The biggest bow
Rome – Argonauta
Rome, italy
Concept Design
Design Engineering
Project Management
2018/2019
A city tied gently with a ribbon
When Rome Becomes a Present
In the heart of Ostiense, an architectural gesture transforms the familiar into the extraordinary — as though a benevolent giant paused mid-stride and gently wrapped the city’s skyline. Commissioned as part of a broader vision to unify and animate an urban real estate network, this singular installation reimagines the Argonauta building as a monumental gift. It speaks not only of place but of generosity, welcoming all who travel the main road toward the centre of Rome.
A Bow That Becomes Architecture
Following the striking success of a similar installation at Parco dei Medici, the design brief expanded to include Palazzo Argonauta — an established landmark in Rome’s bustling Ostiense district. Here, the project team embraced the challenge: to integrate a towering, symbolic bow into the southern façade, visible in silhouette against the city’s approach. What might have been simple ornamentation became an expression of civic identity, scaled to meet both context and commuter sightlines.
Gifted to the City’s Rhythm
More than decoration, the intervention is a moment of delight woven into the rhythm of everyday life. The bow’s presence animates the built environment with a narrative gesture — a pause in routine, an unexpected metaphor of giving. As visitors, workers and passers-by encounter this installation, it invites them to reconsider architecture as a participant in collective experience, where even the everyday façade can become a gesture of wonder.
