- How did the architectural concept of the New Congress Center in Rome come about?
- Nature has become the main source of inspiration; the idea arose from observing clouds that move rapidly across the sky in strong winds. The space between the "Cloud" and "Teka", its glass shell-box, is perceived differently from each new point of view. The cloud is chaos, enclosed within the framework of the rational.
Has anything been changed in the project after its approval? What technical problems did you have to solve and how did you manage it?
- The project has remained the same as it was from the very beginning, except for the name. I wanted to call it The Floating Space, but the building got a name that was invented by the Romans themselves: New Congress Center - "Cloud" Adalberto Libera in 1938 and completed in 1954 - note A. V.). The placement of the portals, which are the main elements of the structure supporting the Teku, proved to be very difficult from a technical and constructive point of view.
Was the historical context important for you, on the one hand - the building of the World Exhibition of 1942 - the period of fascism, and on the other - post-war modernism?
- The new congress center was designed with the utmost respect for the historical and architectural context of the EUR region. The appearance of the building follows the simple orthogonal lines of the rationalist architecture of Marcello Piacentini (who directed the construction of the E-42 ensemble - approx. AV) and Adalberto Libera, author of the Palais des Congrès. The Cloud is embedded in Teka and is the key element that defines the character of the New Congress Center. If "Teka" is rigor and geometry, then "Cloud" is its complete opposite. It is an idea of space without rules, a skeleton of steel ribs, clad in transparent fabric. Thanks to the use of glass, travertine (materials typical for the architecture of the EUR region - approx. A. V.) and steel, the light inside the "Cloud" is scattered, and its amount increases.
How do you work in Rome, in the city where you grew up and developed as an architect?
- Rome is an endless source of inspiration, it is a kind of large sculpture cut by the streets, formed by voids and volumes, the elements of which are either compressed or expanded. The history and culture that ancient Rome is full of have become a part of me, they have entered my cultural baggage and have become an integral part of my work.
What is required in order to successfully implement a large-scale project?
- I work for the community. I design, trying to interpret the needs and expectations of people - both in the case of large objects and small projects. I am interested in the individual, his ability to change, develop and feel.
