Reimagining Piazza San Giovanni in Rome 

As Rome, and the country, prepare for the 2025 Jubilee, One Works has embarked on a transformative journey to reimagine Rome’s historic Piazza San Giovanni, after winning the international tender managed by Società Giubileo 2025.  

This revitalisation project seeks to amplify the piazza’s sociocultural presence while preserving its iconic past as the city prepares for the upcoming Jubilee. Merging time-honoured tradition with contemporary design principles, the new Piazza San Giovanni is set to become a celebration of urban life, embracing functional safety, energy efficiency, and sustainable material management. 

Since its establishment in 1300, the Catholic Church’s Jubilee has drawn millions of pilgrims to Rome from around the world: for the 2025 event, which officially begins on December 8, 2024, with the opening of the Holy Door by the Pope, over 35 million faithful from around the world are expected. The approach of the Holy Year has always provided an opportunity to renew urban spaces to welcome pilgrims, and the completion of the works will contribute to making Rome a more sustainable and inclusive city. A total of 189 works have already begun throughout the capital, including structural interventions and extraordinary maintenance, focusing on five areas of project: redevelopment and enhancement, accessibility and mobility, hospitality and participation, environment and territory, and Caput Mundi. A tight program of interventions, outlined in the DPCM of June 8, 2023, represents a total investment of 3.4 billion euros, including 1.3 billion in Jubilee funds and 500 million related to the Pnrr “Caput Mundi” program. The construction timeline anticipates completion by December 2024. 

Among the works set to remain a symbol of the Jubilee 2025, One Works has undertaken the redevelopment of Piazza San Giovanni in Laterano, in front of Lateran Basilica, one of the oldest churches in the Capital. One Works will work on an area of 18,000 sqm with a project that foresees a total investment of 15 million euros. The intervention will be developed following the key principle of conservation and valorization of the place’s iconic past by reinforcing its distinctive characteristics, while introducing innovative elements in terms of sustainability of materials, energy efficiency, and functional safety. 

The redevelopment project is inspired by the interiors of the Basilica, particularly by its historic Roman marble flooring, the Cosmatesque: the circular motifs of this intricate mosaic extend from the church to animate the large external area as well, creating a strong visual continuity. The square will be paved with traditional Roman stones like sanpietrini, basaltina, and travertine, interspersed with areas of low vegetation to mitigate the heat island effect and promote stormwater management. 

The intervention strongly emphasizes sustainability, aligning with the objectives of the C40 network, which the city of Rome has joined. Beyond strategic choices in terms of design and materials, playful water features are planned to provide passersby with recreational pleasure and generate a cooling effect, improving the microclimate of the square during the hot Roman summers. The fountains will be complemented by low-energy lighting, designed to enhance the grandeur of the Basilica’s façade. All these elements will contribute to returning to the Roman citizens and a broad community of visitors from all over the world an area that is as much a place for daily stops and passage as it is to host large-scale events in an iconic setting, like those that will mark the Jubilee 2025, or recurring ones like the May 1st event and other types of gatherings. 

“Reimagining Piazza San Giovanni in Laterano, Rome, has been both a privilege and a thrill. Open spaces, squares, are the essence of the public dimension of cities, and San Giovanni, with its religious and civic significance, stands as one of the greatest examples of inclusivity and sharing. The references to the design of the Basilica’s floors on one hand, and the increase in permeable and green surfaces on the other, highlight the square’s great capacity for civic and religious welcome” – Leonardo Cavalli, Co-founder and Managing Partner di One Works.