An Exemplary Case Study of Post-WWII Reconstruction in Milan

The paper deals with the use of proportional systems in architecture applied to the case study of the “modern” reconstruction of a fifteenth-century cloister heavily damaged during the Second World War bombing in Milan. First detailed analysis of the regulating lines underlying the typical vault spans of the four cloisters composing the architectural complex is carried out. Afterward, a thorough comparison is conducted of the proportional relation of the new span of the reconstruction designed by the rationalist architects Ignazio Gardella and Giovanni Romano in order to emphasize the role of the span as a proportional system that becomes the base “module” of the project. Finally, the correlation between geometrical proportions and structural conception is investigated, highlighting the differences between the existing masonry structures with a cross-vault arch system and reinforced concrete structural frames of the new intervention.