Historicism Versus Communication: The Basic Debate of the 1980 Biennale

The first Venice Architecture Biennale in 1980 provided a vital springboard for Post-Modernism, providing it with an international stage. The Strada Novissima, with its facades by eminent architects of the time, is now a seminal image of 20th-century architecture. As Léa-Catherine Szacka explains, the prominence given to the past in the show's theme was a point of contention among the exhibition's organisers. This has had an enduring impact on architectural culture to this day. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.