zaha hadid completes MAXXI museum in rome
yesterday saw the opening of zaha hadid’s MAXXI — national museum of XXI century art located in rome’s flaminio neighborhood. the building which took 10 years to complete was constructed on the site of the former montello military barracks. the official inauguration of the museum will take place in spring 2010.
image © designboom (main image © zaha hadid architects)
spanning over 27,000 square meters the complex has been integrated within the urban fabric of the city, to which it offers a new, articulated and ‘permeable’ plaza, wrapped by the spectacular forms. an external pedestrian path follows the shape of the building, slipping below its cantilevered volumes, which opens onto a large plaza.
image by richard bryant
inside a large, full height atrium leads to the museum’s reception spaces, the cafeteria and the bookshop, the auditorium and galleries that host rotating displays of the two museums’ permanent collections, exhibitions and cultural events. materials such as glass, steel and concrete give the exhibition spaces a neutral appearance, while moveable panels ensure the flexibility of exhibition layouts.
image © designboom
the fundamental character of the architectural and structural project consists in the use of walls as spatial ordering elements. the interiors of the galleries, almost linear, are delimited by couples of parallel walls that follow the building’s longitudinal movement. plasterboard connected with concrete walls creates the technical cavity that contains the museum’s complex mechanical systems.
image © designboom
the roof system is a particularly complex element, in technological and mechanical terms. it integrates exterior glazing, complex light shading devices (blinds, louvers etc) and artificial lighting systems, a system to control temperature and humidity and tracks to hang panels. the vertical blades that characterize the roof system are realized in steel and covered with a finishing material. the glass roof is protected on the exterior by a steel mesh that screens light and ensures easy maintenance. all vertical columns including the columns supporting the cantilevered volumes are constructed in steel.
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zaha hadid at the opening
image © designboom
zaha hadid
portrait © designboom
project info:
total surface area: 29 000 sqm
exterior space: 19 640 sqm
interior space: 21 200 sqm
exhibition surface area: 10 000 sqm
services (auditorium, library, media library, cafe, restaurant): 6 000 sqm
MAXXI art: 4 077 sqm
MAXXI architecture: 1 93 sqm
total volume: 113 000 sqm
maximal height: 2 290 m
construction costs: 150 million euro
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u-g-l-y
it is really beautiful.
why do people always comment in a negative manner?
frustrated architects?
the interiors are very attractive-
i’m really happy to see such a beautiful AND intelligent space made by zaha hadid archtiects! this one is generating great spatial qualities with (in comparison to her recent projects) a small effort! i hope some of her recent designs gets built very fast (and paid by someone who doesnt care anyway) and one is able to compare the architectural qualities!
i guess script-driven architecture is very important… and the office of zaha hadid architects is one of the most elaborated offices in working with all these new technologies… but if even they are not able to do projects which are at least in the same league with the pre-script-era works… we are far away from the first script-driven projects which takes archtiecture some steps forward! its a long way to go and we have to learn how to use the given tools in an appropriate way before we poke out another million of projects which lacks quality and try to impress with complexity!
People would need to wait until it opens in 2010.
You went to the press preview?
I guess it has been an incredible spatial experience.
Wow!! Very cool.
The completion of the museum is proof that this city is no longer allergic to the new.
The glass skylight metal fins run the entire length of the room. I guess that these fins protect the artworks from direct sunlight while allowing those inside the galleries to see a bit of sky. Nice!
Zaha Hadid is very powerful since she managed to show off the museum while it is still empty.
Zaha redesigns the ramps of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Guggenheim
The interiors are interesting, but the exteriors are disappointing: a bit of Alsopp and OMA here and there and not much sense in space…
Some architects are afraid of curves. I think this building shows restraint by ZHA and it was well thought out. When I first saw that there was a Zaha project in Rome, I was curious to see how conscious and respectful she could be. This building is much more understated and subtle than her other works. Just look at all of the other projects below. They (because it is a team) could have taken this a completely different route. Judging this as an individual project and as one part of ZHA’s body of work, its a success.
The black stairs are superb, but I dont like the rest.
visited the museum a month ago…amazing spacial experience, but too many flaws ( aka natural light…where has it gone?)
feedback here:
http://tinyurl.com/yhat9hp
Interior interesting indeed, but overall impression is that it’s outdated for a XXI century arts museum
One of her best projects!!!
excellent interior!
very good outside. though, i don’t like these sets of pipe-columns.
Again, she manages to miss an opportunity to contribute to the public realm in a positive manner. This building is sited and executed more like a cultural pad site
very disapointing. formalistic and heavy we need more subtle and polite architecture that is not so much in your face.
I dream with going there! Oxalá !
she’s demented but the building is very cool. Ribbons of poured concrete. The updated version of the computer driven New Brutalism. Wish there were panels of wood to soften it all.
I really don’t like it but I understand that many people do. This building is what I call 2 dimensional architecture. It is meant to stay on the computer screen. There is no need to build it in reality. I prefer her renderings and paintings because they don’t destroy the illusion and they make you believe that there is more to it.
fuy
What’s up with those arched windows?
IMHO, it looks horrible.
Signature buildings devoid of any humanism and relationship are frankenarchitecture. A museum monster created by a marriage of bureaucracy and architectural ego.
Altough,i know many projects about Zaha Hadid that she has done, i haven’t seen her face up to now.After i saw her face, i realized that she seems like an cartoon character who we knows from Smurfs.
here she is:
http://www.zorquiz.com/dev/dosyalar/cd2f353db1372f9808d8c843da72a339083423.jpg
apparently ouzbal has low self-esteem issues, no?
I like it.
the interiors are fine, but what´s about the connection with the surrounding architecture?
amazing as usual zaha…! she is just beyond awesome…! i love her…
It’s interesting for me to try to imagine what Romans thought and said when the Pantheon went up or when the Coliseum was built, or the Baths of Caracalla. Do you suppose there were naysayers?
It is very sad that architecture in Rome has taken such a bad turn. Especially considering its heritage. I do not understand why architects like Meyer and Hadid come to build in Rome and make no effort to integrate their buildings in the fabric of the city. I also agree with what was said earlier. The building is outdated. Looks like a combination between British brutalist communal housing and just about every other shitty oversized museum of the past years.
OMG. Zaha Hadid, you are the goddess of architecture.
Awesome design for a building. I love the architecture of the entire thing. Is the building made of solid metal?