The Bartlett
Summer Show 2023
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Summer Show 2023
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Osteria Del Curato
A dual programme consisting of an arts centre and an osteria is proposed for a vacant site in San Lorenzo, Rome. The centre resurrects a vacant tavern that sat on the edge of the city for a century before being abandoned in 2009, bringing new life and use to the building.
A historically residential district on the perimeter of the Roman city centre, San Lorenzo is vulnerable to Rome’s ever-growing tourism industry.
The threat of overcrowding, lack of privacy and spatial appropriation plague the city, where the local population is often subservient to the demands of visitors.
The project proposes a dual programme: an art centre that runs in the summer months, and an osteria (bar and dining) in the winter months. This enables the building to meet the needs of both the local community and the visiting tourists.
The art centre offers classes but also rents studio space to three artists: a photographer, a printmaker, and a sculptor. The artworks produced are exhibited and then retained when the building transitions to the osteria in the off-season.
Two seemingly incongruous programmes are forced to cohabitate the same space. The atmospheric, spatial and functional demands contrast one another, creating a palpable dialogue. This is manifest in the furnishing and materiality of the building.
The Bartlett
Summer Show 2023
23 June – 8 July 2023
Summer Show 2023
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