Carlo Ratti's 'Objectify' Series Explores the Condominio, Ancient Rome's Enduring Housing Idea
In the summer series 'Objectify' by Wallpaper*, architect Carlo Ratti examines Italy through commonplace items, beginning with the condominio, or shared apartment building. He traces its beginnings to the Casa di Diana, a second-century AD insula in Rome, where the lower class resided in vertical spaces. This model's popularity led to the creation of thousands of insulae, prompting Emperor Augustus to enforce a height restriction. Ratti addresses persistent issues such as noisy neighbors, citing Juvenal's Third Satire. Despite these difficulties, condominios promote urban density and community, particularly evident during the Covid-19 pandemic. Ratti, who heads CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati and the Senseable City Lab at MIT, has also designed the Olympic Torch for the 2026 Winter Games and directed the 19th International Architecture Exhibition in 2025.
Key facts
- Carlo Ratti launches 'Objectify', a summer series in Wallpaper* exploring Italy through ordinary objects.
- The condominio, Italy's shared apartment block, traces back to the Casa di Diana, a second-century AD insula.
- In imperial Rome, tens of thousands of insulae were built, some seven or eight storeys high.
- Emperor Augustus imposed a height limit on insulae, a proto-zoning code.
- Juvenal's Third Satire is cited as history's first condominium complaint.
- Georges Perec's 'Life: A User's Manual' and J.G. Ballard's 'High-Rise' explore apartment block life.
- The condominio fosters urban density, neighbourly solidarity, and serendipity.
- Ratti is an architect and engineer, leading CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati and directing the Senseable City Lab at MIT.
- Ratti designed the Olympic Torch for the Winter Games 2026 and the French pavilion at Expo Osaka.
- Ratti directed the 19th International Architecture Exhibition at La Biennale di Venezia in 2025.
Entities
Artists
Institutions
- Wallpaper*
- CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Politecnico di Milano
- Senseable City Lab
- La Biennale di Venezia
Locations
- Italy
- Rome
- Paris
- London
- Venice
- Cumae
- Gatwick
- Spain
- France
- Singapore
- Osaka