Urban Architectures between Paris,Milan, and Bergamo

This text reflects on the intellectual and pedagogical exchanges surrounding the theme of “urban architecture(s),” particularly through the collaboration with Michel Kagan within international academic contexts such as the LIPAU seminars in Bergamo and programs at the Politecnico di Milano and the École de Paris-Belleville. These long-standing exchanges fostered dialogue between generations of European architects and reinforced a shared research culture focused on the relationship between architectural design and the city. Michel Kagan’s contribution is characterized by a strong coherence between teaching and practice, grounded in an ethical stance that resists market-driven and media-oriented trends in architecture. He emphasized the civic role of architecture and critically addressed the transformation and loss of identity in contemporary cities. His work consistently explored how architecture can contribute to reconstructing meaningful urban places where communities can recognize themselves. The text situates this approach within the broader Italian architectural discourse, particularly the postwar shift toward understanding the city as a composition of parts, or “urban architectures.” It contrasts theoretical positions ranging from Aldo Rossi’s notion of collective memory to Vittorio Gregotti’s structuralist perspective on territory and habitat. These frameworks influenced a research tradition in Milan and Bergamo focused on interpreting urban stratification through design. Kagan’s affinity with Italian architectural culture (“italophilie”) played a key role in shaping his methodology, combining sensitivity to historical context with a critical pursuit of modernity. His projects reveal a careful balance between continuity and transformation, always rooted in the specific conditions of place. Through teaching experiences and design workshops—particularly in Bergamo and on the Île Seguin in Paris—Kagan promoted an approach centered on urban traces, landscape relationships, and the redefinition of public space. His pedagogical method enabled students to reinterpret sites critically and develop coherent architectural responses. Overall, his legacy lies in advancing a reflective, context-driven architectural practice and in shaping new generations of architects through rigorous and ethically grounded teaching.