Open House Roma 2019 Focuses on Vitruvian 'Utilitas'

The eighth edition of Open House Roma, scheduled for May 11-12, 2019, adopts the theme of 'Utilitas'—one of Vitruvius's three pillars of architecture—amid ongoing debates about the function of architectural heritage. Director Davide Paterna explicitly linked the theme to the controversy surrounding the Palazzo dei Diamanti in Ferrara, where Vittorio Sgarbi and others opposed Labics's design for a new pavilion, arguing that the palace is an artwork without 'utilitas' and thus immutable. Paterna countered that architecture must serve human needs, warning that treating buildings as untouchable artifacts leads to their 'embalming' and death. Open House Roma 2018 attracted over 50,000 visits. This year's edition also launches 'Rooms,' an editorial project in collaboration with Cieloterradesign, serving as an observatory on 'invisible Rome'—inaccessible or altered sites documented online through articles, interviews, and photography. New openings for 2019 include Villino Ximenes, WeGil (ex Casa della Gil in Trastevere), professional studios, private residences, and the Church of Santa Maria Mediatrice by Giovanni Muzio, architect of the Palazzo dell'Arte (Triennale di Milano). Returning venues include the unfinished Città dello Sport at Tor Vergata, Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana (Fendi headquarters), Biblioteca Hertziana, Biblioteca Lateranense, and Labics's Città del Sole.