The new complex consists of a rectangular block of the congress center itself and a 55-meter black glass tower of the hotel with 439 rooms. It appeared in the area EUR (Esposizione Universale di Roma), originally intended by Mussolini for the 1942 World Exhibition - next to the buildings of those years and the sports facilities of Pier Luigi Nervi for the 1960 Olympics.
The history of the project dates back to 1998, when an architectural competition was announced (won by Fuksas in 2000). This is a state project, which was progressing with considerable difficulty and stops, which at times seemed to be final; there was not enough money, the budget was significantly exceeded (as a result, it amounted to 275 million euros): Archi.ru plans to tell this story in more detail in a separate publication.
So, 18 years later, the congress center, nicknamed for its most original component, the membrane volume in the center - Nuvola, "The Cloud" - was opened on October 29 by the Mayor of Rome, Virginia Raji. The center together with the hotel should bring about 300-400 million euros to the city budget annually.
The building of the congress center consists of two parts: a rectangular glass shell "Teka" and a "Clouds" suspended inside it. "Cloud" is made of light-permeable Atex membrane® 2000 TRL (fiberglass fabric with the addition of silicon-containing organic compounds) and hides in itself a hall with 1800 seats sheathed with cherry wood - the main one in the complex. The underground level contains spaces for exhibitions and conferences, which in total provide another 6,000 seats (it is possible to customize the layout for a specific event).
Large-scale public spaces are envisaged: two squares are arranged outside, the Forum (7500 m2) paved with travertine - inside the Teka, not counting the lobbies. There is an underground parking for 615 cars.
Both the hotel (named by the architect "Blade") and the congress center are made seismically safe as much as possible, which is important in connection with the recent earthquakes in central Italy. Particular attention is paid to the environmental components of the project: solar panels are installed on all facades of both buildings and on the roof of Teka. To cool the air, a geothermal system and water from a nearby artificial lake (it was created under Mussolini) are used. The power for the complex will also be generated by a cogeneration power plant. A rainwater collection system is provided.
