Cellini, Francesco

Francesco Cellini was born in 1944 in Rome, where is currently professor of architectural composition, and where, since 1997, he is dean of faculty of Architecture in Roma Tre University. In 2001 he also has been elected president of the National Conferences of Architecture deans. He has received in 1997 the “President of Republic” prize for architecture; in 1991 he had already received the international price at Venice Biennial, with the project of Italian Pavilion. He is autor of many project and realizations (more than 150), but his activitiy is interested also in publishing (he is autor of many articles and issues and he has also worked for “Controspazio” and “Casabella”) and in managing many important exhibitions. Born in Chianciano (Ch) in 1964 Eugenio Cipollone currently cooperates with Francesco Cellini on projects, realizations, competitions, etc. Since 1996 is contract professor at Faculty of Architecture at Roma Tre University. He has been coordinator of work team in the following projects: green axe Libia-Eritrea-Rome; urban planning of Ostiense area in Rome; restoration of Deutch Academy in Rome. General Consulting for STAdt - program for retraining of basilical areas in occasion of the Big Jubileee 2000 project: Francesco Cellini, Eugenio Cipollone collaborators: Marta Sena Augusto, Donata Maria Tchou executive project: STA Sdt direction of work: Comune di Roma - Office of the projects for the historic city building contractor: Puchain srl; Cerasi Sas; Jakob AG; Cutec-Metecno cost: 7.500.000.000 of liras dimension of the old roofing: 34x12 m dimension of the new roofing: 37x18 m The project of a new roof for the Ostiensis grave-yard is part of the wider program of re-arrangement of the area of the Basilica of San Paolo Fuori le Mura that we have undertaken, commissioned by Società di Trasporti Automobilistici of the Commune of Rome. The interventions include, in addition to the re-arrangement of the archaeological findings, also the re-organization of the motorways, the new paving in the front, side and apsidal courtyards of the Basilica, the restoration of the adjoining Schuster park and the realization of a long block destined to various kinds of services. The grave-yard on the via Ostiensis came to light in 1919, during the excavations for the new sewer trunk line (a large part of which was destroyed by the excavations). The part of the grave-yard that was saved from the line was accurately surveyed by G. Lugli and the part that was deemed the most important was hurriedly provided with a provisional temporary roof, that was realized using part of the materials from the demolition of Corso Vittorio and Largo di Torre Argentina. Needless to say that this temporary structure has resisted to our days. Before the rearrangement works, the old roof was mistaken, including us, for an old covered wash-house that, who knows why, would have been left laying in the middle of the Ostiensis road. As a matter of fact the grave-yard, degraded and black-stained by the smog, was invisible in the dark of the old construction. The reorganization of the road network that among other things reduced by a notable extent the driveway surface of the Ostiensis road, permitted to unite the archaeological remains of the graveyard to a wide pedestrian zone, taking them away from their indecorous placing as fender strips. Through a patient work of historical research we collected and put into the computer the data of the surveys that had been carried out during the twentieth century by Lugli, Stevenson, Borsari and by the Archaeological Superintendence. As we added these surveys to those utilized by us for the project, we were able to reconstruct with good approximation the location of the pre-existing archaeological ruins. Not only this: we were also able to reconstruct the line of the ancient boundary walls that until the end of the XIX century divided the rock of Saint Paul from the Basilica and from the meeting- place of the road of the Seven Churches, forcing the Ostiensis into a narrow alley in proximity of the bell-tower. Even though the ancient relation of the Basilica to the rock was definitely altered by the double motorway of the Ostiensis, the decision was taken to faithfully reproduce the line of the old bearing wall by means of a masonry and stone bench, thus separating the pedestrian zone, paved with travertine stone heads stabilized with white cement from the archaeological area, made to meadow. The old temporary roof was replaced by a new structure, that had the purpose to add dignity and visibility to the archaeological findings. The goal was to facilitate the view of the findings, welcoming the visitors in an indoor environment, so that the eye would be able to adjust to dim light (the contrary of what used to happen before, when from a condition of dazzling light one had to intuitively guess what could there be under that dark roof). A thin, low vault with a constant curvature, with a size remarkably bigger then the previous roof, is coated externally with sheets of oxidized copper, while its light intrados increases the luminosity of the covered zone. The modular metallic structure rests on the foundations of the previous one; in this way it was possible to carry on the project without having to effect any drilling. In order to carry out the construction work, the old masonry structure was simply demolished up to ground level. The steel framework that forms the structure (HE beams and double tubular pilasters of variable length) is hinged to the ground: in this way, by joining the beams with purlins of identical length, it was easy to position them along the radial main lines of the arch described by the roof. The roof’s sandwiched panels assumed their constant ray curvature by simply being linked to the steel beams. The used materials are extremely few: travertine stone, stabilized heads of travertine stone or meadow for the paving, micaceous black paint for the metallic structures, copper for the necropolis’ roofing, cables and stretchers in stainless steel for the parapets. All of this was used in a simple way, almost without details and sketches, seeking solutions of minimal complexity. With this new arrangement, the ‘columbari’ (vaults lined with burial niches) and the ancient grave-yards re-emerged in all of their touching, crowded stratification. The only regret is that, considered our initial goals, we were obliged to substitute a large part of the stone bench with a railing that surrounds the whole area around the roof, so the intent we had vanished to a considerable degree of giving back to the city this fragment of history.