Giustini / Stagetti

Ludovico Quaroni was born in Rome on March 21, 1911.

He obtained his classical high school diploma in 1928 and graduated with honors in Architecture from the University of Rome La Sapienza in 1934. That same year, he qualified as a licensed architect at the Politecnico di Milano and opened his first studio in Rome with Francesco Fariello and Saverio Muratori.

During the 1930s, he participated in numerous national and international competitions, presenting forward-thinking proposals—including designs for the new Auditorium in Rome, the urban plan for Aprilia, and the Piazza Imperiale in the E42 district of Rome, the latter awarded ex aequo with Luigi Moretti.

In 1940, Quaroni was drafted into military service. Captured by the British, he spent five years as a prisoner of war in India, where he continued to design housing and gave architecture lessons to fellow prisoners. He returned to Italy in 1946.

In the postwar years, he played a leading role in the reconstruction of the country. He was a founding member of APAO (Association for Organic Architecture), established by Bruno Zevi, and served as vice president of the INU (National Institute of Urban Planning).

Together with Mario Ridolfi, he participated in the competition for the new Termini Station (1947) and designed the INA-Casa neighborhood in Tiburtino, Rome (1947–1955)—both emblematic projects of architectural Neorealism during Italy’s reconstruction.

In the 1950s, he also worked on the design of housing in the village of La Martella in Matera, with a focus on social interaction and community life. His project included the design of the village church.

In the 1970s, he designed the monumental Mother Church in Gibellina, Sicily, as part of the reconstruction efforts following the Belice Valley earthquake.

Alongside his architectural practice, Quaroni was deeply committed to teaching. Beginning in 1936, he worked as an assistant to Enrico Del Debbio, Marcello Piacentini, and Plinio Marconi at La Sapienza. From 1940 onward, he held professorships at several universities: Rome, Naples (1951–1955), Florence (1957–1964), and again in Rome, where he taught until 1981.

He received numerous honors throughout his career, including the Diplôme de Grand Prix at the Exposition Internationale de l’Urbanisme et de l’Habitation (1947), the Olivetti Prize for Urban Planning (1956), the IN/Arch Award (National Institute of Architecture), as well as multiple accolades at the Milan Triennale across six editions.

Quaroni was also an active contributor to several architectural journals, including Metron, Urbanistica, Comunità, Casabella, Architettura d’oggi, La Casa, and Architettura: cronache e storia. He curated the series Planning & Designand, starting in 1977, served on the editorial board of Parametro. His published works include La Torre di Babele (1967) and Progettare un edificio. Otto lezioni di architettura (1977)—originally conceived as course material for the 1974–75 academic year and still used as a university text today.

Ludovico Quaroni passed away in Rome on July 22, 1987.

His personal and professional archive—including drawings, design materials, and private correspondence—is preserved at the Adriano Olivetti Foundation and is currently undergoing cataloguing.