Fabrizia Talarico

Thesis in Architectural Design

Design of the Aerospace Engineering University Campus on the Via Salaria

Thesis by Fabrizia Talarico
Contact email: fabriziatal@hotmail.it
University of Rome "La Sapienza"
Faculty of Architecture "Valle Giulia"
Speaker: Prof. Alfonso Giancotti
Co-supervisor: Arch. Manlio Amadio
Academic Year 2011 - 2012

The area under study is located in Rome in the fourth district, inside the ring road, between via Salaria and one of the three Roman airports: the Urbe airport.
It extends for 50.000 m500 and its longest side runs along the Via Salaria for XNUMX m. 
The buildings inside are fragmented and abandoned, only a few buildings are in good condition and usable and the paths connecting the various parts of the area are difficult to see due to the presence of enormous quantities of spontaneous vegetation.
The area is characterized by major emergencies: the Tiber River that runs along the large area where the Urbe Airport is located, the airport itself, the Via Salaria and the Rome-Florence railway line. These "limits" have not only created the morphology of the area but have also made this area attractive for the location of the many productive activities that are found there.
Until a few years ago, the area under study was occupied only by the "San Marco Research Center" (an institute of the University of Rome "Sapienza", representing the continuation of the San Marco Project, created in 1962, through which Italy became the third nation in the world to send an artificial satellite into orbit), which used the entire area as a headquarters for its own scientific research.
Over the years, various economic and political problems have "forced" the same scientific institution to abandon the instruments and buildings due to the huge expenses necessary for their maintenance. 
In recent years, the School of Aerospace Engineering, previously located in Via Eudossiana on Colle Oppio, has been moved to this area because it is more suitable for hosting this particular branch of engineering.
The previous location did not have the appropriate means to carry out the activities, so it was necessary to move to another location.
This move was made with the intention of creating a university campus suitable for the teaching and research activities that students must undertake to achieve their goal.
The current situation, three years after the move, is characterized by degradation and abandonment, as the existing buildings that house the Engineering headquarters, most of which are disused or laboratories, are not accessible and usable by students, who find themselves in a difficult situation.
The aim is to design the Aerospace Engineering Campus, which the “SAPIENZA” university had set itself the goal of creating, and the functions necessary for carrying out the many activities.