The visual backdrop of the major urban axes of Via Cola di Rienzo, Via Crescenzio, and Via Porcari, with a preview of the nearby St. Peter’s Square, Piazza Risorgimento serves as a breathing space between the heavy pedestrian flows of Via Ottaviano and Via di Porta Angelica.
Created in the early 20th century alongside the Prati district, transformed in the 1950s with the development of new spaces for the car-centric city, and reorganized for the 2000 Jubilee, this square has always had a hybrid nature, functioning as a garden, a crossroads, a natural island, and a passageway.
For a long time, it has remained a key point in urban mobility, acting as a “link” between the north-western crossing routes of the city and the Lungotevere system, in addition to being the historic terminus of the Roman tram ring.
Building upon the existing features and reinterpreting their material qualities, the project aims to foster new environmental relationships and innovative uses of space.
In the pedestrianized areas, asphalt is replaced with calcestre, a compacted natural earth that restores the ground to its original, natural state, enhancing permeability and improving the absorption capacity for heavy rainfall.
In this temporary version, Piazza Risorgimento aims to be many places in one: a garden, a square, a new urban ecosystem.