Residential building in the Ina Harar-Dessiè District (1951-1955), via Harar 3, Milano
District urban plan: Luigi Figini, Gino Pollini, Gio Ponti
Architectural design: Gio Ponti, Gigi Gho'
District urban plan: Luigi Figini, Gino Pollini, Gio Ponti
Architectural design: Gio Ponti, Gigi Gho'
On the 28th of February 1949, the law 43 was approved and the new “Ina Casa” programme began (1949-1963): with this legislation, promoted by Amintore Fanfani, the Minister of Work and Social Health, the construction of new council building estates was financed throughout the national territory to cope with the post-war residential needs and boost the economy. Despite some of the criticisms it received, the Ina Harar-Dessiè (1951-1955) is to be considered from various points of views one of the most successful urban episode in this context, thanks to the so called “Piano Fanfani” (Fanfani Plan): the variety of the building typologies, the presence of green areas, the services, and the virtuous dwelling scheme, allowed to achieve and preserve a good quality of life, emancipating the estate from the typical issues arising in most suburban council buildings.
The clever masterplan created by the architects Figini, Pollini, and Ponti is based on the idea of “horizontal skyscrapers”, nine linear blocks each 150 meters-long which define the green areas and keep them separate from the traffic routes. The scheme is completed by the so-called “insulae” – a series of lower, detached and terraced houses - that occupy the remaining space. The resulting design goes over the rigidity of the conventional rationalism typical of the years between the wars, to create a more articulated and complex urban vision.
In addition to collaborate on the masterplan, Gio Ponti designs two buildings within it: one of them with Gigi Gho': the linear building at number 3 of via Harar, stepped back from the road edge. The “white and yellow house”, which takes its name from the colour of the plaster, is a six storey building with balcony access - also known as “a ballatoio” - and three staircase cores. The ground floor accommodates the cellars and the entrances, it has a portico and a central passage which allows to pass through the building. Each balcony access (ballatoio) leads to five apartments of various sizes, each facing both North and South. The use of colour reflects the volumetric logic of the building, whose regularity is liven up by overhanging elements with the typical diamond profile used in Gio Ponti`s works. The roof on the North side is inclined upwards, elevating the profile of the facade. Along via Harar a further small building is built as porter lodge.
In some preliminary drawings Ponti and Gho' tested various options - ultimately discarded -for the access to the apartments at the first floor. A lot of maintenance and functional works were carried out during the years both on this building and on the other “horizontal skyscrapers”: a new metal fence, a refresh of the plaster, and the addition of three lifts have partially altered the perception of the North elevation.
The clever masterplan created by the architects Figini, Pollini, and Ponti is based on the idea of “horizontal skyscrapers”, nine linear blocks each 150 meters-long which define the green areas and keep them separate from the traffic routes. The scheme is completed by the so-called “insulae” – a series of lower, detached and terraced houses - that occupy the remaining space. The resulting design goes over the rigidity of the conventional rationalism typical of the years between the wars, to create a more articulated and complex urban vision.
In addition to collaborate on the masterplan, Gio Ponti designs two buildings within it: one of them with Gigi Gho': the linear building at number 3 of via Harar, stepped back from the road edge. The “white and yellow house”, which takes its name from the colour of the plaster, is a six storey building with balcony access - also known as “a ballatoio” - and three staircase cores. The ground floor accommodates the cellars and the entrances, it has a portico and a central passage which allows to pass through the building. Each balcony access (ballatoio) leads to five apartments of various sizes, each facing both North and South. The use of colour reflects the volumetric logic of the building, whose regularity is liven up by overhanging elements with the typical diamond profile used in Gio Ponti`s works. The roof on the North side is inclined upwards, elevating the profile of the facade. Along via Harar a further small building is built as porter lodge.
In some preliminary drawings Ponti and Gho' tested various options - ultimately discarded -for the access to the apartments at the first floor. A lot of maintenance and functional works were carried out during the years both on this building and on the other “horizontal skyscrapers”: a new metal fence, a refresh of the plaster, and the addition of three lifts have partially altered the perception of the North elevation.
