Terzo Spazio

Thesis Project by L. Bucci and F. Colonnelli - Master of Arts in Design for Public Spaces - IED Roma In collaboration with Roma Capitale - Municipio VII

Academic year

2025/2026

Partner

An urban regeneration project in collaboration with Roma Capitale that transforms the former Appio I Market into a new place for gathering, sharing and participation.

Lorenzo Bucci and Flavia Colonnelli developed Terzo Spazio as their final thesis project for the Master of Arts in Design for Public Spaces, within a thesis laboratory carried out in collaboration with Roma Capitale - Municipio VII. The project responds to the forthcoming relocation of the Appio I Market, a transformation set to profoundly reshape the social fabric of the Alberone neighbourhood. Through a research process combining urban analysis, site observation and engagement with the local community, the two designers address a central question: how can a space of transit become an infrastructure capable of rebuilding social connections and a sense of belonging?

Drawing on Ray Oldenburg's concept of the Third Place as the guiding principle of their proposal, the students develop a system of spaces and services structured around three complementary strategies:

- support, through a hub dedicated to community services and initiatives; 
- exchange, with a Library of Things that encourages sharing and reuse; 
- appropriation, through an open and flexible space designed to evolve over time according to the needs of local residents.

The two designers complete the proposal by introducing depaving strategies, permeable surfaces, green areas and public seating to improve environmental comfort, increase soil permeability and mitigate the urban heat island effect. A geometric pattern inspired by the Alberone, the centuries-old holm oak that gave the neighbourhood its name, becomes the project's unifying element, shaping pavements, street furniture and open spaces while giving the new public space a distinctive identity. 

Terzo Spazio reflects the educational approach of the Master of Arts in Design for Public Spaces, where research, design and collaboration with public institutions come together to develop concrete strategies for the transformation of public space.