The EUR business district - an acronym for Esposizione Universale di Roma - is located to the south of the Eternal City, between the historic centre and Fiumicino airport. Begun in the late 1930s under Mussolini and completed before the 1960 Olympic Games, it is renowned for its modernist architecture. Like many business districts around the world, it lacks evening entertainment and offers few hotel options, which should change with the forthcoming opening of the Hilton next to the new convention centre.
Therefore, for business travellers wishing to stay in the centre of the Italian capital, the most appropriate choice is based on an establishment located close to the metro to get around efficiently, as Rome has a reputation for anarchy and chaotic traffic. Although the heart of ancient Rome is not directly linked to EUR, the area around Termini station and Piazza della Repubblica - home to a number of Renaissance palaces converted into hotels - is easy to reach from the business district, as is the trendier Monti district and the embassy and ministry district near Piazza di Spagna and Piazza Barberini. Other less central alternatives include the Aventino district, closer to EUR, and Trastevere on the left bank of the Tiber, which is less congested and easier to get to.
Novula, the new conference centre that is boosting EUR
An architectural and artistic feat by Massimiliano Fuksas, the Roma Convention Center Novula was inaugurated on 29 October 2016, after nine years of work. This events venue gives a new economic impetus to the EUR district, which until now had remained closed in on itself. Nicknamed the "Novula di Fuksas" - Fuksas's "cloud" - by journalists, the auditorium seems to float like a cloud in what the artist calls "la Teca", or the "showcase". This immense 40-metre-high cage of glass, steel and stone supports the auditorium and weighs the equivalent of four Eiffel Towers!
This futuristic 60,000 m2which has become one of the most emblematic buildings in modern Rome. This three-storey structure, ultra flexibleWith a capacity of almost 8,000, it can host conferences, exhibitions and trade fairs, including 1,800 seats in the famous auditorium, which has exceptional acoustics for musical or theatrical performances and can be booked independently.
The basement conference rooms seat 6,000 people in an area of 9,000 m2 highly flexible thanks to a system of movable walls. The 1er On the first floor, there is a huge 2500 m2. For large-scale events, a 6000 m2 is located under the auditorium. The complex is eco-designed, with photovoltaic panels, a variable air-conditioning system depending on the occupancy of the rooms, and anti-radiation protection to limit the build-up of heat through the windows.
The aim of the project is to "project Rome onto the international congress tourism market", said Roberto Diacetti, Chairman of Eur Spa, which owns the complex, 90% of which is controlled by the Ministry of the Economy and 10% by the Rome City Council. The structure, which cost 363 million euros, aims to be fully occupied for 190 days a year, i.e. 200,000 to 300,000 delegates, for an annual economic impact of 300 million euros. With its focus on the MICE sector, Novula is now competing with Milan in the organisation of international conferences, trade fairs and seminars, while the Fiera di Roma will continue to host smaller trade fairs for the general public.
Next to the conference centre stands the "lama", or blade, a vertical luxury hotel of glass and steel, designed as an independent structure, equipped with two restaurants and a spa. It has just been sold for 50.6 million euros to Icarus Spa last December, which will entrust management of the establishment to Hilton. The hotel group, which also has two hotels at Fiumicino airport, is buying a huge 29,000 m2 with 439 rooms. Its forthcoming opening in 2019 is eagerly awaited.
Also in this dossier: Rome: address book
