Spain and Portugal after World War II: White color between tradition, nationalism and internationalism

Abstract

Between the two world conflicts and after the end of the Second War, the European West passes through years of deep instability, and in many nations totalitarian political regimes are established. In this complex cultural context, the different natures of the white color re-emerge and coexist in the experience of architecture, in which, according to design choices, materials and techniques, has a value of traditionalism, nationalism or internationalism. After several decades, we can now affirm the importance of these design experiences in southern Europe, which have contributed to the development of coherent architectural language of which the white color is still a shared character.