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CROSSING CORVIALE | 2018 Venice

Photo Alessandra Chemollo

Photo Laura Peretti

Plan layout of the exhibition

Model Earthworks, 1:500
Photo Laura Peretti

Model The Gate, 1:50
Photo Laura Peretti

Model The Gate, 1:50
Photo Dario Coletti

Photo Franesco Galli
cortesy La Biennale di Venezia

Model The Gate, 1:50
Photo Dario Coletti

Model Earthworks, 1:500
Photo Dario Coletti

Model The Square, 1:200
Photo Laura Peretti

Model The Square, 1:200
Photo Laura Peretti

Model The Square, 1:200
Photo Erik Ingvert

Model The Square, 1:200
Photo Alfredo Chiariotti

Layering Landscape
Photo Laura Peretti

Layering Landscape
Photo Dario Coletti

Photo Laura Pisu

Photo Dario Coletti

Photo Laura Pisu

1_THE CROSSING
Thanks to its huge size, Corviale has an enormous quantity of potential freespace. The
renewal of this building will be done based on its intimate character; its walls structure,
which differs from its longitudinal layout, allows the transversal crossing. Corviale,
rather than a barrier becomes a filter; a big porous urban megastructure, like an ancient
aqueduct.

2_EARTHWORKS
A new figure will balance the concrete kilometre through a wide horizontal extension
harmonising the crossings with ground levels and re-establishing the continuity of the
ridge and of the surrounding topography. Thus, the building basement forms a giant
earthwork, where the new winding road reinforces and frees a diverse and continuous
landscape, both in front of, and behind the new building entrances.

3_LANDSCAPE AS A CLIENT
A square, at the scale of the kilometre, provides the inhabitants with a collective and
democratic space that – thanks to its platforms – fixes the topographical gap in the middle
of the building; the last platform of the square is the original agro romano soil. Crossing
below the new Center of Biodiversity (at the edge of the square), the free landscape is
regained through the wall structure. Here, a public ramp reconnects the city with its
environment, while colourful Paladino horses rise up out of a water basin.

Laura Peretti

The ambition of this project is real, it is imaginative and a heroic undertaking for all
involved. Working only with the FREESPACE between and under buildings, a whole new
territory is proposed. The circulation and movement therefore becomes more porous, more
convivial, more secure, and more pleasurable – “setting the Giant free” as the architect
says.
The topography is carefully manipulated transforming what the architect describes as the
“kilometre-long ’dam’ building into a ’filter’ building”. The resultant FREESPACE forms an
intermediate scale between the heroic built form, and the intimate world of the apartments
and inhabitants. 7000 occupants inhabit this social megastructure, originally conceived as
a protective boundary between the sprawling city and agricultural land. Basic tools such as
earthworks, paths, roads, ramps, biodiversity, sunlight and biology are employed to form
public democratic spaces, and to establish a connection with nature and with the
surrounding agro romano. Laura Peretti has completed extremely refined smaller work to date
but has continually shown a commitment to the idea of the transformation of place at the
scale of the territory and this is evidenced in her many competitions and works outside of
Italy. This experience and skill has borne fruit in this exemplary Rigenerare Corviale
project.

Yvonne Farrell + Shelley McNamara
curators of the 16th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia

Crossing Corviale / 2018, Venice

International Architecture Exhibition, Corderie
XVI Biennale di Venezia.
Curators: Yvonne Farrell e Shelley McNamara.

Exhibition layout

area: 30 m2

Stele The Crossing
Mimmo Paladino for Laura Peretti Architects

Layering Landscape
Dario Coletti for Laura Peretti Architects

Model The gate (1:50)
Alvaro Negrello (Porto)

Models Earthworks / The Square (1:500 / 1:200)
arch. Alfredo Chiariotti
arch. Andrea Fornello

Collaborators
arch. Erik Ingvert
arch. Giulia Novelli

with the additional support of
ATER Roma
REGIONE LAZIO
Moscow PUBLIC ART FUND

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