Piazza di città moderna. Il Mercato Ittico di Luigi Cosenza a Napoli tra vicende storiche e prospettive di restauro

The Fish Market is a work of capital importance for the history of the XXth Century architecture in Naples, both as it is the first work of one of the greatest modern Neapolitan architects, Luigi Cosenza (1905-1984), and as it marks the sudden breakthrough of the Modern Movement in the city. First of all this contribution reinterprets the design and construction of the building, which took place between 1929 and 1935, highlighting its originality and plastic values linked to a pure geometry characterized by the large barrel vault covering the main hall which, in addition to recalling the lesson of Berlage and Hibelseimer, also refers to the great structures of ancient architecture. The essay continues by examining the troubled post-war events of the Fish Market, which led to a partial reconstruction of the roof, in deviation from the original configuration, and a series of progressive alterations of the internal and external spaces. Finally, the current prospects for an expected conservation of the building, which today is in a state of neglect and decay, are highlighted