The Durability Of Restoration Of Exposed Concrete. Case Histories Compared

Architectural works by major architects from the twentieth century have often been subject to restoration campaigns intended to redeem them from decay (sometimes from neglect) in order to present them as “monuments” of the twentieth century. In particular, in architecture in which exposed reinforced concrete plays a key role in architectural, figurative, symbolic and cultural terms, the theme of repairing/replacing the concrete cover is a fundamental issue in the restoration project. Analyzing the methods, materials and techniques of intervention used in several campaigns of restoration of buildings built before World War II (the church of Notre-Dame du Raincy by Gustave and Auguste Perret in France and Rudolf Steiner’s Goetheanum at Dornach near Basel in Switzerland) or after the War (Figini and Pollini’s housing built in Milan and the Olivetti Factory in Crema by Zanuso) provides an opportunity to reflect on the techniques adopted, identifying best practices, but also critical factors and the weaknesses of the different approaches and methods that have affected these buildings from the 1980s to the present.