Innovation and stratification in modern times: the concept of "new" from refurbishment to radical avant-garde

The goal of the essay is reflecting on some aspects of the concept of 'new' and what might be the limits in relation to the context. Defining the theme often takes naively to relegate the adjective ‘new’ to too narrow or too wide fields. Analyze the concept of ‘new’ can mean deeply work to realize a renewal and a modification in order to put an additional layer always different from the previous as condition of negation or reductio ad absurdum . But 'new' is also one of the many layers dealing with common roots dictated by history, a sort of method to enhance the existing. We can't speak knowingly of 'new' if we don't know the past as history and metamorphosis of the object, both if we want to trace or estrange it, in order to project the work into the future. Trying to understand the decli nations of the concept of ‘new’ on investigation fields diametrically opposed might help to reflect on testing methods acting on the common platform of the context, different methodologies that have taken place over the last hundred years, as presented at the 14th International Architecture Exhibition in Venice, highlighting the importance of the cultural background in different countries. Looking at the Italian Pavilion, designed by architect Cino Zucchi, we can see how experimental research has permeated many fields of architecture, from new design to old built refurbishment which also has strong historical and artistic values, starting from every building stairs to the urban environment. Moving then to radical areas, for example the Swiss Pavilion designed by Hans Ulrich Obrist, the existing built is still an alive and constant factor declined in its purely social significance. Experimentation, therefore, as interpretation or re-interpretation of the existing built, working on the 'limit' between what it's already here and what's the modern times demand.

Le categorie di tipo, modello e tipologia hanno attraversato la storia delle trasformazioni del pensiero e della cultura del progetto. Al di là delle sovrapposizioni e delle differenze concettuali delle tre parole, tipo, tipologia e modello hanno partecipato come elementi primari a regolare le sperimentazioni progettuali, come a decostruire e costruire le forme e i linguaggi, oppure a riconoscere ed includere le pluralità dei contenuti. Per quanto il progetto si presenti come una realtà complessa da decodificare e sicuramente troppo fragile per essere classificata, è senz'altro importante riaprire una riflessione sull’attualità delle tre parole nella costruzione dell’ambiente artificiale in cui viviamo, dalla piccola fino alla grande scala. Questa riflessione investe ancora tutte le figure che sono deputate ad interpretare i bisogni immateriali e materiali dell’uomo, ancora ‘disegnando’ lo spazio e le forme, che siano topiche o atopiche, oppure che utilizzino strumenti classici o moderni.