The Basilica of Maxentius (or Basilica Nova), was the largest building in the Roman Forum. Built between 308 and 312 under the emperor Maxentius and later Constantine I, the gigantic basilica spanning a total area of 100 by 65 meters, was composed of a central nave covered by three double barrel vaults suspended more than thirty meters above the floor, and resting on four large pillars. On both sides of the central nave were lateral aisles covered by three semi-circular barrel vaults perpendicular to the nave. After being destroyed by two successive earthquakes (in 847 and 1349) today, all that remains of the basilica is the north aisle with its three concrete barrel vaults.
A fascinating building, the basilica has stimulated the imagination of generations of architects whom have drawn the ruin and imagined its possible reconstruction. This has produced a rich repertoire of representations, both real and imaginary. Sebastiano Serlio and Antonio da Sangallo the Younger drew idealized versions of the building in their Renaissance drawings, while generations of French architects from the Beaux-Arts produced lushly colorful imaginations of its interior surfaces. In the 1970s, architects infused new life into the basilica, using the ruin as the theatre for large open-air urban events. This course will explore these imaginative transformations of the site and develop strategies for offering contemporary completions. Discussions will focus on the themes of representation, reconstructions, ruins, ephemerality and spectacle.
The assignment is to do an architectural transformation of the Basilica that inscribes the building into a contemporary urban reality. The group of five students will together examine the building: its history, past representations of the building, and its characteristics and spatial potential, followed by an individual architectural project. The studio will be divided into three distinct yet interconnected phases:
1.Historical research and site analysis.
2.In-depth exploration of the representations, reconstructions and re-use of the basilica over time, from 16th Century drawings to late 20th Century.
3. Proposals for an architectural transformation.

Seminar at The Norwegian Institute in Rome
Information about ROMA2020 - Roma, sted og symbol (6. okt - 17.nov)
http://www.uio.no/studier/emner/hf/ifikk/ROMA2020/
Application for the seminar is available at UiOs SøknadsWeb from 1 May:
https://fsweb.no/soknadsweb/login.seam?inst=uio
NB. Deadline for fall semester is fall 1 June 2014.
Instituttet i Roma er drevet av det humanistiske fakultet ved Universitetet i Oslo. Se http://www.hf.uio.no/dnir/
If you have questions for admission to ROMA2020? contact IFIKK at henvendelser@ifikk.uio.no