Casa Sperimentale

Casa Sperimentale sits in the pine woods of Fregene, a coastal town in the province of Rome. From the road it is almost invisible — overgrown, fenced off, forgotten. I had read about it, tracked it down, and when I got there the only way in was over the fence. So that is what I did.

It was midday and hot. The kind of Roman summer heat that flattens everything. The light through the pine canopy was hard and dappled, and the building — when it finally came into view — was extraordinary. Even in its current state of abandonment, the architecture stops you.

The Building

Casa Sperimentale — the Experimental House — was designed by Italian architect Giuseppe Perugini in the 1960s. It was conceived as a prototype for a new kind of living space: a flexible, adaptable structure built from a series of interlocking concrete cubes that could theoretically be rearranged to suit the changing needs of its inhabitants. The modular design allowed for different configurations of living, working, and relaxing spaces — a radical idea for the era, and one that still feels ahead of its time standing in front of it.

The building is elevated off the ground on concrete pilotis, the cubes cantilevering out above you at unexpected angles. The glass has been smashed. The surfaces are covered in graffiti. Nature has been working its way back in for decades. And yet the structural logic of the thing is completely intact — you can still read exactly what Perugini was thinking, exactly what he was trying to solve.

Why It Matters

I am drawn to architecture that takes a position. That commits to an idea and follows it through regardless of whether it makes practical sense or commercial sense. Casa Sperimentale is that kind of building. It was never meant to be a product. It was an experiment — hence the name — and experiments are allowed to be difficult, unresolved, and slightly mad.

The building has been featured in architecture publications and exhibitions worldwide. It is considered a landmark of Italian modernist design. There are ongoing efforts by a group of architects and enthusiasts to raise funds for its restoration, and I hope they succeed. A building this specific deserves better than slow disintegration in the woods.

For black and white photography, it is a remarkable subject. The geometry of the concrete cubes, the shadows cast by the cantilevers, the contrast between the hard angular forms and the soft pine forest surrounding them — all of it translates directly into monochrome. The decay adds rather than detracts. The broken glass and the graffiti are part of the story now.

These images form part of my ongoing personal documentary project — black and white architecture and street photography from Italy, the UK, and beyond. Based in Sandwich, Kent, I work as a portrait and documentary photographer across the UK, London, and internationally. If you would like to discuss a commission or follow the documentary work, visit the Personal Observations gallery or get in touch directly.

Visceral, character-led portraits from honest, quiet human moments. Classical legacy portraiture for private commissions. International, UK, London, based in Sandwich, Kent.