Il dibattito sui grattacieli nelle riviste tecniche italiane della prima metà del Novecento: tra fascinazione tecnologica e critica urbana

The emergence of architectural verticality in the United States sparked an intense debate in Italy from the early twentieth century onward. Through an analysis of articles published in technical journals between the 1910s and the 1930s, this paper reconstructs the main positions expressed by engineers and architects on the topic of the skyscraper, highlighting a persistent tension between fascination with structural innovations – particularly those related to the use of reinforced concrete – and concerns about the urban, hygienic, and social consequences of building at great heights. Specialized journals thus became a privileged arena for the development of a critical reflection on the transferability of the American model to the context of Italian cities, contributing to an inquiry into the relationship between technical progress, architectural design, and urban quality.