In 1965, in the middle of the Cold War, architect Saverio Busiri Vici was commissioned to build the church della Visitazione; for him, the church represented hope for the future. This vision motivated him to exchange the ribs and longerons of the model airplanes he had loved as a boy for slabs and columns. He thought cement would be the perfect material to use: flexible yet sturdy. Later, some details were added to the structure that were not the work of Saverio Busiri Vici.