 1964 Primo Piano demonstrate graphic innovation and radical departure from conventional approaches. However, the underlying principles of the plan remain firmly grounded in the city's structure and morphology, thereby situating De Carlos work within an alternative position that could be characterized as a "radical tradition".