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Cloud-like building features in new Rome convention center

CCTV.com

07-22-2016 01:00 BJT

A Roman neighborhood -- once associated with former leader Benito Mussolini's fascist regime -- has a new building for the 21st century. The EUR Convention center is a steel and glass cloud, which can host as many as 1,800 people in its suspended auditorium.

Cloud-like building features in new Rome convention centre

Cloud-like building features in new Rome convention center

The "Cloud", Rome's latest 'big sky thinking' architectural star, is just one section of the new EUR convention center, located in the ancient city's southern region.

The steel and glass structure was created by Italian architect Massimiliano Fuksas.

The building has a capacity of almost 8,000 people who can be hosted in various conference rooms.

The "Cloud", Rome

The "Cloud", Rome's latest 'big sky thinking' architectural star, is just one section of the new EUR convention center, located in the ancient city's southern region.

Fuksas says his true clients are the people who use the building.

"Important buildings are essential and useful. A city without important buildings hasn't goals and loses the reason to exist. The structure we are building is for the people, for all of us. Our real customer is the human being," he said.

The cloud is wrapped in fibreglass, a feat carried out by a team of workers on ropes and pulleys.

"The idea of the bridge. The fact that it is a box of glass and the fact that this cloud is literally suspended and you can't see the structure. But you can see it from inside,"Fuksas said.

"We did not hide it. From inside the cloud you will see all the ribs. The sequence of ribs is fascinating, as it was to see the workers installing them. The fibreglass textile wrapping the cloud was installed by an acrobatic workers team."

The building is made from 37,000 tons of steel and iron and 58,000 square metres of glass.

The work finished at the end of June and cost around 300 million euro. It will be inaugurated at the end of October. 

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