MAXXI

The MAXXI – National Museum of the 21st Century Arts, located in the Flaminio district of Rome, is an institution dedicated to contemporary art and architecture. Designed by the Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid, the museum represents an extraordinary example of contemporary architecture and won the prestigious Stirling Prize from the Royal Institute of British Architects in 2010. The MAXXI project began in 1998, when Zaha Hadid won an international competition for its construction. The completion of the building, finished in 2009, transformed the area of the former military barracks into a dynamic and innovative space. The architecture of the MAXXI stands out for its fluid forms and intertwined volumes that create a continuous environment with no clear boundaries between indoor and outdoor spaces. This innovative design reflects Hadid’s idea of a museum not just as a container for objects, but as a campus for art, where paths and flows overlap and interact, creating a dynamic and engaging visitor experience. The MAXXI covers an area of approximately 30,000 square meters and features a complex interweaving of exhibition galleries, with curved reinforced concrete walls, suspended stairs, and an open ceiling that captures natural light. These architectural elements create a sense of fluidity and movement, in line with Hadid’s vision of a “fluid and multi-perspective spatiality” that embodies the complexity of modern life. The museum is divided into two main sections: MAXXI Art and MAXXI Architecture. The MAXXI Art collection includes works by internationally renowned contemporary artists such as Alighiero Boetti, Francesco Clemente, William Kentridge, Mario Merz, and Gerhard Richter. These works range from painting to installations, video art, sculpture, and photography, offering a comprehensive overview of contemporary art from the 1970s to the present day. The MAXXI Architecture section is Italy’s first national museum of architecture and houses approximately 50,000 design projects from the 20th and 21st centuries, as well as photographs, models, and prototypes. Among the most illustrious names in the collection are Carlo Scarpa, Pier Luigi Nervi, and Paolo Soleri. This section of the museum not only exhibits architectural works but also serves as a research and archive center, promoting innovation and experimentation in the field of architecture. In addition to permanent exhibitions, the MAXXI regularly hosts temporary exhibitions, workshops, conferences, performances, and educational laboratories, making it a vibrant cultural center. The building also includes an auditorium, a library, multimedia archives, a bookstore, a restaurant, and large areas for temporary exhibitions. The large outdoor square is often used for live performances and other cultural events, helping to integrate the museum into the surrounding urban fabric. The construction of the MAXXI represented a significant structural challenge. The linear and elongated galleries, with on-site cast concrete walls and partially glazed roofs, create a system of covered channels with glass slabs. This design required the use of high-density steel bars and self-compacting concrete, a special mixture that is evenly deposited around the reinforcements thanks to gravity. One of the distinctive features of the MAXXI is the attention to natural light, achieved through a sophisticated system of concrete beams on the ceiling, allowing light to filter into the exhibition spaces, creating a bright and welcoming atmosphere. This lighting system is integrated with an air conditioning system positioned between the double skin of the glass roof, ensuring an ideal controlled climate for the preservation of artworks.