Royal Academy of Spain in Rome

The proposed expansion of the Academy in Rome revives and materializes a historical spatial concept already present in Nolli’s 1748 map, which depicts the continuity of courtyards stretching from the Tempietto to a third longitudinal garden aligned with the Academy’s cloister. This new "fellows' courtyard" is conceived as a contemporary yet respectful intervention, restoring the original entrance through the Tempietto and removing the 1929 access structure that disrupted the unity of the complex. A new continuous base at elevation -1.16 is established, reinforcing the institution’s urban presence, unifying the historical façades, and organizing the architectural space through accessible, stepped platforms inspired by classical Roman settlements such as the Palatine Hill. The intervention positions Bramante’s Tempietto as the symbolic and functional core of the complex, integrating it into the daily experience of residents and visitors.

The expansion includes a terraced garden with a new pavilion housing studios, workshops, and rooms organized around the fellows' courtyard, which respects historical alignments and connects directly to the other two cloisters, thereby reinforcing the functional structure of the complex. This new courtyard follows elongated proportions typical of Roman architecture and becomes a space for community and work, integrated into the fellows' daily life, with direct access to the garden and a fluid sequence of uses. Additionally, the site’s archaeological layer is reactivated through an underground gallery linking historical spaces such as cisterns and reservoirs, and a 19th-century façade is restored through structural duplication that both respects and revitalizes the heritage context. The entire intervention is supported by a low-impact construction strategy focused on energy efficiency and structural compatibility, ensuring the sustainability, accessibility, and functionality of the renewed complex.