Architect: Marzia Fiume Garelli – FiumeArchitecture

Photography: Francesco Catino – Catino Foto 

Project Location: Via Segesta, Rome

Built in 2021

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This renovation project, located at Via Segesta in Rome, is set within a complex of significant architectural and urban interest. Designed in the 1950s by renowned architects Eugenio Montuori and Leo Calini (Studio SCM), the building was originally constructed to house employees of the National Agricultural and Forestry Workers Assistance Fund.

The project focuses on a 90 sqm apartment situated on the penultimate floor. The intervention balances modern functional needs with the historical prestige of the site, which is listed in Rome's "Carta della Qualità".

Project Highlights

-Historical Context: The building is part of a complex famous for housing the Airone Cinema, a masterpiece designed by Libera, Montuori, and Calini.

-Spatial Reorganization: The renovation involves a strategic "Extraordinary Maintenance" plan, primarily focusing on the repositioning of internal partitions to optimize the compact 89 sqm footprint.

-Preservation and Play: Central to the design is the creative recovery of the original "cementine" tiles. These historical elements are treated as a "visual game," integrated into the new flooring to act as decorative carpets that define the home's various functional zones.

-Materiality: The intervention celebrates the building's 1950s roots by revealing exposed masonry walls, creating a tactile contrast with contemporary finishes and minimalist architectural lines.

-Optimized Living: Despite the limited square footage, the new layout successfully integrates two bedrooms and two bathrooms, ensuring high-end comfort and modern livability within a historic shell.

This project demonstrates how thoughtful architectural intervention can breathe new life into mid-century residential heritage, transforming a 1950s apartment into a dynamic, contemporary home.