Along with MAXXI, the MACRO museum (Museo di Arte Contemporanea di Roma), which is designed by a female architect, Odile Decq, is one of the two contemporary art museums in the center of Rome. Located in Nomentano district, the new museum is redesigned from a 19th-century Peroni brewery. When you walk along the street, you will notice a glass box above a really old industrial building. The architect designs several galleries, a café, a bookshop, a roof terrace and a fascinating auditorium based on the traditional building’s structure. Under the raised glass corner, visitors can enter the museum through a small courtyard.
Standing at the lobby, people will be fascinated by a bright red explosive auditorium inserted at the center of the atrium and a series of suspended zigzag walkways designed for connecting different corners. As the heart of the building, the dramatic form of the auditorium creates a kinetic quality to the entire space. At the same time, above the dramatic volume, there is a complicated exposure roof structure system. Daylight can go into the building through the inclined panel of glass. Now, the roof is painted, so the whole interior spaces will be decorated by colorful changing shadows during daytime. Walking though the floating walkways is absolutely the most excited part of the whole building.
You can go to the different galleries to appreciate art works and catch the different views of the auditorium. You probably will find a huge black door at the end of the walkway, which is actually the door of the main exhibition. Behind the door, you will notice a stair that is connected to a mystical dead-end. My suggestion is that you should go up the stair and check the black corner without any hesitation. A big surprise is waiting for you. Though the other stair, you will arrive at the beautiful roof terrace, which establishes a strong connection to the city of Rome. The sculptural form of the roof provides people with different spatial experiences.
Since Decq designed the extraordinary fascinating building, people always compare the MACOR to MAXXI that is also designed by a female architect, Zaha Hadid. Without orthogonal element, they both focus on unusual form to create the different and modern buildings for the historical city. I can’t tell which one is better since they all did really great works. Come to visit MACOR and tell me which one you prefer.
Tips:
Address: via Nizza 138 — 00198 Roma
Hours: 11:00 to 19:00 from Tuesday to Sunday
11:00 to 22:00 on Saturday
Price: € 12,50