The main Italian fair for small publishers that is held here in Rome has changed its location. The shift is only of 100-200 meters, from a congress building built in ’50 but designed for the world exhibition of 1942 that never happened due to war, to a new congress building built with extremely slowness. At least the first was interrupted as construction by war, the latter was protracted in time only due to speculations. From a neoclassic fascist building to a glass and steel building. 60 years in the passage of style, fashion and technique, but the spirit is the same: a large building with empty and useless spaces to add solemnity. And none needs it, because the first one could absorb congresses needs. Moreover its lend could be too expensive to attire people to organise events. However, I paid it with my taxes so I visit it paying the ticket for the annual book fair. What to say? It is so beautiful and original, a white cloud with rooms and floors, all inside a glass box. In the last decades the best thing as architecture in Rome. But it is surely costly as maintenance. This building isn’t going to end well, I suppose.
As books, I bought only a few, I just have got too many of them.










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