Romanina Master Plan

Rome, Italy

Romanina Master Plan
Rome, Italy
2005

program: Romanina master plan: offices, housing, retail
> total area: 920 600 m2
> built area: 87 500 m2
client: Scarpellini
project: Alfonso Femia * with Sebastiano Brandolini, Ori&Arienti, Marco Pascucci, Annalaura Spalla, Steer Davies Gleave
structural engineering: Stefano Migliaro
services and environmental engineering: Marco Taccini
model: Edoardo Miola
images: ©Atelier(s) Alfonso Femia
“Let’s mix environment, nature, density, accessibility, to redraw the city and design its metamorphosis.” AF
It is time again to face the city, unostentatiously and with cleverness. It is time to respect it and renovate it. To enhance it, creating a new city, a city which does not gesticulate, which does not cry, which feeds on wisdom and farsightedness… So, the project has to face a new dimension, suspended between the urban context and the landscape. We have to stand on such a ridge. Let’s try to make such concepts concrete and open up our minds. Let’s try to suggest doubts, solutions, and ideas. Try to dream. Try to be romantic, beginning from reality and changing it. Let’s mix environment, nature, density, accessibility, to redraw the city and design its metamorphosis. The Masterplan shall take into account the physical characteristics of the area, together with the historic, archaeological, architectural and natural elements which distinguish the South-east outskirts of Rome: the two Roman aqueducts (Felice and Anio Vetus) crossing the area of Romanina, and the medieval tower “Santi Quattro Coronati” which unmistakably marks the skyline. The new district and the adjoining blocks of houses will be separated by a large park-road which will represent a clear-cut border for the new area. Around this complex, the vegetation typical of Agro Pontino will be particularly rich in order to strengthen the effect of a Park-road. The vegetation will become rarefied approaching the area concerned by the renovation work; here the buildings and the structures will change too: close to the park, buildings will be scattered and will have small dimensions; going further they will be larger. The location of the buildings will remind us of the Roman structures, as an ideal reference to the memory of this area, strictly connected to the close archaeological site. Urban harmonization is achieved by two main “poles”: the “linear Park” to the South – created by thickening the pine rows already existing – and “Piazza dorsale”, the core of the project: 50 squares are located here, housing civic centres, services, equipped areas and sport centres. All these elements will be held together by the pinewood.