Capitalism & the visual identity of the city Rome

Restoration & preservation analysis

VISUAL IDENTITY OF THE CITY ROME

BAU IAR INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY OF ROME Spring 2017 final work

BY Mohammed Awad

INSTRUCTOR Asst. Prof. Dr. Hicran Topcu

INRODUCTION The buildings, architecture details, colours, forms, shapes and many other visible elements are creating The visual identity of Rome. It is such a rich and unique city with all of the layers of the history that say the stories about each corner and create the unique atmosphere as well as the feeling and emotions of humans. A great mixture of styles and techniques from old the most contemporary that create the unique visual identity of the city, which make it so charming.

IN FOCUS. During my analysis on the relationship between the new & old, i realise that the economic value play a great role in influencing Rome’s visual identity. so, i decided to focus on this idea of money controlling the heritage.

I will also be looking on the example and try to find out if it were well planned/ planned at all or there is still a better usage ore a better way to high light it to enhance this relation between now everyday life and the heritage of Rome.

Antico forno Rocioli

well-planned example

Lantern Ex Unione Militare One of the very interesting visual elements in the heart of Rome is the old union military building. The refurbishment have been done by Fuksas. It is a very successful step toward new architecture trying to redefines the urban landscape of Rome historic centre. The minor contemporary glass-steel element as new & fresh as us, on the building is very eye-catchy. It is a good, balanced mixture between old & new succeed to fit in this compacted area.

Lantern close-up Looking more closely on Fuksas’s approach trying to measure the value of this contemporary-old mixture we will realise that it has been a very commercial influenced approach.

As the Lantern glass-steel element has a minor effect on the out-side, it controls on the other side the whole interior and creates the back ground of the space from the first floor to the top of the building. The space is occupied by well-known couple of brands and the roof top is exclusively used for private events.

The location of the project play a big role in turning the approach to a very commercial approach. It is in the heart of the shopping street Corso and in front of the fancy Fendi Palazzo. Which create this question of the relation between the prestigic Military building from the XIX century and the Multi commercial Elite-community usage.

H&M store Corso

Although it is in my opinion very successful design and architectural wise approach. The multi commercial usage is tend to be the big question mark about the property and its historical value. does the building with its relationship in the skyline image with the Corso church represent power and control of the Capitalism on our world?1

MAXXI The National Museum of the 21st C e n t u r y A r t , c re a t e s a v e r y successful urban new area away from the centre. Zaha Hadid approve her presence in the great city Rome very bold and strong yet, away from everything. After winning the competition to build the museum on the disused military compound, Zaha created a new attraction in the city that has a lot of values on many different levels.

well-planned example

MAXXI A beautiful fairytale

Taking the tram from the busy Flaminio toward MAXXI is taking you not only away from the stressful part of the city but away from reality as well. The building that blend in the older surrounding and fits very well is tend the take the whole area to a new level of an urban new attractive area.

There is no doubt that MAXXI has a great economic value for the culture ministry but, it has also many other values. Beside being iconic building and design in the architecture world it has a great successful educational value. It has also a great time value by creating this “now� space that the city needs. It has started new dialogue with humans and their future needs.

One of the most interesting ideas about MAXXI design the although it is so extreme out standing it also fits very will in the urban context and in the older parts of the building. Although it is another example that merge Military properties with new architecture beside Lantern by Fuksas, yet tend to have a totally different value.

Differently from all other museums in the city and culture attractions, MAXXI tend to be what exactly Rome needs. As you would rarely find locals and families going to the typical city sightseeing, we have a different situation in MAXXI, beside all the tourists and the design interested people you will find local families, students, seniors coming to enjoy & use the different level of the urban space around MAXXI.

MACRO MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART OF ROME

A TRIAL TOWARD FUTURE Although the place is unique in many levels. It seems a pit like a shy trail to upgrade the area.

well-planned example

Macro museum The museum is not as pleasant as it seems. it seems that it hardly fits in the space and it create a non-connected or non organised place.

