Complaint as action in the Corviale at Rome

Abstract

Uncountable stories reveal details about how people live, struggle and make sense of their everyday life at the Corviale in the outskirts of Rome. Through a research project that positions maintenance as a cultural practice and not merely a technical one, this paper focuses on alliances, conflicts and contradictions found in the complex ecology of maintaining a building. By focusing on microhistories, and in spite of the monumental size of the case study, the project purposely situates itself in the field of minor architecture, where care practices and personal details are seen as subversive alternatives to grand narratives and actions that are currently at odds with the actual needs of community.