Italy calls on Renzo Piano to address earthquake resilience

By Anna Fixsen​

The 6.2 magnitude earthquake that tore through a cluster of medieval towns in central Italy August 24 was swift and relentless. As emergency workers clawed their way through the rubble and as aftershocks continued, the death toll rose from one dozen to 120, then nearly 300. “Italy is crying,” Prime Minster Matteo Renzi said in a televised statement.

Now that the dust has settled, the dead have been laid to rest, and some 3,000 displaced residents have been moved into tent camps, government officials are weighing long-term solutions to safeguard Italy’s cities from future quakes. As part of these discussions, Renzi is calling on one of the nation’s most prominent native sons—Renzo Piano.

The Pritzker Prize–winning architect, who was named a “senator for life” by the Italian president in 2013, is preparing a comprehensive strategic plan called Casa Italia to make the country’s cities and historic structures more resilient.