Between Past and Future. The Redevelopment of a Historic Building in Rome

Experimentation, growth, the future – KPMG Italia’s new headquarters in Rome incorporates all these elements. The new homebase of the business management consultants is the result of the redevelopment of a large complex near Roma Termini station. Although left in a state of neglect for several years, this is a significant building in an area surrounded by various important government buildings. The project, the work of Progetto CMR and commissioned by DeA Capital Real Estate, involved the conservative restoration of the façades and the complete reorganization of the interiors. The goal was to not only return this example of rationalist architecture to the city, but also to restore the livability and attractiveness of the entire area.

The project comes under the microscope in a new book entitled Tra passato e futuro. Riqualificazione di un edificio storico a Roma – Between Past and Future. The Redevelopment of a Historic Building in Rome, published by THE PLAN Editions. In Italian and English, the book opens with a preface by Mario Abis and Angela Airoldi (Istituto Makno), and includes interviews with Alberto Meloni and Gregorio Ott (DeA Capital Real Estate), Maurizio Nitrati (KPMG), and Massimo Roj (Progetto CMR).

KPMG’s new Rome headquarters

The new KPMG headquarters in Rome has 161,450 sq.ft. (15,000 m2) of floorspace on eight floors and can accommodate up to 800 workers. The floorplan alternates between assigned closed offices with workstations and open space areas with rotating workstations. It also has breakout areas, reflecting the transitional model of working spaces to living places. The project embodies a strong focus on the quality of its spaces, the wellbeing of those who occupy them, and environmental sustainability.

“According to Vitruvius, architecture is the art of balance – the balance between past and present, between tradition and innovation, between memory and change. These are the dimensions we set out to reconcile in the rebirth of the building in Via Curtatone, Rome, which is now the new headquarters of KPMG. The complex has been brought back to life with respect for its past, but with that past interwoven with the scenarios of future-focused workplaces”.
Massimo Roj, CEO of Progetto CMR

Paradigms change, while people remain central

“The design of the building’s interiors centered on a desire to combine organizational efficiency with people’s wellbeing. It’s a design that supports the productivity levels and spirit of collaboration that KPMG has always sought to achieve. Quality, in general, and the quality of the experience offered to workers guided the designers, who created ‘support’ areas on each floor, intended for social interaction: project rooms for collaborative work, meeting rooms for clients, and phone booths for calls and video calls. There’s also no shortage of spacious lounges with an informal feel and large terraces, intended to better cater for staff work breaks. Reflecting the need to create an ongoing dialogue with the outside world, with the out-of-office areas forming an essential element of the quality of working life, a great deal of attention was paid to providing large windows in the office spaces to ensure plenty of natural light, ample greenery inside, and the creation of small internal courtyards to provide visual contact with nature.”

From the preface, by Mario Abis and Angela Airoldi, Istituto Makno