fuksas conceives interior elements for rome convention center

last year, italian firm fuksas completed rome’s new convention center, a project which became the city’s largest building in more than half a century. located in the business district of EUR, south of the city’s core, the layout follows the simple orthogonal lines of the district’s 1930s rationalist architecture. the complex hosts auditoriums, exhibition spaces, and a hotel, and is expected to generate between €300-400 million each year.

the auditorium includes lamps and chairs designed by fuksas
image © moreno maggi (also main image)

however, the architects didn’t stop with just the design of the €239 million complex. doriana and massimiliano fuksas were also partially responsible for the scheme’s bespoke lighting, as well as each of its 1,850 seats. designed specifically for this project, the new luminaire for iGuzzini is called ‘nuvola’, or ‘cloud’ in english. the device has a simple form, which comprises two separate and diametrically opposed sections suspended from fine steel wires.

the auditorium includes a total of 1,850-seats
image © leonardo finotti

‘we firmly believe that light is one of the certainties of architecture: without light there is no space, there are no colors, there is no darkness,’ explains doriana and massimiliano fuksas. ‘light, whether natural or artificial, is the first element we think about in any design. the artificial light, generated from the inside of a building and not the outside, has always been a major factor in our architecture. at night, buildings are similar to lamps that light up as if by magic.’

the luminaire is called ‘nuvola’, or ‘cloud’ in english

in addition, the auditorium also includes chairs originally designed for the french national archives building near paris. named ‘carla’, the seat’s two surfaces intersect and rotate — a movement that results in the back, seat, and armrests. described as being like a ‘geometric flower’, the design has been configured to be adaptable to any given space. see designboom’s previous coverage of rome’s new convention center here.

the device has a simple form, which comprises two separate and diametrically opposed sections