Embrace and escape: Carlo Mollino's refinement on Modernism in Condominium di San Remo

Turinese architect Carlo Mollino (1905-1973) had a peculiar approach towards modernity. Some consider his design detached from the Italian post-war reality, but others consider the detachment as the result of his reflection on the functionalist utopia in post-war Europe[1]. Regardless, his artistic expression of personal value is worth studying. In Mollino’s article about his unbuilt project for a Condominium in San Remo he clearly illustrated his intention to escape. This essay uses Le Corbusier’s Unité d'Habitation in Marseille as a reference to investigate Mollino’s embrace and escape of Modernism in design, and to illustrate his aim of accepting the advanced technology of modernism while escaping from its social responsibilities. This essay illustrates how Mollino expressed his elitist values and refined modernism.