“The building located at number six, Via dei Chiavari, is part of the complex adjoining the church of the monastery of Sant’Andrea della Valle, and mentioned from the 16th century onwards in sources held by the Capitoline Historical Archives and the State Archives of Sant’Ivo alla Sapienza.
It is a 16th-century edifice, commonly attributed in art-historical literature to Baldassarre Peruzzi, who at the time was engaged in constructing Palazzo Massimo alle Colonne and other buildings in the district.”.

1993/94 – The idea of giving a new identity to the spaces in Via dei Chiavari was born around 20 years ago, when Ovidio Jacorossi had the courageous and visionary idea of turning the property he owned into an art gallery in the heart of the historical building that had already been home to Cassiano Dal Pozzo’s collections, in the centre of Rome.

From various sources we learn that in 1627 Cassiano Dal Pozzo, an expert antiquarian, physician, naturalist and diplomat, set up house in this building, also transforming it into the refined showcase for his valuable collections, until he died in 1657.

To this period date the architectural embellishments and the small spaces created to harmoniously display the archaeological finds, most of which probably came to light when the building was under construction.

2012/13 to the present – In redesigning and restoring this site as an art gallery I sought to apply a principle that has always underpinned the various exhibitions and projects I have been lucky enough to design over the years. In other words, the idea that the designer must keep things as simple as possible, using architectural language to enhance content rather than overwhelm it by placing too much emphasis on the “sign”.
Also in this case, the greatest challenge was to realize the potential of the spaces without distorting them, to turn apparent obstacles and actual problems into strong and original elements. For example, the almost labyrinthine fragmentation of the interiors that both necessitated and suggested changes, some of which were major. I am thinking in particular of the small but stunning square courtyard, attributed to Baldassarre Peruzzi, which was half-occupied by a one-storey superfetation. The desire to reuse the courtyard led me to devise a walkway in glass and metal, a structure that allowed us to expose part of the original porticos by reutilizing at least two of the four large arches, which also enabled a completely different interpretation of the actual space.
Special attention was given to the restoration of the stone and paint work of the courtyard and the two porticos connected by the new walkway, whose uncovered vaults had, in fact, been decorated with a scheme made up of blue and ochre bands and stencilled floral motifs, probably executed between the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century.

From 1885 to the 1950s archival sources yielded many other snippets of information about the development and requalification of this complex. For example, the courtyard with a square plan appears to have been characterized by a design for the façades created through the skilful use of decorative architectural elements: pilasters, panels, large framed arches, niches and fenestration. On closer observation and after studying the drawings that have come down to us (Charles Percier, Palais, maison et autres édifices, Paris 1798, Paul-Marie Letarouilly, Édifices de Rome moderne, Liège 1849), which differ only in a few details, we noted that the space around the courtyard on the ground floor was defined on two sides by porticos linked by a horizontal element that led to other internal spaces. The porticos and horizontal element were characterized by five large arches, one of which provided access to the entrance hall to the West and led to the main stairway, while another provided access to the ex- ternal courtyard to the North, with a fountain that may have served as a drinking trough for horses.

The restoration and refurbishment of the basement spaces, which until then had housed materials used for work carried out on the building through the centuries, also brought to light some unexpected volumes. After the plaster had been removed, the ceilings and walls were sandblasted to expose the original structure, while by mounting a series of panels at different heights we were able to hide the wall systems and create supports for paintings and screenings. During the work, structures that had previously been overlooked emerged, such as the elliptical staircase in peperino, which was restored and reutilized to provide access to the “graphics gallery” on the upper floor.
On this project I favoured the use of iron, which enabled me to “mark” particular aspects with a material that clearly defines the border between ancient and modern without being invasive, without getting lost. The floor to ceiling pierced sheet metal doors enable the public to see into the lit gallery; the circular staircase, which leads to the bathrooms on the mezzanine floor, has a sheet metal railing from top to bottom, which, among other things, creates a powerful contrast with the fragment of medieval paving still visible below.
The top of the stairway is crossed by a walkway with a glass railing, from which a second staircase leads to the upper terrace where a gazebo with a square plan, surrounded by evergreen plants, provides another space for debates and screenings.
In the restaurant area, an angular volume in black sheet metal, cut horizontally, contrasts with a wall composed of metal and glass profiles. These appear to “support” a sheet-metal panel, like an awning, that diffuses the air from the air-conditioning ducts above.
The choice of using high-definition projectors in the gallery helps to “multiply” the actual and virtual space by continually providing the visitor with references to different times and places, while also enabling live links with thematically consistent events.