Architecture and representation: digital surveying of Pavilion 19 of the former Slaughterhouse (Ex Mattatoio) of Rome

The survey discussed here concerns a critical review, through the use of digital technology, of the original design by Gioacchino Ersoch of Pavilion 19 of the former Slaughterhouse of Rome, which was constructed between 1888 and 1891. The intended use of the building required its sub-division into spaces that were subject to strict health regulations. Interventions carried out post-construction, during the course of the 20th century, modified both the formal appearance and the spatial configuration of the complex. The development of a digital model – through the processing of the design drawings and working documents pertaining to the original construction – has made it possible to revisit the original spatial arrangement, verifying the architectural language and construction techniques implemented. The building in question is characterised by the use of iron, brick and plaster. By conducting a digital survey on a work designed by a specific, named architect, it has been possible to reconstruct the creative path (the concept) of the architecture, which was associated with a particular historical period – the late 19th-century. The complex's invisible "memory" comes to light through the digital design/model: the investigation was geared towards finding out what cannot be conserved – because it is no longer extant – but which could, nevertheless, offer stimuli for future intervention strategies. The survey was carried out on three parallel levels – architectural, structural and decorative – and has enabled charts of the elements to be put together that allow for recognition of what has been lost and what, in contrast, remains, both in the specific pavilion in question and across the entire complex, since the complex was subject to a great deal of replication and standardisation. Currently, parts of the pavilions of the former slaughterhouse are being used by Roma Tre University.