Laboratory building at MAXXI Museum
Rome, Italy
Open International Competition
2022
3rd prize (8 000 €)
Participants: 103 teams
The MAXXI - Museo Nazionale delle arti del XXI secolo - has since its opening in 2010 established itself as a top-class international art museum, and as a highly acclaimed work of architecture (drawn by the British Iranian architect Zaha Hadid). The introduction of a new building and a new park on the grounds of the MAXXI is a significant happening in the international art world - one that requires a precise and respectful, but also bold intervention.
Our proposal becomes a symbol of technological and architectural innovation through the way it lets the park to fulfill its full potential as a large and lush art and activity space, allowing building and park to become two interconnected systems that strengthen each other and work towards the same goal: a more innovative and greener MAXXI.
The building is withdrawn from the street to allow the park to run past in front of it, creating a building in the park rather than along the street - and placing it on equal footing with other important buildings on the site. The volume is given a basic shape that does not compete with the Museum or the historical buildings, but which has a distinctive character through a balance of cantilevers. The cantilever at the front allows the park to run freely underneath and creates a covered and flexible outdoor area that marks the entrance to the building, while the cantilever at the rear end creates a covered and sheltered outdoor area for loading and unloading.
An open and inviting vertical atrium connects all main functions of the building, while exposing its inner activities towards the public and connecting the park with a lush public roof terrace with generous views of the museum area.
A precise facade expression underpins the clear geometrical shape of the building. Polished recycled aluminum panels in large formats and with concealed fixings create a diffuse reflection that subtly mirrors the historical surroundings and creates situational affiliation. Glazing systems sits flush with the cladding, making them blend with the aluminum panels and providing the skin of the building with a uniform and subtly reflective look. The facades are kept free of ornaments, making the building a sharp and precise supplement to the historical buildings in the area and to the distinctly articulated architecture of the Museum.
The park runs continuously from east to west, forming a coherent string of varied experiences and activities related to art, culture, natural qualities, and sustainability. Its design is based on the linear logic of the original design of the museum and its outdoor areas, and new elements are articulated as innovative interpretations of this original expression - achieving a park that is at the same time innovative and adapted to a built environment originating from different eras.