Building on time: the reconstruction of experimental building-yards in France and Italy (1945-55)

Abstract

In the aftermath of WW2, Europe – as the main war scene – endorsed the “fast time” approach to reconstruction. Relying on optimising production-and-building processes, this approach was widely resorted to in experimental quarters, regarded as the “starting point” on which to build the technical know-how leading to the industrialisation of building techniques. This paper analyses the French and Italian experiences. They are closely linked, since in the shared choice of reinforced concrete as the most eligible material, the French experimentation provided a pattern for Italian reconstruction; so, they jointly become trailblazing researches about making building science-based and about organising building-yard work.