MAXXI Museum

Overview

The MAXXI (National Museum of 21st Century Arts) is Italy's wildly ambitious, ultra-modern epicenter for contemporary art and architecture. Housed in a spectacular, decidedly fluid building in the Flaminio district, it is the absolute antithesis of ancient Rome.

Highlights

• The Architecture: Designed by the legendary Zaha Hadid, the building itself is the primary masterpiece. It is a wildly complex, gravity-defying network of sweeping concrete curves, suspended black staircases, and overlapping, light-filled galleries.
• The Exhibitions: Huge, highly experimental installations focusing heavily on international contemporary artists, global architectural models, and cutting-edge photography.
• The Piazza: The massive, sweeping concrete plaza outside frequently hosts massive, highly interactive public art installations and summer events.

History

Completed in 2010 after over ten years of highly controversial, intensely complex construction. The Italian government explicitly commissioned the project to forcefully prove that Rome was not merely a museum of antiquity, but a highly relevant, forward-thinking 21st-century cultural capital.

Visitor Tips

• The Space: The interior navigation is intentionally disorienting; let go of trying to find a linear path and simply wander up and down the sweeping ramps.
• The Neighborhood: Combine a visit here with the nearby Auditorium Parco della Musica (designed by Renzo Piano) for a full afternoon of staggering modern architecture.
• : 2–3 hours.