TRACE0011 - Architectural Walking Tour: Neighborhoods of Modern Rome

Course Description

Beyond the Historic Center lies the Rome that is lived-in by a majority of Romans and has been a great cauldron of experiments in housing and neighborhood design for over 150 years. This 2 session class will consist of neighborhood walks that address such topics as the symbolic value of architectural style and typology; neighborhood identity and gentrification; and the effects of global social and economic currents of the 20th century on city planning in Rome. We will visit and analyze two key neighborhoods that help to illustrate the breadth of experimentation in urban design in the 20th and 21st century city:

Session 1: Testaccio – Rome’s favorite housing project

Beginning at the foot of the massive Pyramid of Cestius (18BCE), cross the threshold of the ancient Aurelian Wall (271BCE) to visit an ‘enlightened’ worker housing district of the early 20th century, taking in its new covered market (a Rome foodie favorite), the former slaughterhouses now converted to fair trade market and exhibition halls, to the visible remains of the ancient Roman granary and around Monte Testaccio, a landform composed entirely of pottery shards from the ancient shipping port along the Tiber. Great pastry shops, pizzerias and local attractions could keep you coming back to this authentic Roman popular quarter.

Session 1: Meet on the steps of Piramide metro station (Line B)

Session 2: Villaggio Olimpico / Flaminio – Modern and Contemporary Rome

See the convergence of Italian post-World War II optimism and sample Rome’s cutting edge contemporary art and design scene in this historic neighborhood, planned as early as 1908 and subjected to more than a century of unpredictable transformation. Discover Modern masterpieces by Pier Luigi Nervi, the 1960 Olympic Village and its links to the sporting complex Foro Italico (formerly Foro Mussolini), Renzo Piano's contemporary Auditorium Parco della Musica and Zaha Hadid's MAXXI museum (museum admission not included, but a visit following the class is possible).

Session 2: Meet outside Palazzetto dello Sport, Piazza Apollodoro, 10.

Course Materials: Students should come to class with a sketchbook and pen or pencil, of any size and type. You will be prompted to respond to the sites with visual notes. No prior artistic training required.

Notes