Case Nuove, Extraordinary in the Ordinary

Giovanni Multari*

Here the photographs of Mario Ferrara narrate, with a wide and inclusive sensibility towards the existing, an exploration of the Case Nuove neighborhood in Rosarno, characterized by essential, utilitarian buildings designed to meet the needs of a small community. Rosarno, the heart of the Gioia Tauro plain, once known as Little America, retains the foundational ‘form’ recognizable in this very district.

Through his lens, Ferrara captures and documents a unique perspective, highlighting the phenomena his research theorizes. In particular about this singular built-up area: uncultivated, abandoned, unfinished, and layered.

The research in which Mario Ferrara is involved emerged as a collaborative experience between the Department of Architecture of the University Federico II of Naples and the Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’architecture (ENSA Nantes), under a scientific collaboration agreement, which, In its initial phase, included also the Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’architecture de Paris Malaquais (ENSA Paris Malaquais). The research, titled ‘Non-standard Territorial Realities,’ aims to interpret contemporary territories and their transformation processes, which present complex issues that the architectural project must necessarily address. The consumption of our territories, along with rampant poverty, degradation, inequalities, and social marginality, are consequences of the global crisis, affecting various scales from the city to vast urban areas, and not sparing landscapes and natural environments, which are true resources for humanity. This ‘unlimited growth’ generates inequalities in the use and availability of space. The space of cities and habitation presents critical issues related to safety and risks caused by changing climatic phenomena. Thus, the landscape often reflects a paradox of physical and economic devastation juxtaposed with beauty and ruin, mirroring a broader condition of society and living. A ‘contemporary landscape,’ therefore, is in constant flux and cannot be simplified with opportunistic definitions linked to social characteristics, coastal geography, idyllic mountains, or idealized villages. Continuous, lively action, both spontaneous and illegal, perpetually reconstructs contemporary landscapes, overcoming limits and altering environmental systems and their ecological components through building speculation and squatting.

The hypothesis underlying this work is that the territory can no longer be observed with traditional tools: Mario Ferrara’s photographs have contributed to observing reality by adopting broader perspectives, multidisciplinary knowledge, and inclusive, open processes. In this sense, the idea of the ‘non-standard,’ prevalent in Europe, particularly in France, aims to draw lessons from all those borderline and complex conditions, sometimes referred to as conditions of fragility.

*Giovanni Multari: Architect, Professor at the Department of Architecture, University Federico II of Naples.