Lewerentz - Tradição e indústria nos anos 20/30

Abstract

The study - having no other ambition than to deepen knowledge on the relationship between industry and tradition in the work of Sigurd Lewerentz - is structured into three chapters taking as central topics the projects, exhibitions and manifestos that defined the late 1920s and early 1930s. The first part - in which the Stockholm Exhibition is regarded as the pivotal moment that sets up the cultural conflict prevailing on the national and international scene - focuses on the various proposals carried out by Lewerentz and the way in which they were received by the critics. The second part proceeds by taking as its premise the aspirations of the time that had a profound effect on the work of architects, while influencing the very debate erupting within the different groups of society. The Swedish manifesto acceptera - published shortly after the exhibition - is thoroughly studied, aiming to unravel the intentions that shaped this complex artistic project, inherently inseparable from the social circumstance from which it arose. In an attempt to further clarify such wills, some remarks are drawn regarding the concept of type and the notion of style. The third and final chapter delves into the resonances shared by three built projects by Sigurd Lewerentz - villa Edstrand (1933-37), the Social Security Institute Building (1928-32) and Philips Office Building (1929-31) - highlighting how these notions come into play within tradition, never dismissing technique, nor overlooking the progress made possible by ongoing industrial advances.