In music, the term rubato indicates a free interpretation of time, marked by slight accelerations and decelerations at the performer's discretion, in pursuit of greater expressivity, free from the obligation of a steady beat. The pavilion takes up this condition as a reference: a fragmented, variable rhythm that alludes both to its structure and to the process of salvage through which its materials were gathered.
Within this framework, the project reclaims the processual dimension of architecture, resisting its reduction to a finished object and an autonomous image. The aim is to restore centrality to what has been progressively stripped from it: openness, transformation, spontaneity, the building site. The pavilion thus presents itself as a declared assemblage of reused elements, either leased or loaned free of charge, drawn from disparate contexts, whose heterogeneous nature is also made perceptible through the site-specific sound design curated by composer Agnese Menguzzato.
The pavilion is located in the open area facing MAXXI – Museo Nazionale delle Arti del XXI Secolo, Rome, between the main entrance and the secondary access. It is organised along the main diagonal of the area, corresponding to the square's longer dimension: visible from both entrances, it establishes a direct and continuous relationship with the surrounding public space. The diagonal is the structuring axis of the whole intervention, onto which the 36-metre main beam is set, flanked by two further directions, or secondary beams: one perpendicular to MAXXI's pedestrian path, beneath which the stage is placed, and one parallel to the museum's large cantilevered gallery, supporting the shaded area — together defining a loose grid able to identify resting areas, crossing spaces and zones dedicated to performance, with a high degree of flexibility.
Rubato is conceived as a recreational infrastructure open to the public, with multiple, simultaneous functions: public and resting space, with seating, shade and opportunities for play; space for events and performances, with a stage and seating for up to 200 people for concerts, performances, talks and screenings; a site-specific sound installation, curated by Agnese Menguzzato, audible through speakers placed within the gap between the columns; a space for research and experimentation, with reused materials processed by the Parc laboratory at Roma Tre University; summer cooling, through misting nozzles.
The structural system is foundation-free and fully reversible, dry-jointed with connections that allow rapid assembly and disassembly. The construction follows a modular logic: columns made of precast concrete blocks, derived from salvaged railway sleepers; aluminium "American" truss, typically used for stage sets; a shading system with an Innocenti tube and steel cable frame, fitted with welded mesh; and seating made of precast concrete blocks. These elements are modules that are not permanently fixed, suitable for reuse, relocation, or return at the end of their service life.
CREDITS
PROJECT TEAM: Giulio Marchetti, Giorgio Scanelli, Riccardo Simioni, Alessandro Argentesi
SOUND DESIGN: Agnese Menguzzato
ADVISOR: Giovanni Corbellini
SPONSOR AND PARTNERS: Fontanalarga, RIMOND, PARC (Programma Architettura Circolare) Roma Tre
