Color as material: ceramic surfaces in the work of Gio Ponti in Milan (1927-1970)

The study is based on the analysis of the design and operational path conducted by the architect Gio Ponti on ceramic materials between the late 1920s and the early 1970s, with particular attention to applications in the Milanese context. Milan represents the main laboratory for experimenting with the figurative, plastic and chromatic potential of modern ceramic surfaces. The analysis of archival documentation preserved at the CSAC Archive in Parma, the Gio Ponti Archives in Milan and the Archivio Progetti at the Iuav University of Venice allows for a deeper understanding of the design path at different scales, from the design of specific lines of ceramics for industry, to their application in buildings. The second part of the analysis is aimed at tracing the conservation problems of ceramic surfaces, with the aim of highlighting both the cultural and technical aspects that are affecting the conservation of this heritage. Connected to the latter aspect is a focus on the principal deterioration phenomena of modern ceramic surfaces related to different types of substrates, providing in-depth knowledge that opens up new strategies for their conservation.