Modern, Rationalist and Mediterranean: Residential Architecture during the Italian Colonization in Libya

The problem of Italian architecture in the African colonies was one of the central points of discussion on Italian magazines, especially during the Thirties. In the last decade before the Second World War cities and territories were strongly transformed, quite later than French and English African colonies. This meant that the discussion was about a “modern” architecture, far from the late eclecticism and close to the local needs. Especially in Libya, where the first colony was established in 1911, Italian architects found a similarity with the North-Mediterranean coast architecture and saw “Latin” roots. While public buildings had to exhibit a monumental face and the connection with the local tradition was less visible, for the house it was easy to recognize its origin in the ancient Roman, that means also Pompeian house. Besides a rich debate, in which above all Rava, Pellegrini and Piccinato took part, also interesting, “hybrid” prototypes were created.