Florence - Everything must change

For many the joy of visiting historic cities like Florence is that it is unspoiled. Stand on the Ponta Santa Trinita and everything you see seems to be historic, there is no modern architecture. In fact the bridge itself was destroyed by the German army in the second world war and rebuilt in the 1950’s. Similarly, much of the district on either side of the Ponte Vecchio had to be reconstructed once the allies had successfully forced the retreat of the invading army. 

Look closer and there are a couple of more recent and unfortunate additions to the skyline. Some years ago the scaffolding came down on the The Excelsior Hotel to reveal a rooftop glass pavilion bar. A deal was done and it was allowed to stay, the views of the city from inside are spectacular but it is an eyesore, especially at night. More recently and nearby, “the black cube” appeared on the Corso Italia, on the site of a once grand theatre, it crowns a bland hotel development that could be in any city anywhere in the world. Designed by Vittorio Grassi Architects from Milan, the impact it has on the city has, some say, posed a threat to Florence’s UNESCO Heritage status, and 73% of Florentines want to see it demolished.

There are more 20^th century buildings in the city than you might think. Giovanni Michelucci is perhaps best known for his Chiesa Di San Giovanni Battista (The Church of the Autostrada 1960-63), an extraordinary expressionistic structural tour de force that was built halfway between Milan and Rome in memory of the construction workers who perished during its construction. He also led the design team that built Santa Maria Novella railway station from 1934. Today it is feeling rather tired and unloved, but the quality of the design is still evident, its streamlined modernism can inevitably be seen as a relic of a darker chapter in Italian history, its uncompromising horizontality appropriate for its use. It also lays claim to having the first digital clock.

Less successful is Michelucci’s Post office HQ in Via Petrapiana, due to be converted to student housing. His commercial rebuild in Oltrano on Via Guicciardini is far more contextual and better for it. Michelucci also lead a team that developed a new district, Sorgane, on the South Eastern outskirts of the City.

Carlo Scarpa worked with Eduardo Detti on the courtyard and lobby of the Grand Hotel Minerva on the Piazza Santa Maria Novella. It stands today as a fine example of mid century interior design with Scarpa’s courtyard at the heart of the ground floor reception area.

There is a fascinating apartment building on Via Pagentina from 1967 by Leonardo Savioli, another colleague and collaborator of Michelucci. It is clearly modern but references the tower houses, fenestration and overhanging eaves of traditional Florentine architecture.

Robust historical environments can take new architecture, cities need to adapt to survive, to quote Giuseppe Lampedusa from The Leopard, “For everything to remain the same, everything must change”. Florence demonstrates this, but there is no doubt it is dependent on the quality of the design and ensuring that planning policy is enforced correctly.