Traduttore, Traditore

Previous Nolli Analysis by Tam Tran

Rome Turned Inside-Out

Around the time of Nolli, Rome was made up of a palazzi which consisted of a residence built around some sort of green space or garden. These spaces were private however and there were not many public green spaces or parks. In between the time of Nolli and now, most of these green spaces have been lost to roads, car parking or new construction. The ones that do exist are still private and much smaller in both size and number.

For the future, I am proposing a society that finally realizes the impact of the cars they value so much. As a result they limit the car/bus circulation to main roads, with stops allowing people to descend into neighborhoods and the cars to stay separated (this is seen in the highlighted blue road a quarter down the map). In addition, the society will gut their courtyards and return them to their original purpose. These green spaces come in the form of a translation of what used to exist and happen there. There is one garden that used to be home to a man who devoted his life to the exploration of Africa. This new space can be translated into a botanical garden with plants that are natural to Africa and the places he may have explored. There is another palazzo where the only surviving Opera by Domenico Mazzocchi was performed back in the early 1600’s. This new green space could be translated into an outdoor performance area. The Trevi Fountain, and the new green spaces along the ruins of the aqueduct may become a garden with fountains along the lines of villa d’Este. Now that these green spaces have been created, the problem lies in allowing public access. This is where I propose to turn the circulation of the city inside-out. The interior courtyards become public and the streets private.