The design theme involved the reuse of large spaces to transform them from an Industrial factory to an Art factory, a laboratory space open to the public.The project is based on the extraordinary possibilities offered by the large volume, which allows for the distribution of pieces, even of considerable size, and for them to live in the space. The exhibition machine was created by building a system of partitions that cross the naves, allowing you to walk through the space without a precise direction to admire the works from new angles. The final objective is to give a new centrality to art and culture to a semi-peripheral quadrant of the city: Tiburtino district, a manifesto of architectural neorealism of the 1950s and characterized anonymous buildings with a prevalent popular vocation.
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The area was chosen for its unusual stratification between ancient and industrial archaeology, given by the coexistence of an archaeological site, industrial buildings, now partly converted into film studios or co-working spaces, and various artisan contexts in a Roman quadrant that is a manifesto of architectural neorealism built in the 1950s and characterized by very tall, fairly anonymous buildings with a prevalent popular vocation.
The architectural choice was to keep the original features intact to create a multifunctional center dedicated to exhibition, research and teaching: from the exhibition area, designed to combine temporary exhibitions with the permanent collection, the route continues outside with a focus on sculpture, between the garden and the square.
The space was designed according to environmental sustainability criteria: the entire structure is powered by a complex 75 Kw photovoltaic system that allows the self-production of its own energy needs.
At the entrance to the structure there is a photovoltaic sculptural allblack totem that powers 2 recharges for electric cars.
All the waste materials from the demolition of the buildings were reused to complete the roofs of some buildings, to insulate the walls or create new windows.
Nothing was wasted, everything was reused.
All the outside surface material used are also planned with a draining asphalt so as to limit the environmental impact. The water used comes from an underground aquifer and thus allows the maintenance of the greenery.
A space that evokes New York or Milanese realities, but presents itself as a very rare place, with an identity that is only Roman: inside an intact and authentic city, in a typically Pasolinian suburban street that is at the same time inside a metropolis, in close contact with artisans at the disposal of the artists.
The project site, originally an abandoned concrete production plant, was in an advanced state of decay. However, some architectural elements such as the overhead cranes still evoked the industrial memory of the site. We chose to preserve the original morphological and typological identity of the structure, repurposing it into flexible and multifunctional spaces designed to host exhibitions, workshops and artistic residencies. The result is an example of architecture that recalls the monumental grandeur of industrial cathedrals, with a three-nave interior 50 meters long, 25 meters wide and almost 6 meters high. The load-bearing iron structure, painted yellow, interacts with large steel-framed windows, offering a blend of light and materials that reinterprets the industrial language with a contemporary touch. Renovation efforts included restoring the roof in line with the original design and repositioning the overhead cranes, now reused to transport and install large-scale works of art. The project creates fluid exhibition paths through partitions that cross the naves, offering different visual perspectives.
The D'ARC Foundation stands as a testament to architecture’s ability to reinterpret the industrial past, breathing new life into cultural spaces. The D’ARC Foundation fits into the urban context of the Tiburtina and contributing to its cultural revival. The transformation of an industrial ruin into a cultural hub represents a political and social act of reclaiming space, promoting inclusion, participation and a sense of community in a traditionally semi-peripheral area.
THE ARCHITECTURAL FIRM 3C+T, CAPOLEI CAVALLI ARCHITETTI ASSOCIATI, WAS FOUNDED IN 1960 IN ROME. THE STUDIO'S WORK ORIGINATED WITHIN A CULTURAL MOVEMENT CHARACTERIZED BY INNOVATIVE AND VISIONARY TRAITS: RADICAL ARCHITECTURE AND ITS
INTERPRETATION WITHIN THE ROMAN CONTEXT DURING THE ECONOMIC BOOM OF THE 1960S, THE STUDENT MOVEMENTS, AND THE SEARCH FOR A NEW WAY OF LIVING—CREATING “NEW SPACES” FOR A “NEW TIME.” IN THE EARLY 1990S, THE TORCH WAS PASSED TO THE NEXT GENERATION. THE “TURN OF THE CENTURY” AND THE STUDIO’S NEW DESIGN APPROACH REFLECT THE TRANSFORMATIONS OF ARCHITECTURE AND CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY,
ADDRESSING NEW DEMANDS, NEEDS AND PERSPECTIVES FOR THE FUTURE.