No architectural proposal for Italian-Americans can take place without a reference to their Italian origins. Creating a community centre reminds us of what the Imperial Roman Forum used to be, a vast open space dedicated to various social gatherings.

FORUM takes its inspiration in this urban form by providing various meeting areas (atrium, balconies, terraces).

Other elements such as the 'canopy' roof, the color palette of the external materials, refer to the Italian architecture and to the local Brooklyn’s Brownstone houses. As the multimedia theatre is a major space of representation for the community, its external skin is a dynamic display case exhibiting portraits of relevant Italian-Americans, reinforcing the identity of the FORUM.

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One key sustainable parameter of the FORUM is to reinforce a natural ventilation strategy. Here the natural air flow will come from the office windows and the glazed atrium façade. It will ventilate the whole atrium to reach the roof level. The roof includes a generous skylight that brings natural daylight and acts as an active membrane between the inside and the outside via the openable vents