The Skyscraper in Rome

Interest in the new typology of the skyscraper developed in Italy during the early nineteenth century, following its widespread diffusion in the United States. While Italy was witness to some interesting experiments at the time, it was necessary to await the second post-war period to observe the development of skyscrapers in Italian cities. While not as widespread in Italy as overseas, this new typology nonetheless contributed to modifying the urban skyline. This essay, focused primarily on the first skyscrapers built in Rome between the 1950s and the early 1960s, is interested in this period of construction in Italy, when the office building was seen as an opportunity for innovation and technological experimentation while simultaneously maintaining, at least in the earliest examples, standard practices of construction and more monumental traditions