Over six weeks, I lived in Corviale – a massive utopian housing project on the outskirts Rome. This architectural behemoth, built in the early 80s, stands as an eloquent symbol of unfulfilled dreams and urban challenges.
I focused my lens on the local youth who navigate their lives in the shadow of a failing social housing project from the 1980s. This evocative series of photos was intended to bring attention to the complex relationship that these youth have with the concrete jungle in which they live.
These images are a poignant representation of the daily life, emotions and resilience that flourishes despite the impressive architecture. The photographs show the joy, laughter and uncertainty of Corviale’s young residents.
Join me as I explore the human spirit and perseverance in the shadows of Corviale’s towering buildings. These images are meant to spark reflections and conversations about the complexity of urban life and the indomitable spirits of young people facing extraordinary circumstances.
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I am a Lithuanian photographer. My background is a mix of adventure: I pursued a professional career in figure skating during my teenage years. Later, I studied TV production in London, then cinema in Prague. And, in Tehran, I learned Persian at a language school. Since I was in my late teens, I have been hitchhiking. Summer trips in Europe quickly evolved into a nomadic lifestyle, with travel routes that crisscrossed Africa, the Middle East and India, South East Asia, and now Latin America.
During my last year of high school, I began to document everything with a small pocket camera. Back then, I had no idea what photography was. But I felt a need to record and capture the fleeting moments. I saw their beauty and understood the value of these moments. Photography is for me a form of visual poetry. It’s a way to express a feeling or emotion, or even a glimpse into a person’s soul. It is this that I’m interested in – creating poems without words about people and places. I was introduced to Magnum by a friend, and after seeing Satellites for the first-time by Jonas Bendiksen, I felt a strong urge to devote my life to photography.
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As a photographer, I am attracted to social issues and communities. I am drawn to rebels and people who live on the fringe or off-grid. My work is about the human condition, pride and struggle. It also aims to demystify what’s unknown. In my photographs, I try to depict people in an honest and dignified manner. My style of shooting could best be described as non-interventional. Even when I shoot portraits, I try to minimize my direction.
I’ve been inspired by many photographers. These three are always the first to come to my mind: Josef Koudelka with his nomad lifestyle, Alec Majoli’s dark poetic vision and Raghu Rai, who painted an epic picture of India at the turn of the 20th century. century. Recently, I’ve been inspired by Lithuanian photographers like Antanas Sukkus and Algimantas Kuncius who captured the spirit of Lithuania during the 1960s and 1970s.
I hope by viewing my work, my audience will feel a sense of brotherhood and humanity towards the people who appear in my photographs, as well as a respect and fascination for another human being living in an entirely different reality yet one that is so similar to ours.
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The Birth of a Utopian Dream
Corviale is the result of a visionary plan to provide housing at affordable prices for Rome’s ever-growing population, while also fostering a community spirit and sense of well-being. The district, formally known as “La Corviale,” is located in the Primavalle area on the southwest outskirts Rome. The district’s roots date back to mid-20th-century Italy, during the post-World War II period of reconstruction. There was a pressing demand for affordable housing in order to accommodate the rapidly expanding population.
In 1972, an innovative competition was held to address the housing crisis. Architects were invited to submit their creative proposals for a large residential complex which would house thousands of families. Mario Fiorentino and his team designed the winning project. Corviale, a project that began in 1972 and took several years to develop, was finally completed in 1982.
The brutalist building reaches nine stories high in certain places and has 1,000 apartments that can accommodate over 6,000 people. The striking shape and size of the building have drawn comparisons with the “Great Wall of China,” highlighting its importance as a monumental architecture achievement. Corviale is one of the longest residential buildings in the world, measuring 980 meters. The project was hampered by setbacks that occurred during construction.
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From Dream To Nightmare.
Corviale has faced many challenges in its journey from utopia into reality. The district was unable to live up to its original promise due to the lack of maintenance, social services and easy access to central Rome. In the end, certain parts of the building were occupied by drug addicts, criminals, and people in despair. Corviale was once a dreamy urban area, but it has now become a nightmare urban area, dominated by unemployment and isolation.
A World Apart
Corviale, located just 45 minutes by bus from Rome’s historic center, is a stark contrast with the busy historical core of the city. The surreal concrete landscape of the district evokes an eerie sense of otherness and detachment, as if this was a parallel world. In this unique environment, the young residents have a love-hate relationship to their surroundings and struggle with their everyday lives.
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Transformation and Renewal.
Early in the 2000s, local authorities realized the need to revitalize Corviale and improve the living conditions for its residents. Urban renewal projects were launched to address structural and social concerns. The district was intended to be transformed into a vibrant and inclusive community. Renovations focused on creating public spaces, recreational areas and commercial spaces that would encourage economic activity in the complex. The community engagement program was implemented to encourage the residents’ participation in revitalization, and instill a sense ownership and pride in their environment.
Reflections On Corviale.
The story of Corviale serves as a powerful reminder about the complex relationship between urban planning and social dynamics. It also highlights the importance of investing in community development. This story encourages us to examine critically the gaps between utopian visions, and the importance and ongoing support of investing in communities. Corviale’s residents, despite their setbacks, are an example of the human spirit. They find beauty and strength amidst concrete walls and fragmented hopes.
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Mykolas Juodele
I am a Lithuanian photojournalist. I have a background that is a strange mix of professional figure-skating, film studies and Persian language, as well as almost a decade on the road, travelling from Nouakchott, to Jakarta, and from Helsinki, to Khartoum.
I am a graduate of FAMU (Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts, Prague) and London Middlesex University. I’m also a member of the Lithuanian Photographers’ Association and Lithuanian Journalists’ Union, and a recent graduand of the VII academy masterclass, “Photojournalism and documentary photography with Maciek Nabodalik and Mary Gelman”. In 2021, I will join Redux Pictures as an associate photographer.
Copyrights :
All pictures in this blog are copyrighted by Mykolas Juodele. It is prohibited to reproduce them in any way, not even in part.