Virtual Modernisms. A Digital Investigation on Enrico Castiglioni Structures

In the 1950s, the reinforced concrete structure became an icon of late modernist architecture, and structural engineers established their expressive languages, focusing on the exploration of cutting-edge geometries. The digitally supported in-depth analysis of this complex geometry architectural heritage represents an open challenge for structural engineering and construction history investigations. This chapter focuses on a work methodology to support historical surveys using 3D modelling, 3D printing, and archival documentation. The study highlights how accurate documental investigation is crucial for constructing 3D models consistent with the represented structures. The 3D models are used as sources of original information to assess the historical documentation and improve the knowledge of ‘the product of the construction’ itself. Regarding complex geometry projects, 3D models improve the insight of the design process and structural conception, while 3D printing provides the physical validation of the anatomy of the structure. The methodology is presented through the case study of the structural designs conceived by the Italian engineer Enrico Castiglioni (1926–2000) in the early 1950s, within the Italian structural engineering international rise.