Buildings less frozen in time

Rome's farther reaches offer many stunning treasures of modern architecture. Sam Lubell reports.

For people who love contemporary architecture, trying to find striking new buildings in the historic center of Rome is about as easy as trying to go gluten-free there. But if you move a little farther out - or a lot - stunning treasures can be found.

I undertook a breakneck tour of these newly completed structures, in widely varying districts, last summer with two on-call critics: my septuagenarian parents, self-professed architecture lovers who are not shy about their opinions. We traveled around Rome mainly by car that brought out the, let's say, raw side of the Roman population. Luckily, the buildings were as dramatic as the drive but much less stressful.