John Cabot University to Take Part in Open House Roma 2019
John Cabot University is honored to take part in Open House Roma 2019, an international initiative aimed at opening the doors to the city’s little-known architectural treasures. The free events, which will take place on May 11 and 12, will allow guests to visit over 200 buildings, academies, archaeological areas, art studios, libraries, and foreign cultural institutions that normally limit public access. This annual event was first launched in 2012 and has since opened the doors of hundreds of unique private locations, with 50,000 visits last year.
The theme of this year’s edition is Utilitas, or functionality, a fundamental classical theme of architecture, along with Firmitas (strength) and Venustas (beauty). “We believe that architecture needs to satisfy contemporary human needs: therefore, we think that Utilitas is a timely and urgent theme to consider. Architecture is designed to serve human beings and not the other way around,” says Davide Paterna, Director of Open House Rome.
The Aurelian Wing of JCU’s Frohring Library
This year’s program includes 180 sites, 50 events, and 15 guided tours. Highlights of the eighth edition include the unfinished Città dello sport in Tor Vergata; the Italian space agency; the Circolo Sportivo RAI in Tor di Quinto; the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana – the headquarters of fashion house Fendi; the WEGIL building in Trastevere; and street art tours in Ostiense.
John Cabot University will open its doors in order to allow people to visit two of its buildings, the Caroline Critelli Guarini campus on May 11 and the Guarini Campus on May 12.
JCU’s Caroline Critelli Campus
Built in 1907, the Critelli Campus is 1600 square-meter (17,222 square feet) building featuring three original frescos by Giovanni Battista Conti. The first University-owned property, the new building represents the permanence of John Cabot University in Rome’s Trastevere neighborhood. The renovation of the building, which was carried out by the AeV architecture studio, was made possible by the generosity of Trustee Frank J. Guarini.
The Guarini Campus, which is located on the grounds of the Accademia dei Lincei, Italy’s National Academy of Sciences, has been JCU’s main campus since 1990. The Aurelian Wing of the Frohring Library is a synthesis between ancient and modern, with exposed-beam ceilings and arched windows overlooking the Lemon Tree Courtyard contrasting the modern furniture and high-speed computers. The wing is featured in Architectural Guide – Rome, Dom Publishers.