Using materials and techniques which is modern yet not so bold is a good way to go toward creating a museum in this part of the city and in this space.

The interior take us to a different level of contemporary design but it stay not very well designed foe the fact that the design is a bit squeezed in the space.

Having different entrances and un-continues spaces could be a disadvantage on the design level. yet the museum itself in this area is of course a great value on many levels for the neighbourhood and the city.

un-planned example

SHOPS WINDOWS

It is of course very interesting visually, to walk through a historical area full of old buildings and enter some shops that is very contemporary designed. We love this contrast and the surprise of the un expected interior.

Staurt Weitzzman by Zaha Hadid

In the city Rome, where the competition is very high due to the big number of tourists. walking through shopping areas such as Corso, we are going to see a very high commercial visual noise. specially that Italy is one of the Fashion destinations. via Corso

via Vittorio Veneto

Beside the interior of the shops that usually represent the brand wherever it come from. We will see that the windows and the facade of the building are of course effected. in most of the cases in a way that make no sense or has no respect for the context or the buildings themselves via Vittorio Veneto

Does in this case the city Rome has restrictions and regulations for this problem? and how effected it is?

The visual identity in this case is controlled by Fashion=Money. in my opinion this leads to a ver y dangerous situation, Cities become similar in a way. they lose a huge part of their identities.

un-planned example

Yet blend well on the other hand we can see some other examples of shops and properties that have been situated suddenly somewhere in Rome but still hold a respect for the surrounding.

Some hotels and commercial facilities are using the advantage of the building and the city and highlighting the style of it in a decent original way. Beautiful or exaggerating the fact that they hold the style will stay an advantage for the visual identity of the city. hotel- Monti

hotel- Monti

It is a challenge for a designer or an architect to create an attractive space that holds the past and also tend to be up to date in a harmonised accepted way.

Wherever the brand is coming from and however changeable seasonal it is. there is alway a way to do a local adjustment and take advantage of where it is located.

Via Corso

un-planned example

Religious influences The power of the religion has a huge impact on us and our surrounding, special in the catholic city Rome church tend to control a lot of what happens now and though the long history.

Added minarets on the churches in later on renovation is a very enological attitude. Does the minaret give more power for the church or does it make us more religious? it is an attitude that create a negative impact actually on the public yet visually seems to be not well-planned. it tend to be another commercial attitude this time on the religious level.

Trastevere

San-Silvistro in Cpite

Turning the first synagogue in Rome to a restaurant is a very economical attitude toward a religious place. does the restaurant add value for the monument? or it take advantage of it? wouldn't it be better to highlight the monument in a different way yet still having the restaurant.

On the other hand turning a church to a university lap seems to be a more mature attitude toward a religious space as religion & education tend to be on more similar value for humans.

Sienna university

EGYPTIAN OBELISK

To bring and Egyptian unique pieces to highlight the roman city piazzas could be and accepted attitude toward the culture heritage as it belong to the human being at the end. It also ha a lot of values about time and past events but, to add a cross on the top of it is Another commercial attitude from the church. visual you change the beauty of this pure peace of natural stone with human writing on it and it s a trial of changing identity of things according to the time and power.

Piazza del Popolo

un-planned example

Servian walls Termini During the stay in Rome people go to the train station plenty of times, but how many would notice this huge parts of the old multilayer huge structures and walls?!

How many ways could we find to take advantage of the walls or high-light this structures sending in the space. couldn't it become more effective part of the interior? can't it be more contrasting?

Letting stand there is not enough behaviour toward a piece of the past that caries a lot of values.

Letting this walls in this busy space full of shops and to go restaurants allow us to lower the value of it and doesn't add more or less something for the visual identity of the place.

The End

Il Merkato Centrale

The Visual Identity of the city Rome is rich with the new and old relations neither wellplanned or un-planed attitude it is carrying a lot of charm and beauty. It bring a great economical value for the city and the community, but that also makes the commerciality play a great role in the approaches. And the responsibility will be on use to change the commercial or economical attitude toward less materialistic values.