On the way into Urbino we walked around the perimeter of a structure that from the face of it, appears to be simply another large medieval, sienna-coloured brick building rising from the steep narrow streets. It blends seamlessly and chameleon-like with all the other surrounding brick buildings. One enters at street level and becomes aware of a circular atrium faced in bare concrete and punctured with wooden window frames, dropping away to reveal that there are actually two floors below. The building is impossibly complex and almost impossible to describe but we all have our breath taken away by the beauty of the gentle modernist spaces created by bold and uncompromising design. The genius of the architect was that he had the vision to create such a ground-breaking design, weave it into the landscape and fabric of the picturesque hill-town and simultaneously produce exciting areas for the students to work and study in.
My family and I are on a bespoke guided tour of Giancarlo De Carlo's masterpiece: 'Il Magistero', built as a new faculty of the 500 year-old University of Urbino. Dr Tiziana Fuligna explains De Carlo’s radical (for his time) ideas about education and that his belief was that space had to be experienced dynamically by the users of a building; that it wasn’t enough to merely create beautiful spaces, but that they had to be beautiful spaces that one flowed through naturally as part of the function of the building. The enlightening effect on the lives of the tens of thousands of students who have used and studied in Il Magistero since its creation in the '70s is immeasurable. One wonders how many individuals have had their lives enriched and their aspirations and imaginations stimulated by the elegant refinement of this building.
I think it is easy to forget the importance of the effect of our surroundings on our mood, our potential and our outlook. The inspiring nature of Il Magistero was put into stark contrast by watching a recent episode of Panorama, 'Profits before Pupils. The Academies Scandal'. Anyone who has not seen this programme (available on iplayer: BBC1 until August 2019) must do so; it is an essential marker of our times. The scandal it portrays, vividly brings home the appalling conditions that some of our young are languishing in and the damaging effect it must undoubtedly be having on their potentials. Not all UK schools are like the one in the programme, and I have been lucky enough to teach and study in some beautiful and carefully designed buildings. The buildings that make up the Arts University Bournemouth, are examples of how architecture can emanate the exuberance and vitality of an exciting place of learning.
Children deserve the best and not have only have the right to be taught in buildings that are fit for purpose, but to study in spaces that inspire creativity, exemplify excellent design and ultimately demonstrate the high value placed on education by society. The cathedral of learning which is Il Magistero should be visited by all architects planning their next school. It is a building which has laid foundations in the lives of countless creative people of the future.
