MAXXI Museum Rome wins Sterling Prize 2010

The new MAXXI Museum (Museum of the art of the XXI century) has won the coveted Sterling Prize 2010, given by RIBA to the best British architectural project of the year.

The MAXXI was inaugurated in May 2009 and was designed by Zaha Hadid Architects.

The RIBA commented the win: "A mature piece of architecture....it is the quintessence of Zaha's constant attempt to create a landscape, a series of cavernous spaces drawn with a free, roving line. The resulting piece, rather than prescribing routes, gives the visitor a sense of exploration. It is probably her best work to date."

"The museum doesn't feel like Rome, but it is all the more exciting for that, locally juxtaposed with army barracks and industrial warehouses, but with glimpses of distant views to Roman rooftops and cupolas. Its suburban context allows it a freedom denied to architects in the centre of Rome"

For more comments by RIBA see: architecture.com

For informazion on MAXXI see: fondazionemaxxi.it