Radical period (design)

In Italy, in the second part of the 1960s, the design avant-gardes entered a new period of construction named "Radical".

Probably the most notorious result of such avant-garde period is the very famous installation called "Superarchitettura", made in Pistoia in 1966.

Within the Italian design framework and action environment, Superarchitettura literally triggered the Radical Period.

Another important studio was placed in Milan and called "STUDIODADA". The members of STUDIODADA were: Ada Alberti, Dario Ferrari, Maurizio Maggi, Patrizio Corno, Marco Piva and Paolo Francesco Piva. Other professionals of that period were: David Palterer, Tomo Ara, Battista Luraschi, Bepi Maggiori, Alberto Benelli, Pino Calzana, etc.

In that period there was a sort of "dichotomy" between architects and designers following the concept of shape coming FORM/FUNCTION and others trying to privilege the styling. Between those, sprung a new movement called "POSTMODERNISM" or "NEOMODERNISM" led by Alessandro Mendini. This movement defined themselves an avant garde, started to edit objects instead of project them. Searching for new surprising surfaces and applying any sort of decoration, to objects they intended to anti-banalizing them. Director of reviews like "Casabella", "Modo" and "Domus" from 1980 to 1985 he succeeded to promote the new tendency. After some year, this movement vanished, but some parts of the researches on surfaces were used for the styling of the new objects. The concept FORM/FUNCTION "won the fight". But the impulse coming from POSTMODERISM and research from exhibitions like "L'INTERNO OLTRE LA FORMA DELL'UTILE" (Interior space after the form of usefulness) held in TRIENNALE DI MILANO in 1980, pushed producer to experiment new materials and new approach to project. The spirit of new designer promoted the transformation.