The Multiplicity of Interpretations: Archive Mario Messina (1899-1987) from the Wolfsonian-FIU Collection for the History of Architecture
Abstract
In architectural history, an architect’s archive is a primary source, especially for reassessing figures overlooked by scholarship. The previously unknown archive of Mario Messina (1899–1987), preserved at The Wolfsonian–FIU in Miami and recently catalogued by the author, exemplifies collections that pose significant interpretative challenges due to the predominance of visual material and the near absence of technical drawings. Known for the Cinema Impero in Asmara and linked to Armando Brasini, Messina has been studied only fragmentarily; yet the archive—about four hundred documents spanning nearly four decades—reveals a prolific and wide‑ranging career, largely represented by perspectival drawings and numerous unbuilt projects, with little surviving documentation of his constructed works.
This contribution highlights the research potential of the archive, outlining key lines of inquiry: the philological reconstruction of Messina’s designs, his stylistic development, thematic shifts, and design methodology, as well as the broader urban contexts—Italian and international—in which he operated.
Format
Crossmark
License
In order to support the global exchange of knowledge, the journal Abaton. Revista de figuración, representación e imágenes de la arquitectura is allowing unrestricted access to its content as from its publication in this electronic edition, and as such it is an open-access journal. The originals published in this journal are the property of the Complutense University of Madrid and any reproduction thereof in full or in part must cite the source. All content is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 use and distribution licence (CC BY 4.0). This circumstance must be expressly stated in these terms where necessary. You can view the summary and the complete legal text of the licence.
