Palazzo della Civiltà Italianà Roma, ItaliaPhotography by Beppe BrancatoOne of my
Palazzo della Civiltà Italianà Roma, ItaliaPhotography by Beppe BrancatoOne of my favorite buildings!Via Wallpaper.com (12-2015):In 1938, Benito Mussolini ordered the transformation of 420 acres of lifeless no-man’s land five miles outside of Rome’s centre into a precinct of skyscrapers and freshly planted trees. Called EUR (Esposizione Universale di Roma), this mini-city was set to play a starring role in Rome’s 1942 world fair, the perfect platform for trumpeting the pomp and power of Mussolini’s political empire. EUR was the most ambitious architectural scheme of his entire ego-fuelled Fascist regime, and like most despot pet projects, it went up with whizzing speed and efficiency. The biggest jewel in this cement crown was the Palazzo della Civiltà Italianà, a magnificent six-storey marble tower featuring a neoclassical facade of never-ending arches with glass and bronze windows that extend across all four of the building’s sides.The Second World War ruined Il Duce’s carefully hatched plans. The world fair was promptly cancelled, Mussolini was eventually overthrown, and EUR was shut down, leaving its brand new buildings all dressed up with nothing to do.Since then, this iconic building has been left eerily empty. Over the last seven decades, there have been occasional renters or onetime exhibitors (such as Giorgio Armani) who took temporary residence in Palazzo della Civiltà’s enormous interiors. But for the most part, the giant building was left without a heartbeat. Finally, though, it has fittingly glamorous tenants. The Rome-based fashion brand Fendi, led by CEO Pietro Beccari, has completed a full-scale, 18-month restoration, awakening the building from its long sleep and transforming it into its official global headquarters. Every square centimetre of its 20,000 sq m is now in use.#Built Beauty#architecture #classical #neoclassical #arches #fascist #italy #italia #modernist #rome #proportion #scale #Palazzo della Civiltà Italianà #inspiration #design #buildingdesign #classicalmeetsmodern #modernism #fashion #travel #destination #fendi #roma #history -- source link
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