Tra Architettura Moderna e Contemporanea: uno studio dall’archivio Denegri / Between modern and contemporary architecture: a study from the archive Denegri

Abstract

If we consider the definitions of ‘modern architecture’ and ‘contemporary architecture’, the first element that emerges is the temporal difference, but the boundaries appear increasingly uncertain. Analysing the protagonists of that period, we can see a continuity that transcends rigid divisions. Since 2024, research has explored the subject in depth through the collection of architect Giuseppe Denegri, preserved in the historical archive of Finale Ligure: thousands of drawings, urban plans, watercolours, documents and photographs. His work, linked to that of Antonio Vandone di Cortemiglia, played a central role in local architectural and urban development between the 1920s and 1960s. Little known to the public, the archive of Denegri (1886-1976) has been declared of ‘considerable cultural interest’ by the Ministry of Culture. This article aims to investigate the work of Denegri/Vandone through archival documentation. The long and intense career of Denegri allows us to look at the period from Art Nouveau to the contemporary era, which has had a significant impact on an equally broad territorial context.