MAXXI – Museo nazionale delle arti del XXI secolo

MAXXI is Italy's national museum of contemporary art and architecture. Designed by Zaha Hadid on the site of the former Flaminio barracks, its concrete walls curve and intersect around galleries and a central atrium. Its collections are presented in changing displays.

Why it matters

MAXXI was created as a national institution devoted to contemporary creativity. In 1998 the Ministry for Cultural Heritage launched an international architecture competition, and Hadid's proposal was selected from 273 candidates. The museum opened in 2010 and brings together MAXXI Arte and MAXXI Architettura, alongside a photography collection.

What to notice

The architecture shapes the experience: galleries branch from the atrium at different angles, and bands of light pass through the roof system onto the concrete walls. Steel lines and glazed views retain traces of the former barracks within Hadid's new structure. The museum's collections are arranged in rotating presentations rather than a fixed sequence; the architecture collection includes models, drawings and other materials, while the courtyard accommodates large-scale commissions.

Context and history

The competition for the museum was launched in 1998, and the building was constructed between 1998 and 2009. Fondazione MAXXI was constituted in July 2009 by the Ministry. The institution describes itself as a place for study, research and production, extending beyond its permanent collections through exhibitions, workshops, conferences and performances. MAXXI also has a separate site in L'Aquila.