Transparent and translucent surfaces of Italian architecture in the thirties

In Italy between the two World Wars, transparent and translucent surfaces became widespread in architecture, especially in the façades of buildings. The reasons lay not only in the new architectural vocabulary, but also economic, political and technical factors. The demand for transparent surfaces of larger dimensions led to new problems concerning safety, thermal insulation, the diffusion of light and the cost of glassbased materials. To meet these needs Italian manufacturers sought new materials (patents) and mechanical systems for producing sheet glass. In analyzing the characteristics of these new kinds of glass products, very different from those used nowadays, the main sources are international technical reviews and literature, and the archives of the major Italian glass manufacturers of the period. The aim of this analysis therefore is to understand not only the peculiar features of glass products in the thirties but also the meanings underlying the use of a material which in those years symbolized “modernity” in much the same way as reinforced concrete and metal.