Summer in Rome with the Next Step Collection by Frigerio
Designed in the 1930s, the building designed by Adalberto Libera, work on which began in 1939 and was not completed until 1954, can only be understood if read within a much broader urban project: that concerning the Eur district (an acronym for Universal Exhibition of Rome). The Palazzo dei Ricevimenti e dei Congressi is located at the end of Viale della Civiltà del Lavoro, one of the three transversal axes that cross the Via Imperiale orthogonally, and is antinodal to another great masterpiece of rationalist architecture, the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana. The main characteristics of the building are its symmetry where the structure is entirely made of reinforced concrete, although cleverly disguised by the travertine wall cladding, which gives it a monumental character.
The Hall of Culture or Reception Hall, a cube measuring 45 m on each side that emerges 27 m from the base, is characterised by stairwells and galleries that are adjacent to the interior walls, defining a free volume within the cube. This space, which in fact constitutes the main element of the entire composition, has a lowered cross-vaulted roof whose ribs consist of two arched metal beams, crossed at 90° and arranged along the diagonals of the base square of the building. The rooms of the building are therefore the meeting point between modernity and classic taste, where the white marble and timeless elegance of the interiors highlight the contemporary Italian design of the Frigerio furnishings, the perfect setting for the chapters added to the Frigerio story.
The 2023 collection, the Next Step Collection, narrates a philosophy of slow living, which proceeds step by step following the rhythm of nature to enjoy moments of pure relaxation and conviviality, in a light and dreamy atmosphere. Each piece of furniture reflects and reaffirms Frigerio's identity linked to the art of manufacturing of the highest quality, to create a unique product with contemporary appeal Frigerio represents Made in Italy design elegance but with a strong international vocation, a fil-rouge that unites the creations signed by consolidated collaborations with designers such as Gabriele and Oscar Buratti, Ferruccio Laviani, Federica Biasi and Umberto Asnago.
