Hidden in-between masterpieces of the Roman Empire, lush baroque palaces and the most famous classic art collections of the world, Rome sometimes surprises me with a piece of modern architecture in an unexpected place. Museum of contemporary art MACRO is one of those pleasant surprises.
MACRO – Museum of Contemporary Art of Rome
Via Nizza 138 | Rome
06 696271
website | Facebook | Instagram
Tu – Su | 10:00 – 20:00
Mo | closed
Admission ticket € 0 (MACRO is free for everyone)
I love it when two seemingly incompatible things come together: old and new, minimal and abundant, modern and classic. This definitely goes for architecture. Don’t get me wrong, I really like newly built structures such as modern art museum MAXXI in Flaminio, that was realised from the ground up in the last decade. But there’s something about transforming existing buildings into something new and exciting that gives these places an extra layer, makes them even more interesting.
MACRO is one of those places: located in the old beer factory of Peroni, in the Salario neighbourhood, this modern art museum with its impressive architecture attracts even those who don’t care for modern art because of its communal function. It’s not just a museum, but also a meeting place, a great place to relax, have a coffee or browse through the extensive collection of art, design and children’s books.
A museum for everyone
The best part about MACRO? It’s open to absolutely anyone: the museum’s goal is to encourage the public to visit and participate and so entrance to the museum is free. The permanent collection features some interesting works by Italian artists from the 1960s up to now, including examples of Arte Povera and Forma 1. There are also regular talks, debates, and presentations that address matters important to Romans, including housing rights and immigration.
When you walk towards MACRO from Via Cagliari, you’ll still see traces of its former function: on the side of the building, on the original wall, the name of the former factory is written (‘Società Birra Peroni Ghiaccia’). Until 1971, beer brand Peroni used the premises as a production plant. It was built between 1912 and 1932 by Gustavo Giovannoni, a Roman architect who became famous for the realisation of the Garbatella neighbourhood. After Peroni stopped using the building as a brewery, the company started brainstorm with the Municipality of Rome about how they could use the place to give something back to the neighbourhood.
Courageous architecture
They carried out restoration works between 1995 and 1999, but when the exhibition and storage areas turned out to be insufficient, the municipality held a design contest in 2000. The winner, French architect Odile Decq, faced the challenge to connect the existing spaces to the modern parts while staying true to the original structure, but also to connect the museum to the surrounding neighbourhood. She created a dynamic system of connecting walkways, glass walls and a big, red volume containing an auditorium in the middle of the museum. Her approach was very brave: given the architectural importance of the original building by Giovannoni, she could’ve chosen a neutral approach centralised around the old structure, but instead she opted for a bold concept that added radical elements of modern architecture to the building.
On top of the building, you’ll find a large roof terrace – although it’s more of an open-air space that houses a panoramic restaurant, a large terrace and enough space for events such as presentations and performances. On a sunny day, you’ll find groups of high schoolers sitting on the beach chairs, as well as museum visitors who take a moment to admire the big mural by street artist Ozmo on the adjacent building.
Original presents
Am I the only one who always turns straight to the right as soon as I enter MACRO? The large museum shop offers a very interesting mix of books about art, design and history (including a range of beautiful books about street art around the world), design accessories, t-shirts, bags, sculptures and more. I’m personally a fan of their funny t-shirts and the vast collection of beautifully illustrated children’s books. It’s a great place to shop around for an original present – for others or as a treat to yourself.
All images © 2019 Liza Karsemeijer
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