GROUP 5

ARCHITECTURE

New Liberty
Italian Art Nouveau
 Liberty style was the Italian variant
of Art Nouveau, which flourished
between about 1890 and 1914. It
was also sometimes known as stile
floreale, arte nuova, or stile moderno.
It took its name from Arthur Lasenby
Liberty and the store he founded in
1874 in London, Liberty Department
Store, which specialized in importing
ornaments, textiles and art objects
from Japan and the Far East.
Liberty style, like other versions of Art Nouveau, had
the ambition of turning ordinary objects, such as
chairs and windows, into works of art. Unlike the
French and Belgian Art Nouveau, based primarily on
nature, Liberty style was more strongly influenced by
the Baroque style, with very lavish ornament and
color, both on the interior and exterior. The Italian
poet and critic Gabriele d'Annunzio wrote in 1889, as
the style was just beginning, "the genial sensual
debauche of the Baroque sensibility is one of the
determining variants of the Italian Art Nouveau."
Liberty style is considered to be a western offshoot of
the 19th-century British Arts and Craft movement,
which was a response against the mechanization and
dehumanizing of the artistic process.
Features of the Style The most important
characteristics of Italian Art Nouveau:

• Ornamental Style
• Sinuous and
continuous lines
• Movement
• Aesthetic
• Sophistication
• Attention to details
 Must-haves

Wrought iron beds, decorated frames and armchairs

exuding a chic, retro taste are essential elements for
decorating the home in liberty style. However, there are
indeed some items that play a more dominant role than
others. They are the cult items that made the history of
liberty style and that true collectors cannot miss.
 Tiffany lamp
This successful piece of furniture was
created from the inspiration of American
artist and jeweller Luis Comfort Tiffany. The
coloured glass that is typical of the design
of this lamp is processed and assembled by
artisans with a particular technique
resulting in a truly evocative effect. The
Tiffany lamp is not, however, the only cult
object of this style. Henry Van de Velde’s
chair or Rosenthal vases are other famous
examples of furnishings of the Art Nouveau
trend.
 Liberty style in
interior design
Needless to say that contemporary design favours simpler
lines. But liberty style lovers do not have to give up this style,
but rather introduce it into their homes a little at a time.
Therefore, avoid any excess such as the gilded frames
decorating the typical liberty style mirrors, or the coloured glass
windows that weigh down the room style. Green light to neutral
tones embellished with elegant details such as boiserie,
wrought iron beds or freestanding bathtubs with gold or silver
feet. For the living room walls, the beautiful prints by artists
such as Alphonse Mucha should be must-haves. Decorations
cannot be missing in a perfect liberty style house. An interesting
solution is given by outdoor and indoor railings.
 ARCHITECTS IN
New Liberty
ARCHITECTURE

ALFREDO Gino Giuseppe Ernesto

CAMPANINI Cappedè Sommaruga Basile
ALFREDO CAMPANINI
The symbolic architect of Milan’s Liberty is
undoubtedly Alfredo Campanini. Originally from
Emilia Romagna, Campanini moved to Milan to
graduate from the Brera Academy in 1896 and was
already recognized at the time as one of the leading
exponents of the new style, inspired by architects
from beyond the Alps such as Victor Horta and Jules
Lavirotte. He obtained his first commissions
immediately after marrying the eclectic styles of the
neo-Romanesque and the neo-medieval (see the
church of Santa Maria di Lourdes, built in 1903). He
later experimented with new, French influences, of
which he left important legacies–above all, the
decorative details that, between Paris and Brussels,
were emblematic of the historical period: flowers,
fruits, female figures, sinuous lines and fine wrought
iron.
Casa Campanini
A main visual feature of the buildings are the concrete
caryatids, located at its main entrance, by the sculptor
Michele Vedani, which represent a reference to those of
Palazzo Castiglioni (by architect Giuseppe Sommaruga),
another art nouveau building in Milan. The wrought iron
gate, designed by Campanini and created by Alessandro
Mazzucotelli, is decorated with flower patterns; similar
decorations are also found in the internal lift cage, also
in iron.

The interior of the palace has a number of polychrome

g lasses, friezes, and frescos, all in an art nouveau style;
some of the inner rooms still house the original furniture
and pottery. Decorations, representing cherries, are
found on the ceiling of the internal yard.
Gino Cappedè
Born in Florence in 1866, Coppedè
– sometimes referred to as Italy’s Gaudí
– was an artist and sculptor, as well as
an architect. He became known for his
elaborate and eclectic style, which
embraced contemporary trends and
ancient styles, combining elements of
expressionism, classical architecture,
futurism, baroque, art nouveau, the
medieval, and art deco – with large
dashes of his own whimsy thrown in
for good measure.
Coppedè Quarter
The Quartiere Coppedè is a crossroads
of four city blocks, concentrated around a
central fountain. Each building that
makes up one corner of the block has a
wildly different and fantastical style

The entire zone was built between

1921 and 1927 by Florentine architect,
artist, and sculptor Gino Coppedè
Giuseppe Sommaruga
(1867–1917) was an Italian architect of
the Liberty style or Art nouveau movement. He
was the pupil of Camillo Boito and Luca
Beltrami to the Brera Academy in Milan. His
monumental architecture exerted some
influence[1] on the futurist architect Antonio
Sant'Elia.
Giuseppe Sommaruga was the most
important architect of the Liberty Style and
lived 50 years which was not a short life at
that time of history if we consider that since
1900 the global average life expectancy has
more than doubled.
 by Giuseppe Sommaruga (1901–

Palazzo Castiglioni in Milan 1903)

Palazzo Castiglioni (1901-1903) is a grand palace

in the Liberty style in Milan and the masterprice of
Giuseppe Sommaruga (1867–1917). Its floral elements
are combined with classical structures, as in the
grandiose atrium.
It was a palace built for a wealthy local
businessman who wanted the building to reflect his
status, its interiors are richly decorated. It was
remodelled as an office complex in the 1960s, meaning
that most of the original interiors are gone, but it’s still
possible to admire the alluring exterior.
Since the very inauguration of the palazzo the two
female statues, created by the sculptor Ernesto
Bazzaro, which decorated the entrance caused heated
controversy because they were naked. Despite
representing peace and industry, they became the
subject of ridicule forcing the owner to move them to
another location.
Ernesto Basile
(31 January 1857 – 26 August
1932, in Palermo) was an Italian
architect and an exponent of
modernisme and Liberty style,
the Italian variant of Art
Nouveau. His style was known
for its eclectic fusion of ancient,
medieval and modern elements.
 by Ernesto Basile (1899–1902)

Villino Florio in Palermo

Villino Florio is a private residence designed
in an eclectic art nouveau (Liberty) style by
Ernesto Basile, and located on Viale Regina
Margherita #38 in the city of Palermo, Siciy,
Italy.
The structure was commissioned by the scion of the
wealthy Florio family, Ignazio Florio Jr, also owners
of the hotel refurbished by Basile, Villa Igiea.
Construction was pursued between 1899 and 1902.
The exterior incorporates architectural element from
various traditions, including neogothic turrets. The
house has a novel interpretation of dual entry
staircases common in Sicilian architecture. The
house fell into disuse after a fire in 1962 damaged
some of the interiors. A recent restoration has
allowed visitors to see the interiors