Vittoriano Viganò: The Poet of Italian Architecture Beyond Brutalism

Luigi Prestinenza Puglisi profiles Vittoriano Viganò (1919-1996), an Italian architect often labeled a brutalist but whose work defies easy categorization. Drawing on a text by architect Leonardo Ricci, the article argues that Viganò's architecture is existentialist rather than strictly brutalist. Viganò embraced the brutalist label strategically, defining it as a direct, explicit use of materials and a rejection of elitist elegance. His influences include Franco Albini (lightness), Gio Ponti (color), and Giuseppe Terragni. Key works include the Istituto Marchiondi Spagliardi (1958), which earned him the brutalist tag from critic Reyner Banham; Casa La Scala at Portese del Garda (1958), a masterpiece of concrete, glass, and red/blue stripes; the ephemeral tower near Milan's Duomo (1961-62); and the Faculty of Architecture at Politecnico di Milano (1970-85). Viganò was fascinated by red and black, colors he associated with energy and absorption of light, contrasting with the 'finished' architecture of Ignazio Gardella. He collaborated with André Bloc on the magazine L'architecture d'aujourd'hui and designed interiors and furniture. The article is part of Artribune's 'Architetti d'Italia' series.