Interior Design & Architecture students from first and second year visited historical sites and museums in Rome. Walking through the narrow streets of the enchanting city centre, along the river Tevere, and under the blue Italian sky, they have truly enjoyed the intense charm of the Eternal City. From the Pantheon to the Saint Peter’s Basilica, from the Baroque Churches by Borromini and Bernini to the MAXXI by Zaha Hadid: students had the great opportunity to actively, bodily engage with the history of architecture and design.

During the week in Rome, the School of Architecture organised a talk and visit at the Fori Romani, in collaboration with the University of Notre Dame and Professor Jonathan Weatherill, and a series of workshops and activities about sketching, life drawing, site and spatial analysis.

Students in Rome

Emily, first year BA (Hons) Architecture student said: “The recent trip to Rome was a real step into the timeline of Roman architecture, to see how each building has a past and a present and it was so useful to learn how to recognize which time period a building is from by just looking at its simple features. I loved the stories behind each place we went to, from the talk and tour at the Roman forum to learning about how controversial it is that we still have architecture that remains from the time it was built for Mussolini. It was a great experience that I both really enjoyed and learnt a lot from!”

Upward Building Rome

First year BA (Hons) Architecture students also had the chance to meet the coordinators of CivicoZero, a non-profit organisation funded by SavetheChildren, and to visit their day centre for minor refugees. The meeting has been organised thanks to the support of the University Sapienza of Rome and Professor Domizia Mandolesi, the head-designer of CivicoZero new day centre, who presented her project to students. Students will now work in collaboration with CivicoZero to develop accommodations for refugees in San Lorenzo’s district.

The Interior Design & Architecture department also organised a talk and visit at the Bibliotheca Hertziana designed by Juan Navarro Baldeweg.

Students drawing images

Lauren, first year BA (Hons) Architecture student said: “Rome was a great place to go with University. The architecture and history are astonishing, I would not have learned the detail that I did if I had gone alone. A highlight of the trip was visiting the Sant'Agnese in Agone by Francesco Borromini which had great use of creating perspective inside. I also found it interesting that the architect of the fountain outside, Piazza Navona by Bernini, had a figure (following the legend) shielding himself from Borromini's Church. As well as this, it was great to visit the charity for refugees, CiviCozero and learning about their ethos and what they offer. I look forward to designing a parasitic domestic structure intended for them as part of my Design module.”

Rome Landscape

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