odile decq: the new wing of the MACRO museum in rome

image by luigi filetici courtesy of MACRO

on december 3, 2010, the new wing of the MACRO museum of contemporary art in rome was inaugurated. designed by french architect odile decq, the addition consists within an atrium of the existing museum, housed inside former peroni brewery site. the 22 million euro building complex, the new entrance to the museum on the corner between via nizza and via cagliari, reshapes the entire geography of the MACRO. designboom was present for the official opening ceremony.

image by luigi filetici courtesy of MACRO

the new wing of MACRO was unofficially inaugurated at the end of may 2010, together with rome’s MAXXI museum designed by zaha hadid. however, curators decided they needed more time to fine-tune projects revolving around the rest and recreation areas for visitors, including a restaurant, a coffee bar, a book shop and a conference hall. the resulting design goes against the traditional approach of integrating the old and new within a historical setting. the new wing, a space of 2.500 m2, does not blend very naturally into the existing building, but gives the complex a more dynamic character where the old and the new are simultaneously articulated and specifically distinct.

image by luigi filetici courtesy of MACRO

image by luigi filetici courtesy of MACRO

metal stairs and walkways stretching across the foyer extend into the large exhibition hall, providing multiple paths between the interior as well towards the upper terrace, which is open to visitors of the museum and general public of the city.

image by luigi filetici courtesy of MACRO

detail image © designboom

front view image © designboom

image © designboom

the roof-landscape-garden image © designboom

image © designboom

image © designboom

image © designboom

image © designboom

odile decq image©designboom

the official press conference of the MACRO’s new wing images © designboom

conference hall image © designboom

conference hall image © designboom