Virtual Museum The NameThe HistoryThe SitesThe MemoryPost Scriptum  


The Directors and Politicians
The Architects
The Engineers
 
  Alberto Sartoris

architect and writer, was born in Turin on 2nd February 1901. Sartoris was one of the initiators of the Italian Rationalist Movement. He studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts of Geneva and at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts of Paris, graduating in 1919 and 1923 respectively.

Leaving from the 20s Sartoris performed a deep activity as a propagandist theoretician for rationalist culture. In 1932, in Milan the architect published his most important work, Elementi dell'architettura funzionale (Elements of the functional architecture), study on growths of contemporary architecture.

During the 20s Sartoris moved to Turin, where he started his professional activity becoming a student of Annibale Rigotti and Raimondo d'Aronco. Still in Turin he cooperated with the painter Felice Casorati.

Of this period we have Sartoris studies for designing the architectonic and urbanistic projects of the Stadium place in Turin, those for a block of inhabitance and office flats in Orbassano and the Palace of Fine Arts of Milan.

In Geneva Sartoris designed a complex of workers' cells palafits. His attention was attracted by the action for the "logement social" and the Avant-Guard Theatre. Member of the Miar and founder of Cirpac (International Congresses for Solving the Contemporary Architectonic Problems), in 1932 Sartoris held in Milan a personal show of architecture.

In next years, together with Felice Casorati, he conceived the ideal butchery for the business road of the Biennal Exhibition of Monza in 1927; he drew some pieces of furniture and designed and set the private theatre of Casa Gualino in Turin.

Sartoris never stopped his relationships with the cultural environment of Geneva, co-operating with sectorial magazines, the "Werk/oeuvre" and the "Daes neue Frankfurt", and participating to the organisation of exhibitions, such as the one of the Italian Contemporary Artists.

In 1928 he designed the building of the artisan Fascist communities for the Turin exhibition. He became a member founder of the 1st International Congress of Modern Architecture at the castle of Madame de Mandrot, in la Sarraz.

In next years, the professional activity by Sartoris continued with conferences in Argentina, the designing of the satellite workers' town in Rebbio and the popular quarter of via Anzani in Como (1938-39), together with Terragni.

In 1972 Sartoris returned to Turin, becoming a honorary member of the Press Club and of the municipality of the town in 1980 and 1981.


 
 
 
  
  HOME   MAIL   SEARCH THE NAME    THE HISTORY    THE SITES    THE MEMORY    POST SCRIPTUM