Bibliography about this work:
Milano: quartiere di via Dessiè in “Urbanistica” n.7, 1951, pp.17-19
Aspetti del quartiere INA-Casa di via Dessiè a Milano in “Domus” n. 270, maggio 1952, pp. 9-15
Vie Harrar, Novara, Dessiè in “Urbanistica”, n.18-19, 1956, pp.122-123
“Architettura cantiere”, n.12, 1957
AA.VV., Milano oggi / Milan today, Edizioni Milano Moderna, Milano 1957, p71
Virgilio Vercelloni, Alcuni quartieri di edilizia sovvenzionata a Milano in “Casabella” n.253, luglio 1961, pp.42-51
Luigi Anguissola Beretta, I quattordici anni del piano INA-Casa, Staderini, Roma 1963, pp. 218-221
Agnoldomenico Pica (a cura di), Architettura moderna in Milano, Ariminum, Milano 1964
Cristoforo Bono, Virgilio Vercelloni, Il contesto e le opere in “Casabella” n.451-452, ottobre-novembre 1979, p.58
Maurizio Grandi, Attilio Pracchi, Milano. Guida all'architettura moderna, Zanichelli, Bologna 1980, pp.254-255, 274
Maurizio Boriani, Corinna Morandi, Augusto Rossari, Milano contemporanea. Itinerari di architettura e urbanistica, Designers riuniti, Torino 1986, pp.261-262
Jolanda Ventura (a cura di), Gigi Gho': progetti e architetture 1950-1995, [s.e.], 1997, pp.30-33
Giuliana Gramigna, Sergio Mazza, Milano. Un secolo di architettura milanese dal Cordusio alla Bicocca, Hoepli, Milano 2001, pp.272-273
Federico Oliva, L'urbanistica di Milano, Hoepli, Milano 2002, p.406
Raffaele Pugliese (a cura di), La casa popolare in Lombardia 1903-2003, Unicopli, Milano 2005, pp.184-186
Carlo Berizzi, Guida all'architettura. Milano, Dom Publishers, Berlino, 2015, p.165
Milano: quartiere di via Dessiè in “Urbanistica” n.7, 1951, pp.17-19
Aspetti del quartiere INA-Casa di via Dessiè a Milano in “Domus” n. 270, maggio 1952, pp. 9-15
Vie Harrar, Novara, Dessiè in “Urbanistica”, n.18-19, 1956, pp.122-123
“Architettura cantiere”, n.12, 1957
AA.VV., Milano oggi / Milan today, Edizioni Milano Moderna, Milano 1957, p71
Virgilio Vercelloni, Alcuni quartieri di edilizia sovvenzionata a Milano in “Casabella” n.253, luglio 1961, pp.42-51
Luigi Anguissola Beretta, I quattordici anni del piano INA-Casa, Staderini, Roma 1963, pp. 218-221
Agnoldomenico Pica (a cura di), Architettura moderna in Milano, Ariminum, Milano 1964
Cristoforo Bono, Virgilio Vercelloni, Il contesto e le opere in “Casabella” n.451-452, ottobre-novembre 1979, p.58
Maurizio Grandi, Attilio Pracchi, Milano. Guida all'architettura moderna, Zanichelli, Bologna 1980, pp.254-255, 274
Maurizio Boriani, Corinna Morandi, Augusto Rossari, Milano contemporanea. Itinerari di architettura e urbanistica, Designers riuniti, Torino 1986, pp.261-262
Jolanda Ventura (a cura di), Gigi Gho': progetti e architetture 1950-1995, [s.e.], 1997, pp.30-33
Giuliana Gramigna, Sergio Mazza, Milano. Un secolo di architettura milanese dal Cordusio alla Bicocca, Hoepli, Milano 2001, pp.272-273
Federico Oliva, L'urbanistica di Milano, Hoepli, Milano 2002, p.406
Raffaele Pugliese (a cura di), La casa popolare in Lombardia 1903-2003, Unicopli, Milano 2005, pp.184-186
Carlo Berizzi, Guida all'architettura. Milano, Dom Publishers, Berlino, 2015, p.165
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