La Rinascente Piazza Fiume | 2050+

2050+ has completed the architectural transformation of the exteriors and the refurbishment of the sixth floor of La Rinascente in Piazza Fiume, Rome, one of the most iconic buildings designed by Franco Albini and Franca Helg between 1957 and 1961.

In line with the intentions of the two architects, the project by 2050+ stems from the convictions that modernity is timeless – it does not rest on style or image, but on materials and function. Being modern is about embodying and transforming, rather than simulating an attitude. These stances translated into a series of targeted interventions that took on the legacy of the original project, while developing a dynamic relationship with the past, aiming to strike a balance between restoration and transformation.

The opening of the sixth floor marks the end of the restoration of the façade and the completion of the new architectural project that strives to re-establish the building as an open space for citizens and visitors alike, in line with the modern spirit of Albini and Helg.

The interventions are grounded on tactical rather than formal considerations. They include the strategic replacement of specific building components with the aim to revive both technical and spatial solutions that were once part of the original project, while also adapting La Rinascente in Piazza Fiume to the requirements of a contemporary department store.

The newly built panoramic elevator, which replicates the form of the stairwell as designed in the 1957 version of the project, is treated as a technical insert inside the structural partition of the façade along the courtyard: it flanks the existing egress stairs, improving internal flows while providing direct access to the restaurant on the sixth floor, directly from the courtyard, also outside opening hours. All the shop windows alongside Piazza Fiume and via Salaria have been replaced, restoring original geometries and proportions.

The transparency of the courtyard glass surfaces has also been restored, revealing once again the escalators and rehabilitating their scenographic function. The portion of the roof facing the Aurelian Walls is transformed through the introduction of a glass surface that offers visitors an unprecedented view of the city from the restaurant on the sixth floor.

Here the interiors are an integral component of Albini and Helg’s architecture, with lights, modular displays, surfaces and an ashlar wall enhancing the features of the original project. The ceiling is set on a graphic partition that introduces a triangular motif into the rhythm of the beams and diffuses light. Following the structure, a modular display reorganizes the course of the floor. Finally, the reopening of the terrace provides the sixth floor with an outlet onto the courtyard.

The view from the top floor over Rome and the Aurelian Walls is the final destination of a path that from Piazza Fiume, cutting through the building, projects visitors straight into the city.

***

CONCEPT

Concept for the architectural transformation of the exteriors and the refurbishment of the sixth floor of La Rinascente in Piazza Fiume, Rome, one of the most iconic buildings designed by Franco Albini and Franca Helg between 1957 and 1961.

The project, as it was conceived in 1957, was the unique result of a collaboration between an enlightened patron and two masters of Italian architecture: Franco Albini and Franca Helg.

The design embodies the spirit of the ‘50s and ‘60s economic boom, where - alongside swift economical, social and technological changes - department stores underwent a process of democratization, taking on their newfound role of social aggregators. Conceived while Olivetti was establishing itself as a leader in the industry, the Rinascente project by Albini and Helg was a rational response to profound historical changes: a simple square volume defined by internal flows - designed to optimize commercial space. The few openings in the façade were conceived to reveal certain spectacular details, such as the helicoidal staircase as well as the escalators. The 1961 design celebrates all fluxes - crowds, merchandise, and data - tangible icons of modernity, at the dawn of globalization.

The first iteration of the design had even envisaged direct access from an indoor car park, configuring the building as ‘machine for shopping’. The efficiency and care in detail that is afforded to the design and layout of the building is also reflected in its structure.

Juxtaposed with the Aurelian City Walls (Mura Aureliane), situated opposite, the complexity of the design is evident in the horizontal layout of the steel frames, echoing the moulding typical of Roman palaces, and in the corrugated infill panels that used to host the technical distribution of MEPs (mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems).

The panels (formed by a cement and granite mixture) cladding constitute a pre-fabricated and modern version of traditional stone façade. The treatment of the building shell is a perfect example of the holistic talent of Albini and Helg - a talent that was capable of translating functional necessities through design, merging architecture and technology.

In reference to the ensuing project of Albini and Helg, architecture historian and critic Reyner Banham, in his book The Architecture of Well Tempered Environments, describes the Piazza Fiume building as “a technological architecture for a historical context”(R. Banham,1969). Over the years, its façades and interiors were partially transformed according to the spatial requirements of the retail industry, turning the building into an introverted container, therefore sacrificing its role in its urban context. 

In line with the modern spirit of Albini and Helg, the 2050+ renovation project aims to re-establish La Rinascente in Piazza Fiume as an open space to citizens and visitors.

The aim of the intervention is grounded on tactical rather than formal considerations. The strategic replacement of specific building components aims to reinstate both technical and spatial solutions that were once part of the original project, while also adapting it to the progressive needs of a contemporary department store. All shop windows running alongside Piazza Fiume and via Salaria will be replaced, restoring original geometries and proportions. The transparency of the glass surfaces courtyard will also be restored, revealing once again the escalators and rehabilitating their scenographic function.

The portion of the roof facing the Aurelian Walls will be transformed by introducing a glass surface, revealing the 1961 design structural elements. The intervention equips the restaurant on the sixth floor with an unprecedented view of the city.

A new panoramic elevator will flank the existing egress stairs, previously of limited access, improving internal flows while providing direct access to the sixth floor restaurant from the courtyard, beyond the store’s opening hours.

This new vertical volume - replicating the form of the stairwell as imagined in the 1957  iteration- replaces a series of metallic framed balconies. The volume façade – which covers the elevation along the courtyard –  will be composed of vertical struts in reference to the grid motifs that mark the building's technical elements, in continuity with the language of the existing architecture.

A balance between restoration and transformation, the project by 2050+ aims to build a continuity with the work of Albini and Helg, while developing a dynamic relationship with the past. 

Credits

La Rinascente Piazza Fiume – architectural renovation project, Rome, Italy 

Project team: Giacomo Ardesio, Mattia Inselvini, Francesca Lantieri, Camilla Morandi, Ippolito Pestellini Laparelli, Massimo Tenan, Chiara Tomassi

Works management and construction supervision: Archilabo

Local architect: PEI Engineering

Lighting design: CS Progetti

Structural project: Studio Bartoloni

Plant project: BRE Engineering

Facade restoration consultant: Enrico Montanelli

Facade engineering and supply: Thema

General Contractor: CMB