Constructed advertising. The commercial shopfront as a catalyst for modernity in the architecture of Madrid (1921-1936)

Abstract

During the twenties and thirties of the last century, many specialized publications collected a large number of shop fronts that, analyzed together, provide a global overview for the genealogical study of the process of assimilation of modernity in the Madrid architectural scene. These small-scale works, halfway between architecture and advertising technique, will thus become the ideal breeding ground for the development of a new aesthetic in line with the new postindustrial constructive possibilities. This article proposes an approach to the analysis of the cover as a technical object, in the terms defined by the French philosopher Gilbert Simondon. Faced with the traditional vision of the object as a finished form, Simondon finds its true essence in its genesis process, based on the increased technicality experienced in its successive formulations. From this point of view, based on the study of the typological and constructive evolution of this serie of works, we will be able to evaluate their unique role as catalysts in the process of formation of the principles of modern construction.