In March of 1966, the architect and then-recent AAR Director Richard A. Kimball organized an international conference on urban design, titled “The City as a Work of Art.” Attendees gathered in the McKim Mead & White Building for the speakers, with a reception held at Villa Aurelia.
The week-long event brought together experts in buildings and urban planning, as one would expect, including Pier Maria Luigi, an architect and urban planner; Riccardo Morrandi, an engineer; Luigi Piccinato, an architect and urban planner; Steen Eiler Rasmussen, an architect, urban planner, and author; and Bruno Zevi, an architect and historian.
The conference also heard from other voices in the arts and humanities such as Frank E. Brown, an archaeologist and AAR Director; Elliott Carter, a composer; Dmitri Hadzi, a sculptor; Wolfgang Lotz, an art historian; and Jürg Spiller, a painter. Moderating the speakers was Edmund C. Bacon, executive director of the City Planning Commission of Philadelphia and an AAR Trustee.
Aside from lectures, the conference incorporated site visits and presentations by the current class of Fellows. According to Kimball, “these sessions so stimulated the Fellows that they held meetings together in their studios to discuss the problems of urban design and to prepare their own presentation, which was very intelligent and well done. Several of them have told me the conference was the high point of their time in Rome.”
The proceedings of the conference were taped and transcribed with the intention of publishing a book. The book was never realized but the transcripts, among other materials, remain in the collection of the Institutional Archives.
To get in touch with the Institutional Archives, please write to archives [at] aarome.org (archives[at]aarome[dot]org).
Schedule of Conference Sessions
SCHEDULE OF CONFERENCE SESSIONS
Tuesday, March 22, 1966
The Role of Government in Structuring the City
10 A.M. Opening meeting in Lecture Room of the Academy.
Welcome and explanation of program by the former Director of the American Academy in Rome. Address by representatives of the Piano Regolatore of Rome. Address by Edmund N. Bacon, Executive Director of the City Planning Commission of Philadelphia.
1 P.M. Adjourn for lunch
3 P.M. Ways of Perceiving the City – The Architect’s Concept
Jurg Spiller, Painter, Editor
Bruno Zevi, Architect, Author, Editor
General Discussion
5:30 P.M. Adjourn for the day
Wednesday, March 23
Evolution of Form Over Time
9:15–9:45 Response of Fellows of the Academy to previous day’s discussions.
9:45–10:45 Frank E. Brown, Classicist, Archaeologist
11–12 Wolfgang Lotz, Art Historian
General Discussion
1 P.M. Adjourn for lunch
3 P.M. Structuring the City – Experience Through Design
Steen Eiler Rassmussen, Architect, Author
Riccardo Morandi, Engineer
General Discussion
5:30 P.M. Adjourn for the day
Thursday, March 24
The City as Form and Rhythm
9:15–9:45 Response of Fellows of the Academy to previous day’s discussions
9:45–10:45 Elliott Carter, Composer
11:15–12:15 Dimitri Hadzi, Sculptor
General Discussion
1 P.M. Adjourn for lunch
3 P.M. Comments from Guests at the conference with general discussion
5:30 P.M. Adjourn for the day
Friday, March 25 to Sunday, March 27
Observation trip to Urbino with stops at Caprarola and Villa Lante (Bagnaia)
Monday, March 28
Entire morning session devoted to Fellows of the Academy for presentation of their proposals for designing the City
1 P.M. Adjourn for lunch
3 P.M. Trip to Ostia Antica
Tuesday, March 29
Trip to Villa Adriana (Tivoli) and Palestrina
Wednesday, March 30
10 A.M. Discussion and Summing up
1 P.M. Adjourn for lunch
3 P.M. Summing up continued
5:30 P.M. Reception in Lounge of Academy
