'corome virus' depicts the deserted streets of rome in a dystopian orange haze

when you think of rome, what’s the first image that springs to mind? perhaps a crowded trevi fountain or the sun-drenched spanish steps, full with tourists and locals alike. the italian capital is well known and loved for being a chaotic, noisy, busy, polluted and lively city. the idea of the squares and monuments are almost impossible to separate from the thousands of people who crowd them: they are the continuous layer that characterize rome. or at least that was the case before coronavirus… this project, by m²ft architects, shows the eternal city as it is today, deserted and empty.

all images courtesy of m²ft architects

like many other cities across the world that have been impacted by the pandemic of coronavirus (COVID-19), today rome presents itself as its never been seen before. architecture without people; form without users; urbanization without an urban population. a temporary scenario that is evocative of apocalyptic scenes, and reminiscent of dystopian tales and movies that we had hoped would remain as fiction.

‘corome virus’ by m²ft architects is therefore a project that critically addresses the new urban environments that are emerging from the pandemic. it then displays the toxic atmosphere that is consciously and unconsciously attributed to the public space, accentuating the idea of fear that today is associated with it. to do so, they used a graphic orange style, to highlight how, until a few weeks ago, these images seemed only to appear in science fiction.

project info:

project name: corome virus

by: m²ft architects

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lynne myers | designboom