Modernism and Agrarian Utopia

Indexed by ScopusThe Iberian Peninsula was mostly rural, poor and archaic until very recently, with only a few cities whose inhabitants lived a substantially different reality from the rest of the population. This provides a background of supposed authenticity of the roots of national architectural identity with direct effects on architectural choices. One of the possible examples to understand this process is the experience of inner colonization, so crucial both in Portugal and in Spain, and the actions taken by the authorities in charge. These parallel experiences provide us with an opportunity to gain a thorough understanding of the relationship between architectural identity and the rural world. In both countries, the 1940s and 1950s were characterized by major infrastructural interventions in the territory. The modernization of Portuguese and Spanish countryside included inner colonization schemes, implementing the “agrarian utopia” purported by both Franco and Salazar. Many modern architects played a part in this process. Rural settlements across the Iberian Peninsula clearly show different points of balance between elements of modernity and references to vernacular architecture. For this reason, they offer an ideal testing ground to question how the local architectural identity was constructed.